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What 1.25" spacers look like before they are installed.
Even with a trackbar relocation bracket, notice how little room there is between the spring perch and a 32x11.50 without spacers. Aired down, the tire would rub for sure.
Here you can see just how much (or how little) a 32x11.50 tire sticks out past Jeep TJ-Sport flares.
Performance Wheel & Tire
1.25" Wheel Spacers


Why not just get new wheels with less backspacing you ask? Well, I got a set of spacers because I wanted to keep my factory Jeep Canyon wheels and as everyone knows, they only have 5.5" of backspacing. Without the spacers, running 32x11.50's would be a little difficult due to the slight shift in the rear axle after installing my 2" lift. In case you didn't know, without a new trackbar or relocation bracket, your rear axle will shift slightly toward the passenger side enough so that your driverside rear tire and spring perch will rub... not good! Even with a trackbar relocation bracket, you will be left with only about a 1/4" in between your tire and spring perch. While this may be okay for street use, your tire will most likely rub when aired down for the trail. The 1.25" spacers effectively reduces your existing backspacing to 4.25" giving you plenty of breathing room and a wider stance... in other words, more stability.

I bought my wheelspacers from Performance Wheel & Tire and they run about $55 each. I am very happy with the construction and quality of these spacers and would recommend them to anyone. They are made of 6061 T6 Billet aluminum and are "nearly twice the strength of the 6063 aluminum other manufacturers use" - Performance Wheel & Tire.

I had run these spacers for almost two years, have checked them every 3,000 miles since installing them and have had no problems what so ever. None have come loose, cracked, broke or otherwise. Like any aluminum wheel, just be sure to re-torque the lug nuts holding the spacers to your axle to 95 ft. lbs. after driving 60-100 miles on them. Although I found it not necessary, using a thread locking compound like Red Lock-Tite would absolutely prevent the lug nuts from coming loose.

Are wheelspacers dangerous to use or cause unusual stress to your axle? High quality wheelspacers, the kind that bolt up to your axle first are no more dangerous or cause any more stress to your axles then would a wheel with less backspacing. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about and I have yet to hear a single good or specific explaination as to exactly how they are worse. Just to be clear, the cheap-o spacers (the kind that you can get at PepBoys and are sandwiched between your wheel and axle using the existing wheel studs) are in fact EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS. These cheap-o spacers leave little thread for your lug nuts to hold onto and can fail. DO NOT USE THESE!
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