jimonfly

I have a 2015 JKU Sport with 18" Sahara rims, running 1.75" spacers on a MetalCloak 2.5" lift. The rims/tires came on the Jeep when I bought it last year, Toyo Open Country MT, 33x12.50r18. I'll be needing tires in the next few months. The original plan was to get new rims and tires, with 4.5" backspacing on the rims, and go to 17s instead of 18s.

The spacers were installed when I did the lift to get the property backspacing and I like the look of the stock rims. I will probably move up to 35s, but I haven't ruled out staying with 33s. This is a work vehicle and will be on the road 95% of the time. The offroad use will be mainly for work, in the groves, pastures, etc., with probably some logging roads in Georgia. I will never (intentionally) go mudding or rock crawling. I also check the torque on the spacers everytime I rotate the tires.

Is there any reason to go away from the rims I have and lose the spacers when I get new tires?

resharp001

If you like the wheels, and don't mind the extra maintenance checks of spacers, it's not the end of the world. The real question would be.....how much extra would it cost you for a new set of wheels if you 1) sold the spacers, 2) sold the factory wheels, and 3) were able to buy 17" tires instead of 18" as the smaller size should be a little cheaper. Add those three things up and how much more would you have to spend to have a proper wheel? Spacers are ok when necessary, but they do introduce one more component and 20 more lug nuts in the mix.

jimonfly

That was my initial thought, but a horse with an eye injury just took all the funds I had set aside for wheel and tires, so I'm starting over from $0 from that coffee can. The price difference in the tire is about $15. Used spacers go for pennies on the dollar and the same for stock wheels. I was thinking I could get about $100 or $150 for the spacers, but full sets of new takeoff rims/tires are going locally on facebook for about $500. I think I'll still be behind by several hundred dollars.

resharp001

It sounds like you'd be better sticking with the spacers then to me.......and since you like the wheels anyhow, not a big deal. As long as you're checking those lugs occassionally, and considering your use....there's no real harm. I feel your pain with the coffee can fund. Things been tight the last year for me....it's a lot of work saving up for something....and even more work making sure my spousal unit isn't skimming $20 here, $20 there for whatever random kid function that she needs cash for!

Rednroll

Pros
- Cost less than new wheels (but you already knew this one).
- provide a wider stance if that's what you want

Cons" (spacers):
- Additional regular check up maintenance, you can't readily do a visual inspection to make sure they're remaining tight.
- hassle to deal with every time you need to do a repair which involves pulling off a hub, such as brake replacement
- Additional unnecessary complexity
- can put additional stress on ball joints, and wheel bearing causing additional need for repairs

Cons: (stock rims)
- For tires, there is always a minimum mounting wheel width published by the manufacturer. When you start getting into 35s and above, the stock rims width is below the manufacturer's min width. It's likely due to a risk/hazard. As a result many shops may not mount the tires for you on the stock rims....but there are shops that will, but you have to look for them.

Xlr8n

When installing SpiderTrax spacers, you are only to recheck the torque one time after 50 miles, per the manufacturer. Re-torquing at regular intervals runs the risk of breaking the loctite bond. Once they are installed, you're good to go.

Machoo

Anyone else mark the nuts on the spacers? I marked mine after I got them to torque and put a few miles on them. This way I can just remove the tire and visually confirm they are still set without messing with the Loctite bond.

Rednroll

Never did, but definitely a good practice.

I had 1.5" SpiderTrax spacers on for about 6 months. They were fine and I still have them sitting in my garage. It was just an additional item that was a pain to deal with and that I rather not have to be concerned about and removed them and did it the right way by getting new wheels with the proper back spacing. I can say, I don't miss them.