sjbissett

I spoke with David and Nortridge 4x4 about my planned mods and was ready to buy the Teraflex BB when I noticed on their website says that you must also buy the spidertax spacers. Not knowing what they really were I googled them and found lots of people with concerns about their safety. I see many people on this board using them and am wondering if you could share with me how you got to be comfortable with them.

I am a daily driver that drives on the highway routinely (75MPH). What about long trips? If I have a 1,000 mile trip are spacers still safe? Anything special I would need to do before and after the trip??

TEEJ

Most of the fears are hold overs from the days of the original wheel spacers, which were crap round plates, no threads, and were merely sandwiched beteen the hub and rim by the (Now sometimes too short) lugs...those were terrible, and lots of failures did occur under racing/off road scenarios.

The new aluminum (A hard alloy of aluminum, like T-6, etc...) and steel spacers that bolt independantly to the hub, and then the rim bolts to them, are reliable and safe...and no one to my knowledge, has had any problems with either of the new spacer designs.

Obviously, just like bolting on a rim....one needs to use the correct torque...and a shot of lock-tite is recommended...but the spacers them selves have been bulet proof.

As the new spacers run ~ $50/wheel....if new rims with the final backspacing you want are in your price range...you can simply get the new tires already mounted on new rims with the same overall effect....either way...it will drive exactly the same, as all the spacer does is correct the back spacing.

In states where the ire is not allowed to peak out from the fender...and where you get wider tires that DO stick out...a lot of people PREFER spacers, as for inspction...they can take them off...and the tires will be moved inboard for the inspection, PASS, and then the spacers can go back on for another few years, or whatever your state requires, etc.

BTW - Teraflex changed the kits....they accounted for a change in the JK's "as built's", and you don't need spacers unless getting wider tires anyway.

sjbissett

Never thought about the state inspection. Any NY'ers out there to help me know if my vehicle will pass NYS inspection with the wheel spacers on.

muddpuppy01

I have ran my spacers for about a year now abd have had no worries from them. I have not used loctight on mine. ( installed w/ air impact gun )

My buddy did have a wheel failure with a spacer but I acount that to him to put it to correct torque he like to half a$$ things. ( he installed his with a battery impact gun )

Lorrel

As was posted, the old style spacers back in the 60-70 era were not good.
New spacers are better made if from a reputable manufacturer. Spacers will, by virture of extending your wheel out, increase the side load on your wheel bearings, however not to any degree of causing failure.

TEEJ

And - to clarify - this is EXACTLY the same for a rim with the same effective backspacing....it has nothing to do with the spacer, its the back spacing....the rim's...or the spacer's effect.

(Getting new rims with 1.5" less BS is the same as adding 1.5" spacers as far as wheel bearings, etc, are concerned.)

Dustoff '68

Call me old fashioned...if it needs spacers, then you have the wrong rim and tires...I don't trust them, and they are, at the very least, a high maintenance and potentially catastrophic option.

jeepik

you are absolutely INCORRECT

look at how many people are running the spidertrax spacers without a single failure

why get new wheels if the stock wheels are as wide as aftermarket ones just the wrong backspacing, wheel spacers take care of that for the fraction of the price

DO SOME RESEARCH

i have over 20K on my wheel spacers, and they havent been re-tightened since the day i put them on

seal20

Okay...YOU'RE OLD FASHIONED!!!!

scouter4life

With the Tereflex BB, the sway bar links are repositioned and can rub against the tire. You can make an adjustment to the link by moving it to the inside, but to keep it on the way it should, you really need the 1.5" increase in backspacing for the tock rims. I just moved my links to the insode, but will eventually get the backspacers.