Wheel Spacers

BroncoTerry
Jun 22, 2021

Rank V

Jun 22, 2021

Cal Custom CAL-75813 Cal Custom™ Wheel Spacers | Summit Racing

There has been some talk about the stability of the Bronco when the roof rack is added. As long as the fender flairs will allow it adding spacers to give the Bronco a wider foot base should take care of the problem. Push the tires out a little.
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4 Door Badlands: Carbonized Gray, 2.7 Eco, Sasquatch Package, Towing Package, 35" Tires ETC
Deano Bronc

Rank VI

Jun 24, 2021

#1
I know it is much more expensive, but I would feel safer with the proper offset wheels. Spacers are a weaker option.
7/14: Outer Banks, Eruption Green, Lux Package, 2.7 Eco, Sasquatch Package, Roof Rack, Towing Package, HD Modular front bumper, AUX switches
Calgecko, NickP

Rank III

Jun 24, 2021

#2
With the OEM +55 or +33 wheels, 98% of aftermarket wheels are going to hang out further than those wheel spacers will push things out, not to mention scrub radius discussion.

Gladesmen

Jun 24, 2021

#3
I hear the BORA spacers are the ones to go with. I have 2” spacers on my F250 had them for about 1 year now and no issues.
Bronco Nation 1100. Everglades, Desert Sand
Res: 7/30/20 ordered 1/22/21 reorder 10/15/21 changed to Everglades 3/9/22 schedule 8/29/22 bumped to 9/5; 9/7/22 blend, 9/9 Mods, 9/26/22 completed, 10/7 shipped, 11/3/22 delivery

Rank 0

Jun 25, 2021

#4
I’ve got spacers on a couple of my Land Rovers and never had any issues with them. Technically not as sound as the offset route, but I’ve given em hell and no problems thus far.

Mud,Sweat and Gears

Jun 25, 2021

#5
Those are dangerous, there is no center hub for the wheel to rest on, all the weight is on the studs.
Khayze427

Rank V

Jun 25, 2021

#6
I have never heard of a problem with these spacers. I have used them on my Jeep and no problems.
4 Door Badlands: Carbonized Gray, 2.7 Eco, Sasquatch Package, Towing Package, 35" Tires ETC

Rank V

Jun 25, 2021

#7
Maximum Motorsports:

Are wheel spacers safe?

Yes.
When properly installed they are just as safe as wheels installed without spacers.

Will wheel spacers cause my wheel studs to bend?

No.
The load from a wheel is transferred to the axle/hub through the friction of the clamped joint, not through the wheel stud. A wheel stud can only bend if the lug nuts are not properly torqued, in which case the wheel is about to fall off, anyway.

The Physics of Keeping the Wheels On

  • As long as the wheel, hub, and spacer are stiff enough to prevent flexing and loss of clamp force, the cause of most wheel stud failures is under tightened lug nuts (not enough clamping force) or over tightened lug nuts (the stud has been stretched past it's elastic limit, so the clamping force goes away). Therefore, properly installed wheel spacers are perfectly safe.
  • The wheel stud applies a clamping force that holds the wheel to the hub. When the lug nuts are tightened, the wheel studs stretch elastically, like very stiff springs. The lug nuts should be tightened until the stud is at 90% of its elastic limit. This will provide the greatest possible force to hold the wheel to the hub.
  • The amount of clamping force at a joint is important because of the coefficient of friction (Cf). The more clamping force applied to the joint (in this case the joint between the wheel and the hub), the more force required to make the wheel slip relative to the hub. Unless the wheel slips on the hub, there cannot be any bending load on the stud.
  • Coefficient of friction -- There is friction between the wheel face and hub face. This friction can be measured, and it is called the "coefficient of friction". The coefficient of friction (Cf) is the ratio of normal force, at the intersection of two surfaces, to the lateral force required to slip the bodies relative to one another. As an example, good street tires have a Cf of 0.9. This means that if there is a 100-pound vertical force applied to the tire, the tire can generate 90 lbs. of cornering force before it slides.
  • When the car starts moving, the stress applied to the stud does not changeappreciably, unless one of two things happens:
    1. The vertical component of any external force applied to the wheel is so great that the clamping force is not sufficient to hold the wheel in place, and it slips on the hub. At this point the stud is loaded in bending and in shear, and may yield, or even break.
    2. Some portion of the clamped joint, wheel, or hub is not stiff enough to prevent flexing, and allows the tension load on the stud to drop to zero. With no tension load on the stud, the clamped joint is no longer tight. The wheel can then move relative to the hub, and place a bending load on the studs.
  • Inserting a wheel spacer between the hub and wheel changes nothing about these physics.
  • The hub center of a hubcentric spacer does not hold the spacer on the hub or reduce the chance of stud failure. There is never any load on the lip of the wheel spacer. For there to be a load on the lip, the friction force in the joint must have been completely overcome. The lip on a hubcentric wheel spacer serves only as an aid for wheel installation.
  • Increasing the length of the wheel studs to use a wider wheel spacer has no appreciable effect.
4 Door Badlands: Carbonized Gray, 2.7 Eco, Sasquatch Package, Towing Package, 35" Tires ETC
the poacher, TurboS-957

