christianjeeper86

I am wanting some extra width out of my JK. I cannot afford wheels. What are the pros and cons of spacers and which ones should i get?

ssunde1

just make sure you get hubcentric spacers if you do. spidertrax seems to be the most popular. pro's- you get wider stance, if you run larger tires, help prevent rubbing.
cons- adds more stress on the axle if im not mistaken.

wayoflife

the pros are that they are an affordable and effective way to reduce your backspacing and allow you to run wider tires on your factory wheels.

the cons is that they will cause you fail inspections in some states. also, if you ever need to remove your rotors, you'll have to remove the spacers to do it. last but not least, the reduced back spacing will add more pressure to your bearings but, not anymore than would any aftermarket wheel with less back spacing.

i personally run and would recommend getting a set of 1.5" spidertrax wheel spacers. they are made extremely well and have never let me down over the years on any of my jeeps.

Red

They are less expensive than new wheels. In my case, they are a low cost option until I find wheels that I really like. They provide a wider stance just like wheels with less back spacing, and place just as much stress on the axle as a wheel with less back spacing. I guess that some people don't like them because there is one more part to go bad. After all, now you have 5 bolts holding on spacers and 5 bolts holding on the wheel as opposed to 5 bolts holding on a solid wheel. IMO, as long as they are well made and balanced, i.e. hubcentric, there really isn't a problem. I guess you could say that if you know which wheels you want and they come with the backspacing you need, then get them. If you can't seem to find wheels you like, or the wheels you want don't have the correct backspacing, then the spacers are a relatively inexpensive fix.

runit3

Another note would be to clean all contact surfaces fairly regularly (~10-20k Miles). If you live coastal or high humidity it tends to grime up lugs/rotors at contact points. Rust =

IcyFridge

I run the 1.5" spidertrax spacers on my 2 door and love them. the stance alone is worth the money! And I'm worred about inspections here in NY as well.

I plan on getting new wheels down the road when I have enough saved up for gears and 35s. First is 33s, then a 2.5" BB.

spinlock

I run the Spidertrax spacers currently without problems and I have had success with them in the past, but I do so only to get clearance.

Just keep in mind that "widening the track" at a minimum alters the scrub radius which can affect steering and handling and axle loading.
If you use the stock wheels these effects are somewhat reduced since you still maintain positive wheel offset.

Just keep in mind there is no free lunch even when it comes mods.