I am looking for some input on wheel spacers. Specifically the 2" billet aluminum ones from Design Deluxe Mfg..

I have read as many posts as I can find here on the subject and it's pretty clear that most people advise not using them because they can cause premature bearing and ball-joint wear. But I'm looking for some first-hand advice & feedback from people who have actually installed 2" wheel spacers on their trucks. What were your results? Good and bad please!

Some more info; I am planning an extensive front-end upgrade that will include Dynatrac free-spin hubs (w/Dynaloc's) and Dynatrac ProSteer ball joints plus the updated ('08) Mopar steering linkage. Now I am thinking about adding wheel spacers to the mix... I already have a Thuren track-bar and a DSS Steering Stabilizer, so (in theory, at least) this will be about as tough a front-end/steering as anybody would need a mostly-stock, 100% street-truck. Note that I don't off-road or "wheel" my truck at all, but I do carry a 3500lb truck-camper.

What say ye' about wheel spacers???
Thanx in advance!
-Mark

 

Just for my own curiosity, why would you want wheel spacers on the front of your truck?

 

I'm curious about that too. Never heard of anyone putting wheel spacers on a SRW truck.

 

Depending on the BS on your wheels it will screw up the scrub radius and it will not handle. Even with the No-Spin it still put more strain on the wheel bearings because the center is moved out (offset). Would I do it, heck no and I also think it would look stupid.

Real world experence, I had 1.5 spacers with 3.5 BS on 10" wide wheels on my rockcrawler (trailer queen) and it really messed with the turning radius so I chucked them into my lathe and cut them down to .85 and the difference was night and day.

My advice, do not do it, it is hard on the front-end componets. If you are doing it for mall crawling, go for it but make sure your wallet has lots of cash or your C.C.'s are not maxed out because you will pay for it in the end.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. OOPS, the point you make about the wheel scrub is a good one!
The reasons I was considering the spacers is;
In front- to eliminate the tire-rub at full lock
In the rear- To increase my track width in order to improve overall truck stability (remember, I carry a camper)

I was thinking 2" spacers because they wouldn't require me to cut down the wheel studs and could just be bolted on.

My truck hardly qualifies as a "mall crawler". It is a dedicated camper-hauler (not my daily driver) and sees mostly highway miles with frequent trips to the Sierras (snow) in the winter and CA/NV deserts in the summer.


Anybody else out there actually using 2" spacers on a SRW truck?

 

I know what they will do, so I would never use them, that also disqualifies me to answer the question. Your Dynatrac idea is a good one but it will not change the front track, and they designed it that way for a reason.

 

Nice rig! that is also a pretty sweet looking camper. Let me just throw this out there..... have you considered doing a DRW swap? The difference between DRW and SRW for hauling is night and day. That truck might look cool with some mega cab fenders.... Also, if you don't have a rear sway bar, that makes a huge difference. I've seen them on ebay cheap. For the front, you could get some of the thin wheel spacers that don't bolt on - but I'm not sure how much wheel stud thread you have left with those wheels. It might not take much at all to help with your rubbing problem. Another cure might be a small coil spacer - maybe 1.5"? that and an add-a-leaf for the rear. I doubt an extra 1.5" of height would mess any of your plans up. Just a thought. As far as the bolt on wheel spacers, I've used them on my last two duallies, but never in the front. I can't say anything bad about them, but it seems scary. However, I don't see the difference between that and wheels with less backspacing......

 

Thanks for the feedback!
I am already running 19.5" wheels and tires with a H load rating (4950lbs @120psi) so I don't think that I'll be doing the dually conversion.
And... I have a beefy RoadMaster (anti)sway-bar in the back and also have Firestone airbags and extended bump-stops so that the overload springs engage sooner. My rear suspension is good to go!

I am getting the message that spacers are a BAD idea.

I do know that the Dynatrac hubs and ball joints are a sweet setup so I am doing that for sure!
Cheers,
-Mark

 

Any chance you went for it with the 2"? Im doing the same thing for a lil extra camper stability on my SRW 3500. I ordered them amd then read this with a little concern.