Gladesmen

Jun 25, 2021

#8
This guy uses multiple spacers to run 44” on his TRX.
Bronco Nation 1100. Everglades, Desert Sand
Res: 7/30/20 ordered 1/22/21 reorder 10/15/21 changed to Everglades 3/9/22 schedule 8/29/22 bumped to 9/5; 9/7/22 blend, 9/9 Mods, 9/26/22 completed, 10/7 shipped, 11/3/22 delivery
STUFF2C

Rank VI

Jun 25, 2021

#9
Those are dangerous, there is no center hub for the wheel to rest on, all the weight is on the studs.
Do wheels really rest on the center hub? That sounds like poor engineering.
7/14: Outer Banks, Eruption Green, Lux Package, 2.7 Eco, Sasquatch Package, Roof Rack, Towing Package, HD Modular front bumper, AUX switches

Rank 0

Jun 25, 2021

#10
This guy uses multiple spacers to run 44” on his TRX.


Well so much for safety :)

I've had 2" spacers with 35's on my Jeep Wrangler forever... never an issue
TurboS-957, Deano Bronc

Gladesmen

Jun 25, 2021

#11
Well so much for safety :)

I've had 2" spacers with 35's on my Jeep Wrangler forever... never an issue
I was surprised the wheels didn't just fly off the thing. 700HP slinging those suckers around and cruising through a creek. all I kept thinking is we are going to see some die from a Flying wheel to the head.
Bronco Nation 1100. Everglades, Desert Sand
Res: 7/30/20 ordered 1/22/21 reorder 10/15/21 changed to Everglades 3/9/22 schedule 8/29/22 bumped to 9/5; 9/7/22 blend, 9/9 Mods, 9/26/22 completed, 10/7 shipped, 11/3/22 delivery
Deano Bronc

Mud,Sweat and Gears

Jun 25, 2021

#12
I was surprised the wheels didn't just fly off the thing. 700HP slinging those suckers around and cruising through a creek. all I kept thinking is we are going to see some die from a Flying wheel to the head.
They aren't legal in many racing sanctioning bodies. Because they aren't safe even if they have pilots for the hub. You can buy wheels with the correct offset, why use spaces?

Gladesmen

Jun 25, 2021

#13
They aren't legal in many racing sanctioning bodies. Because they aren't safe even if they have pilots for the hub. You can buy wheels with the correct offset, why use spaces?
I am rolling Spacers because I have 2016 wheels on a 2004 F250 the offset is wrong so I use them to clear the leaf springs when I turn.
Lots of off roaders use them for clearance issues.E3E94B94-503B-479E-A90F-848C8E6A969A.jpeg
Bronco Nation 1100. Everglades, Desert Sand
Res: 7/30/20 ordered 1/22/21 reorder 10/15/21 changed to Everglades 3/9/22 schedule 8/29/22 bumped to 9/5; 9/7/22 blend, 9/9 Mods, 9/26/22 completed, 10/7 shipped, 11/3/22 delivery
BroncoTerry, Deano Bronc

Rank III

Aug 05, 2021

#14
With the OEM +55 or +33 wheels, 98% of aftermarket wheels are going to hang out further than those wheel spacers will push things out, not to mention scrub radius discussion.
What is the scrub radius of the Bronco on stock 33's and 35"s?

Rank VI

Aug 08, 2021

#15
This guy uses multiple spacers to run 44” on his TRX.
That is wacky crazy
Jakob1972

Rank V

Aug 08, 2021

#16
Plain and simple: they work for the intended purpose and have been around a long time.
4 Door Badlands: Carbonized Gray, 2.7 Eco, Sasquatch Package, Towing Package, 35" Tires ETC

Rank 0

Aug 28, 2021

#17
Spacer are the cheapest and fastest way too destroy your hubs. Off set wheels are always a better bet.

Wank ER

Aug 28, 2021

#18
Sounds good - but my FE can't handle anymore weight. Shoot, can't even get the paint protection, let alone a trailer hitch. :ROFLMAO:
2021 FE Cactus Grey

Rank IV

Aug 29, 2021

#19
Those are dangerous, there is no center hub for the wheel to rest on, all the weight is on the studs.
Yes, one of the first things insurance adjusters will look for.

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