Wheel spacers

[Bill Russell 3]

I've got an 05 with a 3" body lift and 265/70-16. What size tire can I fit if I use wheel spacers with stock wheels?

 

[Scott Tanner]

shouldn't need any spacers- I run those sizes with my 02 2wd stock height, rubs just a wee bit in front on hard turns. spacers put a lot of load on wheel bearings unless you get the right wheels with proper backspacing, etc.



265's in my library

 

[Bill Russell 3]

I already have the 265s with a 3" body lift. I want to fill out the wheel wells with a bigger tire. I just replaced the wheel bearings so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Yardsale]

Wheel spacers will increase the scrub radius and position the wheels farther out. One of the effects of this is that, in a turn, the outer part of the tire will be farther forward or rearward and closer to the inner fender. A three-inch lift may raise the inner fender above the wheel center line and minimize the potential for rubbing, but an increased tire diameter will raise the center line of the wheel by half of the diameter increase.



Also, increasing the wheel diameter will change the effective final drive ratio. This will not only affect the speedometer and increase wear due to stress, but reduce acceleration and lower the RPM at a given speeds, and below the power band at cruising speeds. The result is more accelerating to and excessive downshifting to maintain speed on inclines. The remedy for this is to re-gear the differential(s) to compensate.



If wheel spacers damage wheel bearings, they will damage old and new.

 

[Austin Sewell]

Wouldn't recommend stock wheels, had some with no spacers and 285/75/16 on stock rims and they rubbed on the sway bar. Didn't want to go with spacers as the solution so I have 33x12.5x15 on Cragar Soft 8s with 4.5? backspacing and -20? offset? I followed Jerry G's build as far as lift, wheels, tires... No rub on Cragar wheels and for 58$ apiece you can't lose

 

[Bill Russell 3]

Thanks Austin did you go with the 15"X 7" or 8".