Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

[overS-10ded]

I have American Eagle 17x8 wheels with the same offsets front and rear. I want the rear track closer to the fronts'. So the option is a spacer and longer studs. I think I want to go 1"? Are the ARP 100-7713 the correct stud and long enough for a 1" spacer? Looking for a good spacer recommendation as well. Thanks for any help!


Good times!!
Bruce

 

[Damian]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

Just make sure you get hubcentric wheel spacers otherwise you could be like my buddy and loose a wheel while driving down the freeway. We searched for 2 hours and never did find that wheel. Just long wheel studs have too much of a load on them. The hub is supposed to take that load.

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I was taught that you do not use spacers. Old School! However spacer use in the last 15 years has become pretty (seemingly) reliable with good billet "T" stock and the hubcentric aspect seems still more safe/reliable! I can't afford to buy proper sized wheels. I'm ok with my generic American Eagles as long as I can safely and reliably widen the rear track closer to that of the front end and fill up the fender well. I'm running 245/45r17 tires x4.

Good times!
Bruce

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-



My mobile home.

 

[TeeTopZ]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

For 1", I would look into a wheel adapter rather than just a spacer and longer studs. The adapter bolts to the factory studs and then has its own studs to mount the wheel

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I am not comfortable with wheel adapters. I'm trying to warm up to the spacer idea. 3/4" is all I am finding that is practicle and available (20mm) but 1 1/4 " looks the best IMO. I also just want to run same size tires front and rear. Maybe that is the max I should go with the hub-centric spacer and extended wheel studs?

Good times!
Bruce

 

[eviltwin]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I dont like the idea of that long of a spacer on the rear. A wheel adapter would be much safer IMO

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

No adapters for me. I want to keep my wheel mounted directly to the axel! I have seen some broken adapters over the years.

Good times!
Bruce

 

[TeeTopZ]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I bet there are less broken adapters than broken studs from 1" spacers. Personally, I would buy quality adapters, not cheap eBay. But, I get where you are coming from and its your truck, your choice.

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

That would be some easy money there! Google broken wheel adapters.

You won't find a broken axle wheel stud unless it is from not tightening lug nuts and driving like that. And I still don't like the idea of using spacers. Any body have any experience using spacers on the rear of their rides?

Good times!
Bruce

 

[mattw]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I ran these for several years on my rear wheels with no issues:

They are a high $ hub centric spacer. They bolt on using the stock studs. They have another set of studs that the wheel bolts to. I prefer this over using a spacer with long studs. I think this is a safer/more proven method. I also think that you won't be able to find studs long enough for more than ~1/2 spacer. IIRC these were ~ 1" thick.. The instructions say to never use an impact on these and I never did. Maybe that's why you have seen failures..??

I'm now running a ZR2 rear axle(3.9" wider than stock) with 4 sy/ty front rims and custom wide-body 4-door cladding to sit even with the edge of the wheels.. No spacers anymore and a nice wide stance..

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

Hey very nice ride! I appreciate you sharing your experience using the adapters! What size tires are you running? Damn that does look nice. Thanks for making my evening!

Good times!
Bruce

 

[atkonkler]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I ran these for several years on my rear wheels with no issues:

They are a high $ hub centric spacer. They bolt on using the stock studs. They have another set of studs that the wheel bolts to. I prefer this over using a spacer with long studs. I think this is a safer/more proven method. I also think that you won't be able to find studs long enough for more than ~1/2 spacer. IIRC these were ~ 1" thick.. The instructions say to never use an impact on these and I never did. Maybe that's why you have seen failures..??

I'm now running a ZR2 rear axle(3.9" wider than stock) with 4 sy/ty front rims and custom wide-body 4-door cladding to sit even with the edge of the wheels.. No spacers anymore and a nice wide stance..

did you have to recalibrate anything with the zr2 axle...and did you have to re-weld the ears on the axle? I run those same spacers I think they worked out great! They are alot more appropriate than the spacer sand longer studs that aren't hub centric.

