If you want to put large, tall tires on your Jeep, you will need to achieve the proper tire clearance. Jeep wheel spacers will allow you to do just that. It’s important that you buy the right spacers and adapters for your intended tire size so that you can safely and securely fit the tires onto the wheels.
Wheel spacers also offer the option of widening the wheelbase of your vehicle. The wheels will stick out more, making the Jeep appear to be rugged and sporty. They don’t simply change the appearance of a vehicle – the wider distance between tires enables better handling, particularly when going around curves.
What Do Jeep Wheel Spacers Come With?
Some spacers are sold individually and some are sold in pairs. There are also kits available with all of the essential hardware, including pre-installed wheel studs, thread locker, and lugnuts. The leading wheel spacer brands for off-road vehicles are Rough Country and Spidertrax. Sizes range from 0.25-inch to 2-inch spacers. 5×4.5 inch to 5×5 inch adapters are an option for Jeeps as well. The ideal spacer should be constructed from a high-quality material, such as a proprietary aluminum / magnesium alloy to ensure strength and durability.
Are Wheel Spacers Safe for Jeeps?
There are some who would argue that installing spacers on Jeeps isn’t exactly safe. However, spacers are safe just as long as they are installed properly and follow the guidelines. It’s ideal that you stay within conservative widths. High-quality spacers – particularly those that bolt up to your axle first – aren’t any more or less dangerous than a wheel with less backspacing. You MUST avoid the cheap spacers that leave hardly any thread for the lug nuts to hold onto, as these can be dangerous. Always stick with quality.
While it would be ideal to get wheels with the correct offset to begin with, that’s not always feasible. For some Jeep owners, spacers are the only option.
How Do Spacers Correct Wheel Offsets?
Aftermarket wheels are not always available in the ideal fitment for a particular vehicle. When the offset is too high, the wheel is forced to sit inward, resulting in both poor stance and appearance. A wheel offset that is too high may result in the tire rubbing against the suspension components or inside the inner wheel well lining.
Such problems can be corrected with the use of spacers, provided that that they are high-quality and the ideal size.
What Types of Wheel Spacers are Available?
They come in two primary forms: slide-on and bolt-on. The slide-on spacers are the most common. All that is required is that they slide onto existing bolts. You can simply remove the rim or wheel from the axle, slide the spacer over the studs, and then refit the wheel to the axle.
The bolt-on spacers are designed to be bolted onto the hub. When the wheel is removed, the spacer is placed over the end of the axle stud, and the nut is used to hold it in place at the end of the axle.
If there is any vibration after the Jeep wheel spacers are installed, check to make sure that the spacers are hub-centric and that you have a hub ring. Follow the manufacturer’s installation guidelines carefully.