Question about wheel spacers...

What are the pro's and con's of them? I don't really know anything about them at all. I'll be doing the 2" OME lift over Christmas break and running 31's on stock wheels. I don't want to have to worry about rubbing and I don't want to do any trimming since this is my DD. I thought wheel spacers might help but I've read they cause extra stress on the axles. Should I just forget the spacers and get 15x8's to increase the backspacing?

IMO wheel spacers should only be used to correct an axle width problem. You're better off money wise just to get wheels with the back spacing that you need.

For each wheel you have 10 nuts that you have to keep properly torqued. If your running brake drums you have more of a hastle when changing brakes.

On average you're going to pay between $50-$100 per whereas you can get some good steel wheels with the proper BS for about $50 ea.

Some people feel they put stress on your axle bearings but in reality they are no different than a wheel with the same backspace.

If you really have your mind set on spacers then go with whoever you get the best deal with. And yes you can get some good deals as here http://www.weirdharoldscoolparts.com/new%20page0.htm

88XjLaredo said:

What are the pro's and con's of them? I don't really know anything about them at all. I'll be doing the 2" OME lift over Christmas break and running 31's on stock wheels. I don't want to have to worry about rubbing and I don't want to do any trimming since this is my DD. I thought wheel spacers might help but I've read they cause extra stress on the axles. Should I just forget the spacers and get 15x8's to increase the backspacing?

Click to expand...

First things first.

2" lift with 31's without trimming will rub when you cycle the suspension, regardless of the wheel BS. I'd go with 3" lift at a minimum if you plan using your rig offroad, better yet, 4". I ran like this for a few years, several rigs/years ago. 31's and 4" lift is a good look/fit.
A 15x7 wheel is good for 31's, with 4" to 4.25" BS it would work nicely. If you stay with your stock 15x7's ( assuming this is what you have), which have a 5.25" factory BS, a 1" or 1.25" billet adapter will net you the correct BS.

Keep in mind that unless you choose your BS to match your tire/lift setup, 15x8's may wind up rubbing worse than your stock 15x7's.

Hope this helps.

I ran 4" with 31, 5" back spacing for several years. It is a good fit.
The close to stock back spacing the better the tire will stuff, especially at the lower lift hights. For 4" or less back spacing you will need to be at 4" of lift.
Anything lower than 3.5 inches and you will have to trim or significanly lengthen the bump stops.

The rubbing you may experience should only be during full steering lock or offroad. If you're not going to wheel it then all you'll need to do is shim the steering stops a bit. I don't know if the OME kit comes with longer bumpstops but you could add some longer ones as a "just in case".