Wheel spacers

[AnD3rew]

But using rims with a different offset is not illegal, am I right?

You can change the offset slightly but there is a legal limit. It’s different by state, I think for 4wds is might be max 25mm in NSW, for some vehicles its the maximum set for the vehicle by the Manufacturer

 

[AZGrenadier]

I don’t see how wheel spacers would be any more difficult on the axle etc then similarly offset wheel with the same stance. Yes it would lead to more failure points as you are adding in the spacers and another set of studs or simply longer studs depending on the spacer but the results on the rest of the system would be the same. You would get increased wheel travel with either but that would be minimal at best.

 

[DCPU]

I don’t see how wheel spacers would be any more difficult on the axle etc then similarly offset wheel with the same stance.

I've always believed this:

"Secondly, installing wheel spacers on a car increases the leverage on the wheel bearing. The larger the spacer, the larger the leverage becomes. This reduces the life of the wheel bearing as they are not made to take leverage forces and can therefore wear faster, increasing rolling resistance and power loss of the car."

But the article quotes several other reasons as well:

Wheel Spacers - 3 Reasons Why You Should Not Fit Them

Installing wheels spacers is common upgrade within the tuning scene. In this post we explore the positives and negatives of fitting them.

suspensionsecrets.co.uk

 

[AZGrenadier]

It definitely would increase the forces in the wheel bearings but I don’t see how it would be any different then an increased offset wheel. If both push the contact patch of the tires away from the supporting hub the same distance them the forces are the same on the supporting hub. You could have a series of 10 centimeter spacers and the leverage on the hub would be the exact same as a single 10 centimeter spacer or a rim that stuck out 10 centimeters. The Lever arm is all the same.

 

[@nd]

Would increasing the size of tyres have the same affect as wheel spacers??
If so Ineos fitted 35"tyres to a prototype they would known if it could cause a problem?

 

[holdmybeer]

It definitely would increase the forces in the wheel bearings but I don’t see how it would be any different then an increased offset wheel.

I follow your reasoning but I think (?) you might mean decreased offset wheel, not increased.

i.e. a properly installed good quality 20mm spacer behind the stock 17" wheel, which has a +55mm offset, appears to the hub, bearings, and everything else like a +35mm offset wheel without a spacer.

If I understand this correctly, decreasing wheel offset (i.e. via more negative offset wheel alone or via a spacer) pushes the contact patch farther outboard.

 

[Tom D]

The problem with going too far on the offset is that if you catch deep water or dirt at the edge of the road they will pull violently and that will lead to accidents. No fun at all on dirt roads.

 

[AZGrenadier]

I follow your reasoning but I think (?) you might mean decreased offset wheel, not increased.

i.e. a properly installed good quality 20mm spacer behind the stock 17" wheel, which has a +55mm offset, appears to the hub, bearings, and everything else like a +35mm offset wheel without a spacer.

If I understand this correctly, decreasing wheel offset (i.e. via more negative offset wheel alone or via a spacer) pushes the contact patch farther outboard.

You are correct. A decreased offset pushing the wheel to the outside. Thanks for catching that.

 

[Cheshire cat]

I see Eibach have developed various wheel spacers for the Grenadier. 20 mm, 25 mm & 30 mm are all available. Bearing in mind Eibach are the original supplier of suspension parts for the Grenadier, I am quite intrigued and wonder if it might help decrease my turning circle.

 

[Mountain4x4]

I run them on my 1996 Montero with 37s, and with thousands of miles of extreme rock crawling. They can help with larger tires and stability. The key is to buy QUALITY ones. There are plenty of stories about cheap Chinese ones failing. So buy quality, and install correctly and they can be usefull.

 

[Tinerfeño]

In Finland maximum allowed track width change is +/- 30 mm which means wheel offset may be changed +/- 15 mm.
I guess many of this kind of limits to modifications are national.