got a problem w/ the "kidney puncher" unsplit bones in the rear, narrow 9 inch rear end=tires rubbing on the cab when I hit tight turns with a load on. I was wondering if I could/should put on some wheel spacers( like they put on some lowriders) to bring the tires out a bit. the other choice would be a panhard bar, not sure if I want to go that route. I called around and all the "major" tire shops gave me the"far too dangerous to sell to the public" speil. just wanted to know if any one is/has run them and what are your experiences with them. thanx
I have some 3/4" spacers on a 1980 ford f150 4x4........came with really wide tires that rubbed bad so i put some longer studs on it and spacers......don't see much road time but never had a problem with them in the mud.....it was cheaper than new tires...........
I am running some 1" billet spacers. just make sure you get the bolt on kind and that they are billet. no cast ones!!! I scored mine on egay for $50 shipped.
hey fairlane-when you say bolt on-wha? I thought they slipped over the studs before you put on the wheel-am I mistaken??
I think fairlane means the solid billet machined spacers that you bolt on with existing lugnuts, then theres another set of studs. I had to get a pair of 1-1/4 ones to make my rear supremes fit on my 59 wagon. Mine were $160. for the pair.
Be sure to tighten everything up real good. My dad lost a front wheel off his elcam because the spacer came off the rotor. He checked the the lugs that went to the spacer and they were tight, but the wheel and the tightly spacer went bouncing off thru the bar-ditch, and the elky made a 3-point landing.
These guys advertise in all the 4x4 mags. CJ's are 5x5.5, TJ are 5x4.5 http://www.spidertrax.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.18/.f
What the guys are describing above should really be called an adapter not a spacer. Using a cheap spacer thicker than about a quarter inch that just slips over the studs isn't such a hot idea. Using a billet alum. adapter works just dandy. I recommend the adapter route even if you aren't changing bolt patterns. Much safer that way. A friend has had a 31 Tudor with 1" billet adapters on the back for nearly 30k miles with no trouble at all. You might get buy with 1/4" spacer if all you need is just a tiny bit more room. Go with an adapter otherwise. Yeah yeah I know Spidertrax calls theirs spacers but cheap and weak they ain't.
Guys so using an adapter that looks like this is unsafe? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Wheel-Adapters-Transdapt-hot-rat-street-rod-no-reserve_W0QQitemZ250021455382QQihZ015QQcategoryZ34209QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I have recently put a set on back of my 55 that looks similiar to this. They are about 7/8's of a inch thick. That get the tires off the bedside. Short of going with a totally different type of wheel or changing out the rear end I am not sure what other option I have. I just looked on Ebay. All of there billet adapter are 1.25 thick which would put the tire against the inside outer edge of the fender. ANY suggestions
I'd go with the panhard rod myself. If your rearend is moving side to side you'll have other problems down the road. Believe me, I know.
The rearend is not moving. It's just the bulge on the tires I have is more than it was stated on the manufacturer's information card. The tires are to close to the bedside if I don't use the adapter. They are within a 1/4 to the bedside. When cornering you are going to touch. These adapters work I just wanted to be sure they were safe.
If I ever needed to space some wheels out a bit, I would turn them in a lathe, and put a flange on the spacer that would fit tightly into the center of the wheel, and bore it to be an equally snug fit over the end of the axle. Spacers like this have been custom-made to cure runout (and balancing) issues. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
The Jalopy Journal
