Anyone know what the real difference between the SpiderTrax $99/pr spacers
http://www.spidertrax.com/2007-Up-JK-Wrangler-Unlimited

And the Rough Country $59/pr spacers?
http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_wheel_spacers.html

I know the first ones are blue anodized, but is that the only real difference?
If so then I'm thinking of getting the RC spacers when I put the 35's on...

 

I don't know what the difference is. I will say this....most anytime there's a big difference in price like that in similar products, usually, somebody's cuttin corners. I wouldn't wanna find out the hard way with wheel spacers. I got the Teraflex steel ones for mine, because I just don't trust aluminum in that application. It's just a personal preference, because I've not heard anything happen with aluminum spacers. The RC spacers may well be great, but I'm never going to find out.

 

Not really true. The corner 'cut' in rough country's product is that they are not 'hub centric. I have the RC's and unless you put them on with your eyes closed you have nothing to worry about. I have zero vibration and that is the only benefit to the hubcentric variety.

 

And for the record, pound for pound, aluminum is stronger than steel. It has been used in driveshafts, heads, and flywheels for years. These are all parts which take a beating. The less rotating mass it provides to a part like a spacer is very much a plus too.

 

But it is true "most of the time" as I said, and I stand behind that. "Most of the time" means there are times when there are exceptions.

 

OK...So what is stronger. A steel wheel stud pressed into a steel spline of 1" thick. Or a steel wheel stud pressed into a aluminum spline of 1"? (x5)

Or.....is a 1.5" thick x 6" dia plate of aluminum stronger than a 1.5" thick plate of steel?

 

Cast, Forged, or extruded?

I don't have any background in metallurgy, but it should be noted that the wheels on my stock Rubiwagon are aluminum and not steel. They have not given me a problem yet.

My high end bicycle frames are aluminum. Their frame tubes are noticably larger than the traditional steel frames that used to be prevalent. The aluminum frames are snappy and responsive, but unforgiving when it comes to the input transferred from the road/dirt surface traveled upon. It's why I hate my aluminum framed road bike (no shocks, beats me up). I have a steel framed touring bicycle. The reason for that isn't that the steel tubing has superior strength over the other bicycles in the stable, but due to it's ability to flex and dampen the shock felt rolling over the terrain you pedal over.

Point is, I think each material is suitable if the manufacturing method is done correctly. And sometimes, a high price point does not equal quality (of course this does not apply to any of this sites sponsors, I mean WINE). Probably chalk this up to the same debate as gas or diesel, manual or automatic, chocolate or vanilla.

Thanks for your patience, I started early on my overpriced beverage today...

 

Not the case for abrasion or more importantly fatigue.

Given the cyclical load nature of the wheel loads you decide...

 

I've been running the RC spacers for 6 months and about 10K miles with no problems at all.
RC received a bad rap on the forum because of their 2.5" lift spring issue but they have been in the off-road game for a long time and they have been making quality products longer than a lot of us have been alive.

 

What kind of abrasion do you think a wheel spacer is subjected to

And to answer your other question; I have. I stated earlier that I run aluminum spacers.