Well had this happen on the way home today, heard what sounded like metal rubbing metal, there wasn’t any sort of vibration, but it was progressively getting worse. Planned on taking a look once I got home, but this wheel adapter had other plans. Came flying off while going 55mph down the highway. Luckily as I heard it get worse and felt the pop, I had already begun slowing down, once it let go all the way, I managed to pull off the road and come to a sliding stop in the grass. Even luckier though, the tire didn’t collide with any oncoming traffic as it went speeding past me. All I could do was sit and watch as it raced away for about 100 yards before bouncing off a tree and landing in a ditch.
Won’t be using wheel spacers anymore
- Thread starter 93redzj
- Start date
Croatan_Kid
How's your hammer hangin'?
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Location
- New Bern
Steel spacers are where it's at, fwiw. I've had 2" ones on the back of my HD for about 100,000 miles and tow some heavy stuff with it. 
Aluminum has more give to it.
Aluminum has more give to it.I will admit to not checking regularly, although the Jeep has been driven less than 1000 miles in the last year. It’s not a daily driver by any means and when I do take it out it’s usually just around town. And yes it appears it failed on the axle side of things, I’ll fully inspect tomorrow in daylight to see exactly what happened….but I do still wonder if it would have been an issue if the spacers/adapters were not in the picture?
I had a similar failure several years ago. It was the wheel studs on the axle shaft that let go. Probably not torqued right, or just aged studs that may have been overtightened and stretched at some time. A good quality hub-centric spacer is just fine. But on an old truck, I'd be leary of the original studs.
braxton357
Robot
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2005
- Location
- Morganton
Looks like those have been broken for a while.
Southern_Transplant
Comic Relief
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2019
- Location
- Fayetteville, NC
I've been using spacers for years with stock wheels. I saw the thread and got a twinge of concern. Glad to see spacers weren't the issue. I think most of the bad press they get is from the faults folks have mentioned here. That, and some off brands early on with bad/soft lugs.
shelby27604
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2013
- Location
- Efland NC
I have never liked spacers, the math checks when everything is done correctly, BUT it is a component that has a pretty critical failure point that goes unchecked by most of its users.
Glad it all worked out, I have seen more than a few of the aluminum spacers fail, I suspect they are all due a retorque at 50-100 miles of use. Few do the retorque, which is why the kits typically come with red lock tight, which is a poor substitute for torque to spec.
Glad it all worked out, I have seen more than a few of the aluminum spacers fail, I suspect they are all due a retorque at 50-100 miles of use. Few do the retorque, which is why the kits typically come with red lock tight, which is a poor substitute for torque to spec.
1-tonmudder
Doin my part to stir the pot.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2005
- Location
- Greeneville TN
That's a hell of a feeling aint it??
I sure hope that’s not the case, @Southern_Transplant yeah I had always read horror stories about them failing but never let it stray me away from them, after this though I’ll probably steer clear if I can help it, be it neglect on my part or failure was inevitable, I’d rather not mess with them going forward
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
This
Croatan_Kid
How's your hammer hangin'?
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Location
- New Bern
2" steel, hub centric spacers from Stahl (sister company to Bora). I've got over 100,000 miles on them. I aint skeered.
