Contents
1-inch (25mm)A super-effective accessory to increase stability and give a noticeably aggressive stance. |
1.5-inch (40mm)By pushing out the wheels further out from the hub with 1.5-inch wheel spacers you gain in handling characteristics and get a catchy look. |
2-inch (50mm)Allow for significantly wider tires on to improve road grip and traction when off-roading. |
The Jeep Wrangler is probably the most popular off-road vehicle in the world, mostly with real car enthusiasts. The main reason for that is the real off-road abilities, compared to modern crossovers which are only good on the road.
Being very popular with enthusiasts, most Wranglers out there are heavily modified. Owners not only change wheels and tires, but they change entire suspension components for even better off-road ability and some of them even make modifications on the body. Tuning the Wrangler is very popular in the Jeep community and one of the basics in making this vehicle handle better off-road are wheel spacers.
WHY DO I NEED WHEEL SPACERS ON MY WRANGLER?
Wheel spacers are a must when changing your rims and tires with bigger ones. Most aftermarket wheels have different designs compared to factory ones. By installing a wheel spacer, you can be sure that the wheel offset will be the same after installing the new rims and tires and that the tires will not be rubbing the fenders.
One very important aspect of hardcore off-road driving are the brakes. The Wrangler already has good brakes, but if you want even more stopping power, you may want to install bigger brakes. Wheel spacers can help you do that by expanding the hub area.
Most people install wheel spacers only to enhance the look of their Wrangler and that’s okay too. Don’t worry, wheel spacers work great with your stock wheels. By pushing the wheels closer to the edge of the vehicle, you’ll gain stability and better handling as well.
WHAT KINDS OF WHEEL SPACERS ARE OUT THERE?
There are non hub centric and hub centric wheel spacers. We would always go with the former ones as they help for a better fitment of the wheel and reduce vibration while driving. Non hub centric wheels tend to produce more vibration and strain to suspension components. You may also need hub centric rings if you install aftermarket wheels for better fitment.
In the Wrangler community wheel adapters are also very popular. They change the bolt pattern to a different one, so you can install more aggressive off-road rims. There are several different wheel adapters for the Jeep Wrangler out there: 5×4.5” to 5×5” (YJ, TJ, XJ, ZJ to a JK pattern), 5×4.5” to 5×5.5” (YJ, TJ, XJ, ZJ to a CJ pattern), 5×5” to 5×4.5” (JK to a YJ, TJ, XJ, ZJ pattern), and 5×5” to 5×5.5” (JK to a CJ pattern).
| Wrangler Bolt Pattern | PCD 5×127 |
| Stock wheel offset | -12 to 38 mm |
| Center bore (hub bore) | 71.5 |
| Thread size | M14 x 2.00 |
| Stock Rim Sizes Range | 16×7.0 – 22×9.5 |
| Custom rim sizes range | 15×10.0 – 24×9.0 |
| Tire sizes | 255/70 R15 – 275/55 R20 |
CAN I INSTALL A LEVELING KIT AFTER INSTALLING WHEEL SPACERS?
Of course – most owners of the Jeep Wrangler use leveling kits to increase the height of the vehicle. This helps when driving on demanding off-road terrains. By using wheel spacers with a leveling kit, you will keep the geometry in factory limits – the higher you go with the leveling kit, the wider you should go with the wheel spacers.
Wheel spacers before & after
The Wrangler immediately looks better after installing wheel spacers. It adds masculinity, aggressiveness and off-road ruggedness to the already attractive design.
Jeep Wrangler sitting stock on stock wheels and 32″ tires.
Now it’s on 2.5″ lift on stock wheels on 35″ tires with 1.5″ wheel spacers.
HOW TO INSTALL WHEEL SPACERS ON THE JEEP WRANGLER?
This is a pretty straightforward process, but the Jeep Wrangler is a heavy and tall vehicle and you’ll need proper equipment to perform the task, including jack, jack stand, and torque wrench.
Please follow the instructions exactly for your safety:
- Loosen the lug nuts off the wheels before jacking up the Wrangler, but only slightly
- Jack up the Wrangler
- Put a jack stand below the axle that is lifted
- Unscrew the lug nuts fully
- Remove the wheel (be careful, it’s heavy)
- Remove the tabs of the assembly washers before installing the wheel spacer
- Put the wheel spacer on the hub
- Put the wheel back on
Wheel spacers come with red loctite substance. Apply a small amount of this substance to the threads of the nuts. This will secure the nuts from accidental loosening down the road and improve safety greatly.
Tighten the lug nuts to secure the wheel in place in a star pattern. Use a torque wrench and always tighten the nuts according to Jeep’s factory specification (100 ft/lbs)
Appearance: Spacing the Jeep Wrangler wheels out to boost the stand and more impressive look.
Clearance: Many custom Jeep Wrangler wheels are missing enough of room to line up with big brake kits.
Correction: The offset of the Jeep Wrangler wheel setup appears to be too high, being responsible for the wheels installed too far inward. This may prompt the tire to scrape against the inside Jeep Wrangler suspension components, or other components. Wheel spacers correct the offset thing.
Handling: by distancing your Jeep Wrangler wheels farther afield, this simple change can refine the Jeep Wrangler vehicle with more horizontal stability and improved cornering.
