Wheel Spacer?

steve76t · October 17, 2018

Hi All,

I have a '17 GMC Denali 1500 with 2" level spacer upfront & 285/55R20 BFG K02 on stock Denali wheels. Love it so far! One issue though... I do get some light rubbing on the front of the upper a-arms, both driver & passenger sides. Who's tried adding spacers to this kind of set up & what width of spacer would be used? I'm leaning towards a 1" spacer, but not sure if that'd be too much. Thinner spacers may work too but worried about how well they work or if they create issues.

btj_z71 · October 17, 2018

1 hour ago, steve76t said:

Hi All,

I have a '17 GMC Denali 1500 with 2" level spacer upfront & 285/55R20 BFG K02 on stock Denali wheels. Love it so far! One issue though... I do get some light rubbing on the front of the upper a-arms, both driver & passenger sides. Who's tried adding spacers to this kind of set up & what width of spacer would be used? I'm leaning towards a 1" spacer, but not sure if that'd be too much. Thinner spacers may work too but worried about how well they work or if they create issues.

I have a leveling kit and added 2" spacers to mine. It's a nice look. Have not had any issues with bearings going out, the spaces have been on for almost 2 years.

steve76t · October 17, 2018

1 hour ago, btj_z71 said:

I have a leveling kit and added 2" spacers to mine. It's a nice look. Have not had any issues with bearings going out, the spaces have been on for almost 2 years.

stock wheels & 2" spacers? How much do the tires stick out past the fenders? You wouldn't happen to have any pics available would ya?

btj_z71 · October 17, 2018

Yes, stock 20" LTZ wheels. I have the Rough Country 2" spacers. They may stick out 1" from the fender. This is with my stock tires too. Can add other pics later if needed. Left is before, right is after.

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steve76t · October 17, 2018

wow, looks good... maybe i need to consider a set of spacers larger than 1".

Crazyjoker77 · October 18, 2018

I would love to see more pics. Especially one closeup of an individual wheel. I've seen some that look goofy behind the wheel. I love the stock wheels on my truck but hate the tucked stance. I assume you went with the kind the bolt onto your hubs and then have their own studs.

I know there are tons of different wheel options for the K2 but are they all identical in their stance?

How much width do the pocket fender flares add?

btj_z71 · October 18, 2018

Here are two more from the rear:

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KJS Sullivan · October 18, 2018

2" spacers give a good stable look. Also, on my 2500 1" would have required cutting studs with my factory Denali wheels. So, that's why 2"

Donstar · October 18, 2018

18 hours ago, steve76t said:

Hi All,

I have a '17 GMC Denali 1500 with 2" level spacer upfront & 285/55R20 BFG K02 on stock Denali wheels. Love it so far! One issue though... I do get some light rubbing on the front of the upper a-arms, both driver & passenger sides. Who's tried adding spacers to this kind of set up & what width of spacer would be used? I'm leaning towards a 1" spacer, but not sure if that'd be too much. Thinner spacers may work too but worried about how well they work or if they create issues.

This tire size is very close to stock and I suspect the rubbing is a result of the level. I wonder if switching to a smaller level kit would eliminate the rubbing? A 1" or 1.5" level kit may provide the look you want and be gentler on your truck.

djw88 · October 18, 2018

id stay away from wheel spacers and go with what donstar said.

in my book there are two reasons safety, there have been many many people that have had wheels come off even with "good Quality" hub centric spacers and IMO wheels that stick out past to body look goofy.

L86 All Terrain · October 18, 2018

I managed to tuck a 33x12.5R20 under my leveled Sierra. But the AT wheels are a +27mm offset which is severe. They touch the UCA's and sway bar at full lock but is very drivable. I have been looking for a 1/2" wheel spacer for the fronts only to kick them out enough to stop the rub but not far enough to destroy my truck with mud, water and rocks. Perhaps a different UCA may cure that as well. I have grown partial to the look of a huge fat tire tucked completely in the wheel well. Almost looks like a chopped axle in the back when the tires are so fat and crammed in there. I really dislike the look of a huge negative offset, and you will wreck your paint if you use your truck for truck stuff.

pewterliftedz · October 19, 2018

I ran a 1/4" spacer on the front of my truck when I ran factory wheels with 305s, and it helped eliminate a lot of the rub. With a 285 or 295 I'm sure that 1/4" would get rid of all the rub. They're nice custom hubcentric pieces, I don't need them anymore since I went aftermarket wheels and control arms, let me know if someone is interested.

Edited October 19, 2018 by pewterliftedz

pewterliftedz · October 19, 2018

On 10/18/2018 at 9:51 AM, L86 All Terrain said:

I managed to tuck a 33x12.5R20 under my leveled Sierra. But the AT wheels are a +27mm offset which is severe. They touch the UCA's and sway bar at full lock but is very drivable. I have been looking for a 1/2" wheel spacer for the fronts only to kick them out enough to stop the rub but not far enough to destroy my truck with mud, water and rocks. Perhaps a different UCA may cure that as well. I have grown partial to the look of a huge fat tire tucked completely in the wheel well. Almost looks like a chopped axle in the back when the tires are so fat and crammed in there. I really dislike the look of a huge negative offset, and you will wreck your paint if you use your truck for truck stuff.

If you have the factory Snowflake wheels, you can run a 1" BORA adapter type spacer, and not have to trim your studs. Personally I wouldn't go bigger than a 1/4" with slip on spacers, you want to make sure you're getting plenty of thread engagement.

L86 All Terrain · October 19, 2018

3 hours ago, pewterliftedz said:

If you have the factory Snowflake wheels, you can run a 1" BORA adapter type spacer, and not have to trim your studs. Personally I wouldn't go bigger than a 1/4" with slip on spacers, you want to make sure you're getting plenty of thread engagement.

Yeah i have the snowflakes. Not sure what a bora adapter is but a .25" slip on style would probably be perfect. I see Rough country has some for $30 so it is worth a shot. I dont like the idea of negative offsets or big spacers that dont have the external studs on them because they act as a fulcrum against your front end wear items and hub studs. Cheers

pewterliftedz · October 19, 2018

7 minutes ago, L86 All Terrain said:

Yeah i have the snowflakes. Not sure what a bora adapter is but a .25" slip on style would probably be perfect. I see Rough country has some for $30 so it is worth a shot. I dont like the idea of negative offsets or big spacers that dont have the external studs on them because they act as a fulcrum against your front end wear items and hub studs. Cheers

BORA is the brand name of quality bolt on adapters:

http://www.motorsport-tech.com/special/truck/chevy_s

I personally wouldn't use the Rough County brand spacers, they're lug centric, not hubcentric. I would go with a set specifically designed for our trucks. I think I paid $50 for my pair, which isn't cheap, but I had no vibration or balancing issues.