mickfluff

I am nervous about Spidertrax spacers! Yes I did it, I bought 1.25 wheel spacers for my JK, my set up is running Jeep Commander Rims and 295-70-r17 tires which the tires alone weigh a whopping 70lbs.... plus rim we are near the 100lb each (tire and wheel) combo....I have heard from many jeepers that if you go spacers then spidertrax is the way to go so feel good about the maker.....but when I dropped off my jeep today to have them installed the shop pointed out for me right there in Bold letters on the box "meant for OFF Road only" and this is not my intention as my jeep is mainly an on road rider and some decent highway driving at 75mph..... I forged ahead and having them put on and then a full alignment. Can someone please set my mind at ease, my wife drives this rig and I have a 4 month old.... if a tire ever fell off on the highway or anywhere causing harm to anyone because of my "Mod addiction" I would feel HORRIBLE..... wheel spacers has their share of haters and supporters so hoping to get some final legit feedback from my fellow jeep peers! Thanks.....

Buster

I wouldn't worry about them. I think the directions say to check them after driving 50 miles to make sure they are tight. Then just check them when you rotate your tires. I've used them for the last year with no problems and I haven't heard of anyone having a problem with them.

chris269

They just tell you they are off road only to rid them selfs of any liability if something was to happen. I ordered them for my rubicon but since i don't have it yet they are not installed. This will be my wifes main transport and we have an 8 month old and i feel completly safe with them. I am going to check them at 50 and probobly 500 miles just to be safe.

Wladziu

Your tire's not gonna fall off. But, you sound like a good man to be worrying about your wife's well-being.
The warning on the box is common. It's a legal thing so they don't have to pass highway safety standards, or some crap. I hear it's expensive.
Let's get to the point: I'm sure you know all the bad arguments concerning the spacers already, since you're worried. That's fine. Wheel bearings going out because of too much of a weird load, that soft of thing. No problem. Perhaps you've never experienced a wheel bearing blow-out, which isn't really heart-attack scary. I've had them go out before, without using spacers. I've even driven from Greensboro to Winston-Salem with the right rear one completely blown. That's about 30 miles. The axle just got pretty hot, but the stupid jeep didn't really care. I'm telling you this so you can see a possibility of not paying attention to premature wear on the bearings.
The best way to pay attention, honestly, is to pull the bearings every so often and change them.
By the book, it's not great. In real life, i'd consider the fact that your 295's with spacers are comparable to these folks riding around on 35's and larger. Some idiot on here is even talking about putting on 40 inch tires. You should make sure the spacers are on tightly and correctly and you routinely do your maintenance (like torquing the lugs). As far as the jeep knows, you're just using deep-dish wheels and larger tires. If you increase your tire size, I would lose them, though.
Just something to think about.
Personally, I'd still feel comfortable, having talked to you and therefore partially responsible, if you would talk to other people with experience.

chris269

I'm That Idiot and I just started that thread to get people thinking about how extreem they could make a JK.

Wladziu

Tell you what, Chris, I'm apologizing for calling you an idiot ( in public), but I would like you to see that when people try to put 40 inch tires on a jeep just to impress people (which is what you said in your post) that it is detrimental to other jeep owners who are trying to shake off just that type of public stigmata.

Sorry about the hijack, Mickfluff, guess it's my fault.

chris269

Or the public Stigma of Being an a-hole. I didn't ask for an appology.


Lets just keep this thread on track.

Wladziu

Let's.
I was hoping to give this guy some peace of mind. I know exactly what he's talking about, with the "mod addiction" and feeling horrible. I think alot of us do. I wish I could post numbers on the forces placed on axles by installing wheel spacers. I know a few professors that could do it, but I'd be hung like Saddam for asking something that would be so petty to them.
Personally, I like the look of a wide jeep that isn't so jacked-up in the air. It lends a feeling of security, ability, and control, and just looks flat-out mean. This guy certainly isn't the only one putting on spacers in search of that look, instead of going for wider aftermarket axles. Or, maybe he's just trying to clear up some rubbing issues, I dunno. Either way, I'd like to challenge the manufacturers of these spacers to give us clear and honest data along with a product that they sell openly. A simple warning just to cover their ass doesn't seem sufficient or quite honest, but no doubt it's simply because enough people don't demand the numbers.

I don't know anything else to tell him, but then again, I'm an idiot. Anybody have anything else to add about this common product?

JKFirefighter

Go With The Spacers, And Check Them Occasionally For Peace Of Mind. I Feel Like An Idiot For Wasting My Time Reading The Response To This Thread.

Rubimon

Make sure you tighten them with a torque wrench to the proper specs. Check them at 50 -100 miles and for a piece of mind check them again down the road. As far as wheel bearings go, there is no more stress than all the f****g idiots out there running a wheel with less backspacing. Oops, thats me, I'm an idiot too I guess.