Spidertrax Spacers Not Allowed my major tire dealers/installers?
03-07-2010, 12:35 PM
#1
JK Enthusiast
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Spidertrax Spacers Not Allowed my major tire dealers/installers?
I was at my local tire store checking prices on tires and my plan has been to put larger tires on my factory wheels and use spacers.
However this weekend both Discount Tire and NTB have told me they will NOT install wheels on a vehicle with spacers. They would be happy to put the tires on the rims but they will not put the wheels on the jeep nor will they ever rotate and balance the tires as long as the spacers are on there.
Ok, taking the wheels and tires up there to have them installed is no big deal but subsequent rotating and balancing is an issue.
My question is how you work around this?
However this weekend both Discount Tire and NTB have told me they will NOT install wheels on a vehicle with spacers. They would be happy to put the tires on the rims but they will not put the wheels on the jeep nor will they ever rotate and balance the tires as long as the spacers are on there.
Ok, taking the wheels and tires up there to have them installed is no big deal but subsequent rotating and balancing is an issue.
My question is how you work around this?
03-07-2010, 12:40 PM
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I went out to tire shops last week pricing wheels and tires, and all the shops i went to asked why I was buying new wheels and not using spacers
i guess it just it all depends on where you live
i guess it just it all depends on where you live
03-07-2010, 12:51 PM
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I ran into this at Discount tire.... they only knew I had spacers on after they'd taken off my stock rims and the mgr noticed the bright blue spacers....
So he yells at me in front of everyone in the room about their policy ( he was very frustrated and kinda emotional ).. anyway, I finally though, well now what?? ... and he said, we'll put them on, but no service ! Ever! ... unless you take off the spacers first OR just remove the wheels/tires and bring them in for whatever..
So, I guess due to a bunch of failures that they were blamed for or had to eat, they're legal dept just put out the word. Doesn't matter that Spidertrax are outstanding and very well made spacers...
Good luck. HOpe you can find someone who'll do it.. Or put your JK on blocks, get a buddy with a truck and take your wheels down to DT or whereever and have them put your new shoes on and balance them and then you go home and install them..
So he yells at me in front of everyone in the room about their policy ( he was very frustrated and kinda emotional ).. anyway, I finally though, well now what?? ... and he said, we'll put them on, but no service ! Ever! ... unless you take off the spacers first OR just remove the wheels/tires and bring them in for whatever..
So, I guess due to a bunch of failures that they were blamed for or had to eat, they're legal dept just put out the word. Doesn't matter that Spidertrax are outstanding and very well made spacers...
Good luck. HOpe you can find someone who'll do it.. Or put your JK on blocks, get a buddy with a truck and take your wheels down to DT or whereever and have them put your new shoes on and balance them and then you go home and install them..
03-07-2010, 01:49 PM
#4
JK Junkie
I bought my tires at Discount Tire and they mounted them on the stock wheels in spite of being slightly narrow and also on the Spidertrax spacers. However, I did have a discussion with the shop manager regarding both. He informed me that neither was a "best practice" and the dangers of both.
I acknowledged what he told me and we discussed it for 5 minutes and approved the services. This particular manager is very knowledgeable of wheels, tires and supensions as well as company policies and he made an intelligent decision after I acknowledged the risks.
Just like with dealer shops, I am sure it is highly dependent on the shop manager.
If they won't do it, just go an independent shop that does a lot of PU and 4x4 business, they tend to be more liberal.
I acknowledged what he told me and we discussed it for 5 minutes and approved the services. This particular manager is very knowledgeable of wheels, tires and supensions as well as company policies and he made an intelligent decision after I acknowledged the risks.
Just like with dealer shops, I am sure it is highly dependent on the shop manager.
If they won't do it, just go an independent shop that does a lot of PU and 4x4 business, they tend to be more liberal.
03-07-2010, 01:52 PM
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Have you spoken with Costco??
I recently had this discussion with my local Costco tire guy. He told me they will now install oversized tires as long as you have enough lift to handle it, and will install over wheel spacers. He told me they finally convinced their corporate office that good wheel spacers, like Spydertrax, are safe and they should still service vehicles that use them.
He told me no problem with filled with nitrogen, free rotations, etc. for life of tires if I choose to buy from them. Not too bad. I haven't decided if that is the route I am going, but it is nice to hear of a tire shop that is going to work with what I have. This gives me the option of not buying new wheels if I choose not to.
He told me no problem with filled with nitrogen, free rotations, etc. for life of tires if I choose to buy from them. Not too bad. I haven't decided if that is the route I am going, but it is nice to hear of a tire shop that is going to work with what I have. This gives me the option of not buying new wheels if I choose not to.
03-07-2010, 08:31 PM
#6
JK Super Freak
Like many bone headed policies at some big box stores, they are left over from some time in history when the original mis-interpretations were made by their officers, or, when the issues were still relevant, etc.
