Wheel SPacers - Yes or NO

[natvboy]

I found these on Ebay - not exactly a spacer but gives you the option to go to a P38 (95-02) or DII (98-04) bolt pattern giving you more options for wheels. Although they are a bit pricey at 1200. They appear to be hubcentric as well.

[antichrist]

Originally Posted by CaptainRuss

The only problem I've ever seen is that they come loose if not checked frequently. It's a simple case of preventive maintenance to me. Check the tightness of the spacers as you rotate your tires even if you used Loc-tite on the spacer nuts like you're supposed to. I wouldn't expect a spacer to loosen too often then.

Sounds like some people aren't making very good spacers. Like I said, mine have never come loose, and that's with probably 100k miles on them. Of course, I only have them on the front, but I would expect them to behave the same on the rear.

[dzeyer]

I've run spacers on my DII for about a year and half, with no problems. As to the tightening required, they should only need about 2 tightenings before they stay put. Just like buying new rims for your car, the aluminum is soft and you should tighten the lugs after the first 50 miles and then after 100 miles. After that you should be good. When I did this with my aluminum spacers, I never had to tighten them again. And x2 on no difference between a wheel with an offset and spacers.

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by jkcoda007

I would like to add wheel spacers to my rig to offset my wheels an inch - inch and a half. I think the stance would increase alot including look and performance...but...are they safe???

A friend told me that a shop owner wouldn't pass his rig for state inspection with spacers on. I am confused...are they dangerous??

Does anyone use them...have them...want them...recommend them???

Thanks in advance for any help here.

P.S. I'm talking about wheels spacers with posts...not the single discs with no posts.

Just my 2 cents worth, but WHY???????????????
It would more strain on our already questionable and expensive hubs and it will greatly increase your turning radius.
Mike

[KevinNY]

No sparky, it REDUCES your turning radius by giving you more clearance to your radius arms, particularly with oversize tires. LR hubs are neither expensive or fragile.

[antichrist]

And spacers aren't going to add any more strain than an additional 2" offset rim would.

[SeattleRRC]

I have spacers on my other two 'new' cars.

Porsche Boxster S has 8mm in front, 16mm rear

Range Rover Classic has 30mm all around

No problems for years of use at high speeds, low speeds, or offroading.

I recently asked my mechanic whether my 1975 Series III would have any issue with spacers and he gave me the same mumbo jumbo I've read in this thread. I posted a similar question on the Series forum and got mixed opinions. I'm going to disregard the negatives as I now believe some people are just 'anti-spacer' - I plan to put them on my Series too.

[TerryS]

Originally Posted by KevinNY

No sparky, it REDUCES your turning radius by giving you more clearance to your radius arms, particularly with oversize tires. LR hubs are neither expensive or fragile.

Take a stock vehicle and add wider tires and you will likely rub the inside of the tires, increasing your turning radius. Add spacers, and you'll only get back to the original turning radius, but not decreased from stock, because the limitation of the amount of angle the wheel will turn is the steering gearbox. Spacers will not overcome this. Going to a rim with a wider offset, such as NAS110 rims, will do the same as adding spacers. I do agree that LR hubs are very substantial.

For dedicated offroad trucks, wheel angle (decreased turning radius) is increased by changing the geometry of the pittman arms. On series trucks, there were two methods which worked equally well. One used a shorter upper relay arm, the other used a longer lower relay arm.
On Rangies, Discos and Defenders, there was a cross reference to a steering box pittman arm that was about an inch longer. The trade off was increase steering sensitivity, but for offroaders, that wasn't so much an issue as it would be on the highway (especially on series trucks which like to wander a bit anyway) Any increase in wheel angle will require either wider offset rims or spacers. A given turning radius is determined by two things; the amount of angle the front wheels can make, and the wheelbase (the rear wheel spacing has nothing to do with it, since the pivot point is still the center of the two rear wheels).