How to Install Wheel Spacers on Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is already a mean-looking vehicle, but nothing enhances its appearance quite like a broader stance. Wheel spacers are small steel devices that bolt onto the rotors, allowing the wheels to protrude slightly. There has long been controversy over whether or not they are safe. Nothing is safer than stock, so if you’re comparing it to stock, the obvious safe option is the way the Jeep came out of the factory; however, if you insist on widening your stance, which may help with stability, be sure to install the wheel spacers with the studs, as these typically hold much better than the steel plate alone.
On a Jeep, wheel spacers
It’s critical to have tyres capable of gripping whatever surface you’re on when off-roading. While grip is critical, it is also necessary to consider the size of your tyres and your Jeep’s clearance. To modify your Jeep and install wider tyres, you must have adequate tyre clearance. This is precisely the purpose of Jeep wheel spacers. However, you cannot simply purchase any wheel spacers and attempt to install them on a Jeep and expect success. Wheel spacers and adapters are required for your individual Jeep model.
Additionally, you must get equipment that is compatible with the size of tyres you now own; otherwise, the match may be inadequate. Wheel spacers on a Jeep are used to simply increase the width of the vehicle’s wheelbase. This will completely transform the way your Jeep feels and appears. A Jeep with wheel spacers and hence bigger tyres will exude an air of ruggedness. The majority of Jeep owners are seeking that exact sensation, which results in an excellent appearance for your car provided it fits your personality.
Wheel spacers, on the other hand, do more than alter a Jeep’s appearance. Additionally, you’ll notice an improvement in the vehicle’s handling. Additionally, increasing the distance between your tyres improves your Jeep’s handling when it’s cornering. This is excellent news for those seeking a significantly smoother ride than is possible without wheel spacers. Depending on the type of wheel spacers you purchase, they may arrive individually wrapped or in pairs.
Requisite Materials
- A pair of sockets
- Stands and jacks
- Separators for the wheels
Steps
- Raise the vehicle and remove the wheels.
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheels where the spacers will be installed, raise the car with your jack, and secure it with jack stands. Remove any off-the-ground wheels.
- Install spacer
Install the wheel spacers, but do not use the factory lug nuts, as you will be using the ones that came with the vehicle. Placing the wheel spacer on the studs of the rotor with the studs facing outward. Install the included lug nuts with the rounded edge pointing inward, toward the automobile. Tighten them up in a star pattern with your socket.
- Affix the wheel
Place the wheel on the studs of the wheel spacer and tighten the lug nuts. Remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle; then, reinstall the jack stands and tighten the lug nuts.
Tips
Remove the lug nuts from the wheel being worked on. Now, if it is not attached to the hub, remove the tyre. Examine your tyre spacers to determine if they incorporate a relief for the brake rotor stud clip relief. As you can see, the factory wheels include a significant relief to facilitate their use. I needed to remove the stud clips in my case, which I accomplished with some needle nose pliers. Without removing them, your wheel will not rest flat, causing it to shake or damage anything.
Remove any aluminum oxide that has accumulated on the surface of your center hub. Using a screwdriver and a wire brush, I scraped away at it. Mine was so awful, I nearly mistook it for a weld. Once cleansed, generously coat this area with grease or antisemite, avoiding the studs. This prevents the wheel spacer from becoming firmly attached to the central hub of your Jeep.
Purpose of Jeep Wheel Spacers
On a Jeep, wheel spacers are used to lengthen the vehicle’s wheelbase. Wheel spacers are frequently used on Jeeps in order to accommodate larger tyres
Is it bad to install wheel spacers?
If your vehicle is set up with a more favorable negative scrub radius, putting a wheel spacer may cause more serious problems. The wheel’s outward movement can convert a negative scrub radius to a positive one. Secondly, adding wheel spacers on a vehicle enhances the wheel bearing’s leverage.
How do you install wheel spacers?
· All Bolts must be dislodged
· Lift Automobile
· Remove Tire/Wheel
· Degreaser Applied to Lug Studs
· Assemble the Wheel Spacer
· Bolts to Specification Torque
· Reinstall the wheel on the assembly/studs
· Rep Steps 3–7 for the remainder of the wheels.
· Lower the car slowly.
Are wheel spacers hard on suspension?
Wheel spacers can hasten the wear of suspension and hub components by putting additional strain on components that were manufactured to specific tolerances.
Do I need an alignment if I add spacers?
No, if you are simply adding spacers, no alignment is required. If you’re making changes to your suspension, you’ll require alignment. Additionally, if you have larger/wider wheels, you do not require an alignment.
How to install wheel adapters
1) First Piece Installation: Attach the inner piece adapter to the hub. To secure, use open-end lug nuts with a thread size equal to that of the hub studs. Assemble the adapters and check that the open-end lug nuts fit flush inside the adapter holes. Locate low profile lug nuts if the open-end lug nuts protrude.
2) Attaching the Second Piece: Using the provided black bolts, secure the outer piece adapter to the inner pieces.
3) Rim installation: Secure the wheels to the adapters. To secure the rims, use lug nuts with a thread size matching that of the adaptor studs.
