How to tell if you are going to need wheel spacers?

Cavscout263

New member
So as the title of the thread tells you. I am wondering how do I know if I will be needing wheel spacers? I am getting a Rancho 3" trail lift with rs9000XL shocks. I am getting 17x8.5 with 4.8 back spacing on nitro 35"x12.5x17LT trail grapplers. So am I going to need wheel spacers or will I have to find out after I install? Sorry just want to make sure I have everything before I start putting it all together.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Really, 4.8" of back spacing? Why so much? Even if you're wheels are 8.5" wide, factory is 6.25" and you would need spacers with them. I typically say that 4.5" is the maximum with 12.50 wide tires.
 

Cavscout263

New member
I really liked the style of the bead lock wheel and for the price. Are there any other beadlock wheels you would recommend that aren't going to cost me 450 a piece? Or rather what is the range of backspacing I would need to stay in?
 

Pyro1415

New member
So as the title of the thread tells you. I am wondering how do I know if I will be needing wheel spacers? I am getting a Rancho 3" trail lift with rs9000XL shocks. I am getting 17x8.5 with 4.8 back spacing on nitro 35"x12.5x17LT trail grapplers. So am I going to need wheel spacers or will I have to find out after I install? Sorry just want to make sure I have everything before I start putting it all together.

You're good on back spacing although 4.8 is pretty uncommon.
 

TeamFaust

Member
So the OEM Rubicon 17" wheels are 17x8 with 6.25 backspacing yes?
Thus if you added a 1.25" spacer you'd create backspacing of 5" - ?
This would still be a bit tight for a 12.5 wide tire and likely create rubbing on front swaybar/links and/or other within the fender well -- is this correct?

So for a 12.5 wide tire you really want a total backspacing of at least 4.5" -- what would be the range to work for or the ideal? Is there an issue to be concerned with by pushing them out further?

I will tell you that running my 35x12.50 on the OEM Rubicon rims (3" lift) if the above mentioned is correct I only have 5" of backspacing and need to either push them out further or do sometype of steering stop because at turn with flex I am rubbing swaybay disconnected drag link pretty hard on occasion and run the risk of damage to links or worse tearing the tire sidewall. 4.8 isn't much better.
 
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Sharkey

Word Ninja
I can't attest to this specific combination, but we had to put spacers on Meanst's JKUR with 35 x 12.5's, an EVO Enforcer lift, and Pintler wheels. I think Pintlers have 5.1 BS. 4.8 is cutting it pretty dam close and there is a chance the swaybar end links in the rear will make contact with the tire, especially when running low air pressure.
 

10frank9

Web Wheeler
So for a 12.5 wide tire you really want a total backspacing of at least 4.5" -- what would be the range to work for or the ideal? Is there an issue to be concerned with by pushing them out further?

ATX/KMC Slabs have 3.5" which is a lot but somewhere between 4.5"-3.5" would be ideal. I ran Mickey Thompson Side Biters that had 4.25" on 35" Nitto TG's and that worked well.
 

TeamFaust

Member
ATX/KMC Slabs have 3.5" which is a lot but somewhere between 4.5"-3.5" would be ideal. I ran Mickey Thompson Side Biters that had 4.25" on 35" Nitto TG's and that worked well.

So gong back to Cavscout263's original question for his situation -- with a wheel backspacing of 4.8" running the 12.5" wide tires he's likely going to want to add spacers of .75" or so to get into a functional range of about 4" total backspacing.

I'd suggest rethinking the wheel selection to get the proper backspacing there and avoid the spacers all together if at all possible.

Another note: Not only are spacers one more item to monitor (which I know a lot of us do, me included), but depending on your ability to service your tires/wheels simple things like getting the tires balanced can be problematic as a lot of tire shops (even Discount tire) will tell you that they don't want to touch them given spacers (they don't want to assume any liability give not OEM configuration).
 
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TeamFaust

Member
Now I got'ta get my backspacing taken care of before I bend another drag link or worse rip up a Nitto MG sidewall...anyone got a set of 2" spacers they need to get rid of? :doh:
 
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wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Is 4.6 still too big?

With 12.50 wide tires, in my opinion, yes. While you should be fine driving around town with them, aired down, at a full flex and at a full turn, you will have a lot of rubbing up front. In the rear, your sidewalls will sit dangerously close to the rear sway bar link ends.
 

JAGS

Hooked
Is 4.6 still too big?

Most likely yes.

With 12.50 wide tires, in my opinion, yes. While you should be fine driving around town with them, aired down, at a full flex and at a full turn, you will have a lot of rubbing up front. In the rear, your sidewalls will sit dangerously close to the rear sway bar link ends.

Just as Eddie said. When ORE put together my build, I personally ran into this exact issue. Though I had bought wheels with 4.53 BS and should have been fine, I was still getting rubbing on the rear sway bar links with suspension drop.

As others have said, swap the wheel choice with something at or less than 4.25 to save a few bucks. Or plan to run spacers if funds dont allow for beadlocks. The spacers are not that big of a deal though, especially since you'll be running a lighter wheel that requires them. I have discount/americas tire check torque on the spacers with each rotation and balance.
 

TeamFaust

Member
... I have discount/americas tire check torque on the spacers with each rotation and balance.

That is interesting and good to know. I went to Discount to have mine balanced and when they pulled the first couple wheels and saw the spacers the manager said he didn't want to touch them for liability reasons... I dismounted them at home, brought the set in off the vehicle and they balanced the set. Maybe just an unexperienced manager, but a bit of a pain. :crazyeyes:
 

Moochie

Active Member
That is interesting and good to know. I went to Discount to have mine balanced and when they pulled the first couple wheels and saw the spacers the manager said he didn't want to touch them for liability reasons... I dismounted them at home, brought the set in off the vehicle and they balanced the set. Maybe just an unexperienced manager, but a bit of a pain. :crazyeyes:

Back in the day, Discount Tire wouldn't touch my Jeep with wheel spacers on. They will balance and rotate my wheels now with beadlocks and no spacers. No touchy beadlock rings.
 

JAGS

Hooked
That is interesting and good to know. I went to Discount to have mine balanced and when they pulled the first couple wheels and saw the spacers the manager said he didn't want to touch them for liability reasons... I dismounted them at home, brought the set in off the vehicle and they balanced the set. Maybe just an unexperienced manager, but a bit of a pain. :crazyeyes:

Back in the day, Discount Tire wouldn't touch my Jeep with wheel spacers on. They will balance and rotate my wheels now with beadlocks and no spacers. No touchy beadlock rings.

The discount rep on here posted about this maybe a couple weeks ago, regarding the spacers. Basically, they won't install, but they will work on vehicles with them so long as they are the bolt up kind. My local shop has worked on mine for about a year now. Before the long Moab trip I took it in and told them I just wanted everything buttoned up for a long road trip. The service tech made a point to tell me after that they torqued the spacers. I've been really happy with the service from DTD and my local america's tire shop. :thumb:
 

Moochie

Active Member
The discount rep on here posted about this maybe a couple weeks ago, regarding the spacers. Basically, they won't install, but they will work on vehicles with them so long as they are the bolt up kind. My local shop has worked on mine for about a year now. Before the long Moab trip I took it in and told them I just wanted everything buttoned up for a long road trip. The service tech made a point to tell me after that they torqued the spacers. I've been really happy with the service from DTD and my local america's tire shop. :thumb:

The first time I went to DT with my spacers on, they took off one of the wheels, saw the spacer and told me they couldn't service my wheels ever again until the spacers were removed.
 
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