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new wheels or spacers?

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Offline blacktrack99

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new wheels or spacers?
« on: April 05, 2006, 05:17:45 PM »
I've been at odds w/ myself for a little while now over getting new wheels (probably a 15x7 American Racing Baja) or just getting some 1" spacers.  I'm currently running 235's on stockers and have some rub at lock.  I'm running a RRO lift, so I lost a little bit of width up front just like everyone else who runs coil spacers.  If I swap the wheels, I'm definitely going alloy for weight purposes. This is a trail truck, not a crawler so I'm not concerned about the durability and cost of steel vs. alloy.  I actually like the stockers (alloy 5-spoke "Sunrunners"); they look good and they're light.  Any input would be great.

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2006, 05:47:25 PM »
Wheels, but do tires at the same time.
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Offline Zukipilot

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2006, 04:38:03 AM »
  I actually like the stockers (alloy 5-spoke "Sunrunners");

That is why I called Trail Tough and ordered spacers for my X-90. I did not like the narrow look, but liked the factory wheels. So I spaced them out with spacers. If I did not like tha alloy stockers, I would do a new wheel (like I did on the Kick)

Zig
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'92 Liberty Overland Sidekick

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Offline sutas

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2006, 09:02:15 AM »
I've got a set of stock wheels with 235 MTR's wrapped around them, and I thought that was pretty good.  I looked into, and bought, a set of 1" wheel spacers that certainly gave my Tracker a better stance.  I also noticed a bit more stability on the highway and in the snow and so forth.

My only concern is the tire rub at right turn lock, (not left for some reason) and the steering problems that might occur from widening the wheelbase.  This makes sense since now the inner wheel turns tighter and the outer wheel doesn't turn enough.  Don't know if anyone has had this issue and I haven't noticed anything significant but the physics are there.  Probably just might need an alignment if it becomes an issue.
'94 Tracker 235/75 15 Goodyear MT/R's 1" wheel spacers.  more to come...

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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2006, 11:16:59 AM »
I ran 1 1/2" wheel spacers on the stock 6x15 alloys with 215 MTs. Never noticed any steering problems, stability was much better though. I got a little bit of rub at max. articulation. I'm not sure about the weight issue, never weighed the wheels. Ally is 1/3 the weight of steel but most of the allys that I have seen look like they have a lot more metal than the steels do.
2000 Vitara 1.6, 3+3 Lift, 33"MTs, 5:83s, LWB brakes, Winch, Snorkel, Safari Rack
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Offline blacktrack99

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2006, 07:04:52 PM »
Still undecided.  ??? If I go spacers,  how wide?  It's only lifted 2".  A friend of mine's (former Sami owner, now in a Cherokee) rule of thumb is one inch out  for each inch up.  Figure in lost track width up front...say 1.5" spacers?  Or will I simply regret spending almost a couple hundred on spacers when I could have dropped another couple and got wheels that I like and still have a spare set in the garage for the next project. ;D...Or divert the saved cash from the spacers to the air locker fund.  :P

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Offline Tracker_Camps96

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2006, 09:14:22 PM »
I go wider wheels and tires.   Personally, though, I went for handling.   My 15x7s with wider tires (cant remember size off hand) are about 3 inches wider than the past wheel set per wheel.   Thats a total of 6 inches of width I added.   My Tracker barely has any body roll and zips into the corners.   Yes, the weight thing helps some too, mine are alloy.
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Offline mrfuelish

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2006, 10:47:51 PM »
you could split the diffrence and go with 1.25'' spacers, I have seen them on egay for 70.00 a pair, I will end up getting some myself but for a samurai and I have several sets of wheels so it will be cheaper for me to buy spacers in the long run.
1987,1988,1988,1990 samurai's,  1953 m38a1,  1996 x-90,blue.1996 x-90 red.1994 2 door tracker.   only Dead Fish go with the flow.                No Hairy Nosed Wombats were ran over on the trail today.       My ZUK is Xenophobic.

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Offline BigPig

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2006, 02:13:43 PM »
Go with new wheels so you can have different tires mounted on each set, depending on what you want to run.  If you're running studs in the winter you can mount them up and leave 'em.

Edit-
Well, since you live in the desert you should run the 16's and ship the factory wheels to me.  ;D
« Last Edit: April 12, 2006, 08:05:36 AM by BigPig »

'89 Sidekick w/ 4.5" of lift.

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Offline blacktrack99

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Re: new wheels or spacers?
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2006, 09:40:28 PM »
i live in the desert of southern california. studs are completely unneccessary.