Wheel spacers?

Rock1500 · March 1, 2017

I want to get the BDS lift and on the website they said you can't use OEM rims. Would it be possible to use spacers to get to still use the OEM tires? Would there be an issue? From what I could read with the BDS suspensions the front whiles will be sticking out more than the rear and I'll still be needing spacers to compensate for that.

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jimmyboy8301 · March 1, 2017

BDS and Zone widens the front track 1.5" and BORA spacers are probably the best out there. I've had them on 2 trucks so far

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2017gmcsierraslt · March 1, 2017

BDS and Zone widens the front track 1.5" and BORA spacers are probably the best out there. I've had them on 2 trucks so far

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Is that 1.5" per side or the overall of both tires combined?

Thanks

jimmyboy8301 · March 2, 2017

Is that 1.5" per side or the overall of both tires combined?

Thanks

1.5" PER side. Each cv spacer is 1.5"

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gastonhector · May 27, 2017

Hi I have interesting in Install wheel spacer for my Chevy CC, I have 285/65/18 with original Wheel , I think install 1,25" what do you recommend 1,25" or 1,5"?

pewterliftedz · May 30, 2017

Hi I have interesting in Install wheel spacer for my Chevy CC, I have 285/65/18 with original Wheel , I think install 1,25" what do you recommend 1,25" or 1,5"?

The problem is anything under 1.5" will most likely require you to trim your wheel studs.

Thomcat · May 30, 2017

Should be related to the centerline of the wheel/tire assembly, not the wheel/tire center of gravity (they are not necessarily the same).

They are definitely not the same once you install a spacer.. The wheel has an uneven mass across it's width which is compensated by placing the vertical plane of the mounting not necessarily in the center plane of the width, but at the center of gravity. Wider wheels with no spacers - no problems other than possible wheel well interference, wheels will still be in balance. But install a spacer to compensate for interference or center the tire, thicker the spacer, the more stress on the bearing, simple Physics.

bgweed · May 30, 2017

They are definitely not the same once you install a spacer.. The wheel has an uneven mass across it's width which is compensated by placing the vertical plane of the mounting not necessarily in the center plane of the width, but at the center of gravity. Wider wheels with no spacers - no problems other than possible wheel well interference, wheels will still be in balance. But install a spacer to compensate for interference or center the tire, thicker the spacer, the more stress on the bearing, simple Physics.

My post was saying that focusing on the wheel's center of gravity is not correct. The center of gravity could be the same before or after a spacer, depending on the design of the wheel. However, this isn't the issue.

The stock wheel's offset is chosen based on the location of the wheel bearing to locate the wheel such that the wheel's vertical supporting force directly opposes the force from the weight of the vehicle, preventing a moment (axial torque) on the bearing.

It's also not correct to say that using a spacer to re-center the wheel will put more stress on a bearing. If I started with a +26 stock wheel, then installed a +50 offset wheel with a 1" spacer, the relationship from wheel centerline to bearing centerline has not changed and there will NOT be more stress on the bearing.

If you want to kill a bearing, get a huge negative offset and/or a big wheel spacer, which puts the supporting force further outboard than the force of vehicle weight. Now the forces are not opposed, so you have a moment on the bearing.

Matt Joens · August 21, 2020

Hi everyone. First time poster here...I was looking for some info/opinions on wheel spacers. I have a stock 2018 Z71 that I'm looking at adding wheel spacers. I only want to bump my wheels out an inch or so. From what I can tell here, BORA is the preferred brand. I'm curious as to why? A wheel spacer seems like a VERY simple part and BORA spacers would cost me ~$250 for all 4 wheels when I can get other brands for less than half of that. Can someone fill me in on what makes BORA so much better?

Also, I really don't want anything to do with trimming my lugs. Is that inevitable with 1" spacers?

-Matt

Edited August 21, 2020 by Matt Joens

Luster · August 22, 2020

8 hours ago, Matt Joens said:

Hi everyone. First time poster here...I was looking for some info/opinions on wheel spacers. I have a stock 2018 Z71 that I'm looking at adding wheel spacers. I only want to bump my wheels out an inch or so. From what I can tell here, BORA is the preferred brand. I'm curious as to why? A wheel spacer seems like a VERY simple part and BORA spacers would cost me ~$250 for all 4 wheels when I can get other brands for less than half of that. Can someone fill me in on what makes BORA so much better?

Also, I really don't want anything to do with trimming my lugs. Is that inevitable with 1" spacers?

-Matt

Matt, it's not only that wheel spacers are a simple part, but a VERY important part when it comes to safety. Bora makes the highest quality billet aluminum, hubcentric spacers on the market, they also come with the highest quality case hardened lug bolts. Hubcentric is essential because the load of the wheel is centered on the hub rather than the studs. This also means you will have no vibration from the wheel being just slightly off center, as it could be with non-hubcentric spacers. Read some Amazon reviews of the cheap Chinese-made wheel spacers and you'll understand. Stories of lugs breaking, wheels falling off, trucks being wrecked, front suspensions being ruined. Bora is the trusted brand, indeed the "Cadillac" of spacers. You can buy spacers for half the price of Bora, but is it worth the risk? Nope.

As far as trimming lugs, it depends on your wheels. Factory wheels have a 1/2 - 3/4" indent on the back side which provides a place for the lugs to reside, but the spacers have to be at least 1-1/2" thick. Aftermarket wheels without the indents require 1-3/4" spacers.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Luster

Grumpy Bear · August 22, 2020

On 2/27/2017 at 10:09 AM, Thomcat said:

OEM geometry places the center of gravity of the tire/wheel assembly in the same vertical plane as the center of the wheel bearing/CV joint. Should be no problem If the correct width spacer maintains that alignment for a wider tire. Using a spacer without going to a wider tire will place the CG further outboard and stress the bearing proportional to the offset from the CG.

And then there is scrub radius. A line drawn through the ball joints to the ground should be pretty close to the center of the tires contact patch or a little inboard. Little being the key word. This geometry works WITH camber and castor in articulating the tire in a way that keeps things working properly. Close your eyes and imagine what happens with spacers and large differences in tire height and wheel offset. Alteration of the track width also has a marked effect on the ackerman effect.

Danger Will Robinson!