 

[mattw]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

did you have to recalibrate anything with the zr2 axle...and did you have to re-weld the ears on the axle? I run those same spacers I think they worked out great! They are alot more appropriate than the spacer sand longer studs that aren't hub centric.

I had to put a new ring & pinion in it so that the ratio would match the front.

I did not have to move the ears..

 

[mattw]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

Hey very nice ride! I appreciate you sharing your experience using the adapters! What size tires are you running? Damn that does look nice. Thanks for making my evening!

Good times!
Bruce

Thanks!!

Stock sy/ty size tires.. 245/50-R16..

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

How about your rear springs? Are those the stock 4dr springs, and are you using blocks? I have my new tires arriving tomorrow-245/45r17- and am using the JTR centering plate to start with and probably go with a 1" block. I do a lot of touring/camping in the summers. Last summer I drove 6,900 in 8 weeks and drove a big loop around the west and BC too. This summer my wife and I are adding on 2 weeks and about 2,000 miles! Once again dude, I am eating my heart out at your 4dr! It is beautiful. Thanks for your help!

Good times!
Bruce

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

did you have to recalibrate anything with the zr2 axle...and did you have to re-weld the ears on the axle? I run those same spacers I think they worked out great! They are alot more appropriate than the spacer sand longer studs that aren't hub centric.

Well another score for adapters! I have seen countless spacers on dragsters pumping 1,000+ HP with extended (and hardened of course) studs to fit slicks however I don't believe adapters are NHRA legal?? Here is what I found;

5:2 WHEELS
Hubcaps must be removed for inspectors, who will check for loose lugs, cracked wheels, worn or oversize lug holes, and condition of spindles, axle nuts, cotter pins, etc. Snap-on hubcaps are prohibited on any class car. The use of “spinner” style wheels or any wheel design that incorporates movable pieces while vehicle is in motion or stationary are prohibited. Each car in competition must be equipped with automotive-type wheels with a minimum 12 inches of diameter unless Class Requirements stipulate otherwise. Motorcycle wheels or lightweight automotive wire wheels must be equipped with .100-inch minimum diameter steel spokes, properly cross-laced to provide maximum strength. All spoke holes in rim and hub must be laced. Omissions to lighten wheels prohibited. The thread engagement on all wheel studs to the lug nut, or lug bolts to wheel hubs, must be equivalent to or greater than the diameter of the stud/bolt. Length of the stud/bolt does not determine permissibility. (Example: A 7/16-inch stud must be thoroughly engaged through the threads in the hex portion of the lug a minimum of 7/16-inch.) Wheel spacer permitted. Spacer to be either hub-centric or lug-centric and must fit with minimal clearance to retain concentricity. The wheel
spacer must not reduce the minimum permitted thread engagement below the limits established by fastener diameter. (See example as stated above.) No stacking of wheel spacers allowed. Maximum rim width on any car: 16 inches. No rear wheel discs or covers permitted in any category. Top Fuel and Funny Car rear wheels must meet SFI Spec 15.4. Pro Stock, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Pro Modified (Comp) must meet a minimum of SFI Spec 15.1.

Does not mention adapters so I don't think they are legal. Just to use a safety outline and where they mention spacers, however not adapters. Widest hub-centric spacer I can find is 15mm which will give about 1" overall wider stance. I may have to be happy with that. I just can't bring myself to use an adapter.

Thanks guys for your help and for your experience! I do value your opinions.

Good times!
Bruce

 

[mattw]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

How about your rear springs? Are those the stock 4dr springs, and are you using blocks? I have my new tires arriving tomorrow-245/45r17- and am using the JTR centering plate to start with and probably go with a 1" block. I do a lot of touring/camping in the summers. Last summer I drove 6,900 in 8 weeks and drove a big loop around the west and BC too. This summer my wife and I are adding on 2 weeks and about 2,000 miles! Once again dude, I am eating my heart out at your 4dr! It is beautiful. Thanks for your help!

