wheel spacers? yay or nay?

[RIDER68]

i have a dana 60 rear axle and it is 6 inches shorter than my dana 60 front should i run 2.5 inch or 3 inch wheel spacers? i dont know how strong they are. let me know what u think

 

[blubuckaroo]

Google it.
Wheels fall off!
Don't risk that.

 

[markperry]

Nay, nay, nay! But in my case I used a cheap brand and had a wheel come off my 1955 Chevy back in 1984....swore I would never use them again, and haven't!

 

[Amac70]

Install them correctly your wheels won't fall off!

 

[blubuckaroo]

Install them correctly your wheels won't fall off!

Like I said, read the Google!
The other downside is the squeal you'll hear on a hard turn. That's your tire dragging. Wide wheels or spacers put the Bronco's steering geometry beyond the turning radius it was designed for. Unless you're just blinging, the answer for wide stance is a full width axle.

 

[dube]

Nay on spacers, get the right back spacing on the rims and get the width you want the right way. JMO

 

[Madgyver]

Install them correctly your wheels won't fall off!

So true. Install them wrong and your wheels fall off.
I've been running them for 7 years now.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Not a huge fan for the fronts. Throws off scrub radius, hard on king pins/ball joints, wheel bearings.

But the rear is a little different. Generally more driving torque is pushed through them, but less side loading. I don't feel as bad about rears.

Never use cast spacers. Machined billit only. Installed correctly they are as good as aftermarket wheels. Torque them, drive them, torque them, drive them, repeat as needed until they stop taking torque. Pain as you have to remove the wheel to do (and people neglect, out of sight out of mind). But once set the spacer is compressed, stud is stretched, etc. That is the point to go back and loctite the nuts if you like.

If spacers are so bad then nearly every duelly rolling out of the factory would have the front wheels fall off in the dealer lots. Deep dish wheels or spacers on the front just for width show me that someone has no idea of steering geometery most of time.

 

[Amac70]

Like I said, read the Google!
The other downside is the squeal you'll hear on a hard turn. That's your tire dragging. Wide wheels or spacers put the Bronco's steering geometry beyond the turning radius it was designed for. Unless you're just blinging, the answer for wide stance is a full width axle.

I know lots of people running them, one has had issues, most have not. Installed correctly they work just fine.

 

[RIDER68]

i do have full width axles lol ok because i was just planning on running them in the rear because my rear axle is 6 inches shorter than my front so i wanted to get them the same width and i didn't want to have to switch the rims out every time i rotated the tires it would be a pain in the butt!! any special brands i should be looking for? good ones and bad ones??

 

[Madgyver]

EZ Accessory.com

 

[sstclair]

My wheel feel off when I didn't run them now I do and it's great! Seriously, I have a 60 front I had cut 4 inches over stock. With my rotors I am 5 inches. I went 1.5s on my rear but don't really want more than that. And I did have a wheel come off before the spacers.. stupid lug nuts can't tighten themselves.

-Steve

 

[sprdv1]

So true. Install them wrong and your wheels fall off.
I've been running them for 7 years now.

X3, no problems for the PO of my current rig...

 

[GloNDark]

I've run wheel spaces on all sorts of rigs. Front and Rear axles without issues.

If you install them correctly, and check them regularly they will be fine. When you "read the googles" and dig into most of those stories......it's usually some one who put them on, torqued them and forgot about them.

Front wheel spacers will change your scrub radius and could affect your steering, cause more wear on your wheel bearings and ball joints.

Rear spacers cause a little more stress on the outter bearing, but that's even just a guess.

My vote, run em. Check them and retorque them regularly.

 

[Apogee]

I've found D70's for what you can pick up a pair of wheel adapters...have you considered just getting a different rear end. Assuming you have a 30-spline D60 rear, a 35-spline D70 or Sterling 10.25/10.5 would be a step up. Obviously, if you have already sunk money in the form of gears and/or lockers into the D60, this option becomes a lot less attractive.

 

[Broncotj0]

Run'em, I've had my 1.25's for 4 years no problems.

 

[bmc69]

I have never had an issue with, or any qualms about, running good quality wheel spacers - on road, off road..where ever. That said, I don't have any experience with any that are more than 1.5" thick.

 

[rcmbronc]

I run wheel spacers and have had no problems. Remember that you want the rear of the truck to be narrower than the front for stability. Maybe some 1.5" on rear.

 

[RIDER68]

i ended up going a buying a sterling 10.25 for $75 the D60 already came with gears and locker but the wrong gears that i want so just gunna sell it because why tear apart a perfectly good axle that someone else can use