For example, back when a "Spacer" was a steel plate with slots in it....that was captured between the hub and the rim, there were plenty of problems, and the tire places rightfully decided not to service if they are there, etc...as the lugs are now too short, they can shift, and many other potential problems.
A few decades later, those evil plate spacers are STILL around, but, there are also new, bolt on spacers, which are NOT a problem, as long as they are properly installed.
Rims are the same way....if they are not properly installed, your lugs can snap, you can lose a tire and have an accident, etc.
So, as the shops never update training materials, all the warnings about the older type of evil plate spacers are therefore applied to the good bolt on spacers...without them knowing the difference.
Heck, there's still tire shops that will tell you your ABS will not work if you mount larger tires because the computer will fry, etc.
For example, back when a "Spacer" was a steel plate with slots in it....that was captured between the hub and the rim, there were plenty of problems, and the tire places rightfully decided not to service if they are there, etc...as the lugs are now too short, they can shift, and many other potential problems.
A few decades later, those evil plate spacers are STILL around, but, there are also new, bolt on spacers, which are NOT a problem, as long as they are properly installed.
Rims are the same way....if they are not properly installed, your lugs can snap, you can lose a tire and have an accident, etc.
So, as the shops never update training materials, all the warnings about the older type of evil plate spacers are therefore applied to the good bolt on spacers...without them knowing the difference.
Heck, there's still tire shops that will tell you your ABS will not work if you mount larger tires because the computer will fry, etc.
02-20-2011, 06:20 AM
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Originally Posted by TEEJ
Like many bone headed policies at some big box stores, they are left over from some time in history when the original mis-interpretations were made by their officers, or, when the issues were still relevant, etc.
For example, back when a "Spacer" was a steel plate with slots in it....that was captured between the hub and the rim, there were plenty of problems, and the tire places rightfully decided not to service if they are there, etc...as the lugs are now too short, they can shift, and many other potential problems.
A few decades later, those evil plate spacers are STILL around, but, there are also new, bolt on spacers, which are NOT a problem, as long as they are properly installed.
Rims are the same way....if they are not properly installed, your lugs can snap, you can lose a tire and have an accident, etc.
So, as the shops never update training materials, all the warnings about the older type of evil plate spacers are therefore applied to the good bolt on spacers...without them knowing the difference.
Heck, there's still tire shops that will tell you your ABS will not work if you mount larger tires because the computer will fry, etc.
For example, back when a "Spacer" was a steel plate with slots in it....that was captured between the hub and the rim, there were plenty of problems, and the tire places rightfully decided not to service if they are there, etc...as the lugs are now too short, they can shift, and many other potential problems.
A few decades later, those evil plate spacers are STILL around, but, there are also new, bolt on spacers, which are NOT a problem, as long as they are properly installed.
Rims are the same way....if they are not properly installed, your lugs can snap, you can lose a tire and have an accident, etc.
So, as the shops never update training materials, all the warnings about the older type of evil plate spacers are therefore applied to the good bolt on spacers...without them knowing the difference.
Heck, there's still tire shops that will tell you your ABS will not work if you mount larger tires because the computer will fry, etc.
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02-20-2011, 06:59 AM
#8
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I know that this is an old thread but it's worth mentioning that my local dealer rotated my tires no problem with the Spidertrax on! Furthermore since they were inspecting my brakes they didn't even charge me for the rotation.
How's that for a dealer.... Eh??
How's that for a dealer.... Eh??
02-20-2011, 10:20 AM
#9
JK Freak
For liability reasons, most tire dealers will not install your wheels on spacers.
Spacers should be installed with red loc-tite and periodically re-torqued. Because they are underneath the wheel, you cannot visually see if one of the lugnuts has backed off. If the lugnuts back off, the result can be be broken lugs and your wheel can fall off--resulting in damage, injury, death, or huge lawsuits.
Spidertrax spacers are completely safe with proper installation and with require maintenance/re-torquing.
Even if a tire dealer installed over spacers, I would want to double check/re-torque them myself.
In the end, it shouldn't be a big deal to install the spacers and wheels yourself. You just need to borrow a truck to pick up your tires and wheels for carry out.
Spacers should be installed with red loc-tite and periodically re-torqued. Because they are underneath the wheel, you cannot visually see if one of the lugnuts has backed off. If the lugnuts back off, the result can be be broken lugs and your wheel can fall off--resulting in damage, injury, death, or huge lawsuits.
Spidertrax spacers are completely safe with proper installation and with require maintenance/re-torquing.
Even if a tire dealer installed over spacers, I would want to double check/re-torque them myself.
In the end, it shouldn't be a big deal to install the spacers and wheels yourself. You just need to borrow a truck to pick up your tires and wheels for carry out.
(they had the instructions).
Not going back to that shopw