Good times!
Bruce

They are the original 4-door springs. I suspect they are sagging some over the years and I have 2" blocks on them. I modified the location of the centering hole on the blocks so that my axle would be centered in the wheel opening.

Now that I FINALLY have the cladding done I've realized that I need to drop the back at least another inch. I'm not a fan of lowering blocks and I'd prefer not to use anything larger than 2". That being said I'm either going to try to find some Ty springs cheap or I'm going to attempt to de-arch the springs I have. Either solution will be short term as I eventually plan to 4-link the back and use coil-overs..

Another shot to show how the back sits just a bit too high:

 

[bigmileage]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

I used a 2" adapter on my S10 for over 10 years and 200k miles. I even used to carry fairly moderate loads in it as well, never had an issue. I've also run a .75" adapter on my Regal at the drag strip (on the front drive wheels) to fit a 10.5" slick on it, never an issue.

If you buy a good brand you won't have issues.

 

[overS-10ded]

Re: Rear wheel spacers and studs questions-

Here is some more generic info from a tire business but I'm getting more comfortable with the adapters idea anyway. High quality Billet hub-centric only!!

The Scoop on Wheel Billet Adapters and Spacers


There are a lot of theories floating around about the use of wheel adapters and spacers and their safety. Here are a few facts and thoughts that will help you make your decision whether to use them or not.

Wheel Adapters

There are 2 primary uses for adapters:

The first and most common use is to change the bolt pattern. Adapters are available that will change a 5-4.50" to a 5-4.75" or to a 5-5.00", or the other way around. There are several companies that make adapters that can offer about any combination within reason. There are also adapters that will change a 4 hole pattern to a 5 hole. Changing a 5 hole to a 6 hole is pretty much out of reason. The drawback to using adapters is the thickness required to make them work properly. The minimum thickness required is about 1.125" (depending on the length of your studs). This will move your mounting surface out 1.125" and could cause some fender clearance problems.

The second use is if you need to move your wheels out from the existing mounting surface. Adapters are available that have the same bolt pattern (i.e. 5-4.50" to 5-4.50"). Adapters are the best way to accomplish moving your mounting face out. Adapters can allow you to move the mounting face from 1.125" up to 2.500". Anything over 2.500" would require a little engineering, design and load calculation.

How they work:

Adapters are machined with a P.C.D. drilled with lug holes (60 deg. Conical Seat) (see TECH Stuff 4) to accept an open end lug nut. There are studs inserted in another P.C.D. between the lug holes (see drawing). The adapters are installed on the vehicle with lug nuts and tightened to the proper torque (TECH Stuff 4). Make sure the vehicle studs or lug nuts do not extend past the mounting surface of the adapter. The adapter becomes an extension of your original mounting surface. Then mount your wheel and tighten it to the proper torque.

Spacers:

Spacers have gotten a bad rap over the years. Some of the stuff is well deserved, but for the most part, spacers are not a bad thing and if used properly are a very useful tool to make your wheels fit properly. A spacer over .313" (5/16) is not recommended. That makes it tough when you need to move the wheel out from .313" to 1.125". That's no man's land (between a spacer and an adapter). Oh well. There are 2 basic rules to consider when using spacers;

Always make sure you still have proper thread engagement of your lug nut and stud (TECH Stuff 4) after you have mounted the wheel on the vehicle with the spacer.

Choose a spacer that has a lot of mounting surface. There are spacers being offered that are a "fit all" (4, 5 & 6 hole) type. These look like a piece of swiss cheese and work about as well. Also make sure the material is adequate (billet aluminum is best) (pot metal is worst).

Adapters and Spacers can be very handy tools that can help you get just the look you're trying for with the wheels on your Rod. When used properly, they are safe and reliable.

Here's the link; http://www.performanceplustire.com/tech.info/The-Scoop-on-Wheel-Billet-Adapters-and-Spacers

Good times!
Bruce