Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Should I remove my wheel spacers?

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My own experience has been that the only negative of wheel spacers is the added work of removal and re-installation for any maintenance, such as brakes, hub bearings and u-joints.

Good to know. I had some brake work done in a shop when I bought this Jeep in September (replaced front disc pads and rotors and flushed brake fluid, DOT4). They never mentioned anything about taking the spacers off, but I'm not sure if they would have said anything. I haven't pulled the spacers off myself yet, but it doesn't look too bad as long as they are not frozen on.
 
My own experience has been that the only negative of wheel spacers is the added work of removal and re-installation for any maintenance, such as brakes, hub bearings and u-joints.

What you mean is that in your experience you have not noticed any negatives. There are definite and well known negatives to spacers which alter stock offset / backspacing. Increased wear on ball joints (including early failure), steering impact including wandering on uneven road surfaces, and braking issues. Just because you have not noticed does not mean they are not there.
 
Good to know. I had some brake work done in a shop when I bought this Jeep in September (replaced front disc pads and rotors and flushed brake fluid, DOT4). They never mentioned anything about taking the spacers off, but I'm not sure if they would have said anything. I haven't pulled the spacers off myself yet, but it doesn't look too bad as long as they are not frozen on.

Because it is a non-issue in the grand scheme on things.
 
Good to know. I had some brake work done in a shop when I bought this Jeep in September (replaced front disc pads and rotors and flushed brake fluid, DOT4). They never mentioned anything about taking the spacers off, but I'm not sure if they would have said anything. I haven't pulled the spacers off myself yet, but it doesn't look too bad as long as they are not frozen on.

If you had a shop work on it unless they knew how to properly mount the spacers I think I'd pull them back off and reinstall per the instructions.

Edit: Granted if you were going to have issues you should have already. Peace of Mind would be why I'd do it.
 
What you mean is that in your experience you have not noticed any negatives. There are definite and well known negatives to spacers which alter stock offset / backspacing. Increased ware on ball joints (including early failure), steering impact including wandering on uneven road surfaces, and braking issues. Just because you have not noticed does not mean they are not there.

The negatives are identical to a set of wheels with the same low backspacing without spacers.
 
None of that is any different than a different wheel with the same backspacing without a spacer.

These are JK wheels with 6" backspacing. However, as installed on mine they are like any other 4" backspaced wheel of the same width.

View attachment 575489

That's why I thought providing the Moab wheel specifications might have some relevance. The positive/inward 0.5" offset of my 16X8 Moab wheels (with 5" backspacing) plus the 1.25" negative/outward "offset" of my spacers (if it's OK to use that term for spacers) gives me an effective 0.75" negative/outward offset. The point being that the 0.75" offset should be less stressful on components than if you're just considering the 1.25" wheel spacers (1.25 to 0.75 is a 40% reduction in offset per wheel/hub, if it's helpful at all to think about it that way).

I have an extra set of 5 18X7.5" JK 5X5 wheels right now that look like yours. The offset on mine is +44.45mm (+1.75"). I had bought this as an extra set because I I got a good deal and thought at one point that I might replace my 1.25" spacers with a 5X5 adapter (probably with the same 1.25" spacers). But I decided to keep the Moab wheels instead. I still have the JK wheels but I'm trying to re-sell them now (they're just taking up space in a shed). If I had used these, I would have ended up with a "combined" positive/inward offset of 0.5" (1.75 - 1.25)... interestingly, this is the same offset as the TJ Moab wheels, without the spacers.
 
That's why I thought providing the Moab wheel specifications might have some relevance. The positive/inward 0.5" offset of my 16X8 Moab wheels (with 5" backspacing) plus the 1.25" negative/outward "offset" of my spacers (if it's OK to use that term for spacers) gives me an effective 0.75" negative/outward offset. The point being that the 0.75" offset should be less stressful on components than if you're just considering the 1.25" wheel spacers (1.25 to 0.75 is a 40% reduction in offset per wheel/hub, if it's helpful at all to think about it that way).

I have an extra set of 5 18X7.5" JK 5X5 wheels right now that look like yours. The offset on mine is +44.45mm (+1.75"). I had bought this as an extra set because I I got a good deal and thought at one point that I might replace my 1.25" spacers with a 5X5 adapter (probably with the same 1.25" spacers). But I decided to keep the Moab wheels instead. I still have the JK wheels but I'm trying to re-sell them now (they're just taking up space in a shed). If I had used these, I would have ended up with a "combined" positive/inward offset of 0.5" (1.75 - 1.25)... interestingly, this is the same offset as the TJ Moab wheels, without the spacers.

I don't pay any attention to offset.
 
That's why I thought providing the Moab wheel specifications might have some relevance. The positive/inward 0.5" offset of my 16X8 Moab wheels (with 5" backspacing) plus the 1.25" negative/outward "offset" of my spacers (if it's OK to use that term for spacers) gives me an effective 0.75" negative/outward offset. The point being that the 0.75" offset should be less stressful on components than if you're just considering the 1.25" wheel spacers (1.25 to 0.75 is a 40% reduction in offset per wheel/hub, if it's helpful at all to think about it that way).

I have an extra set of 5 18X7.5" JK 5X5 wheels right now that look like yours. The offset on mine is +44.45mm (+1.75"). I had bought this as an extra set because I I got a good deal and thought at one point that I might replace my 1.25" spacers with a 5X5 adapter (probably with the same 1.25" spacers). But I decided to keep the Moab wheels instead. I still have the JK wheels but I'm trying to re-sell them now (they're just taking up space in a shed). If I had used these, I would have ended up with a "combined" positive/inward offset of 0.5" (1.75 - 1.25)... interestingly, this is the same offset as the TJ Moab wheels, without the spacers.

Your posts aren’t ”too long for me.” They’re just too long period. You don’t have to overthink it. Even thinking about offset is overthinking. I used to overthink everything and I got a wife (amazingly) and she helped me stop.

I hope you can think this is funny.
 
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Your posts aren’t ”too long for me.” They’re just too long period. You don’t have to overthink it. Even thinking about offset is overthinking. I used to overthink everything and I got a wife (amazingly) and she helped me stop.

I hope you can think this is funny.

I read a lot of posts and in my head cut everything out that is just unnecessary fluff. Something I've learned in the last 5 years at my job writing reports; just keep it simple and to the point.

There was one thread earlier today...

I drove my TJ today as my F150 daily was supposed to stay home so the family could load it up for the drive to the in-laws' tonight for Thanksgiving.

About 10 minutes into the drive
, I noticed white smoke (steam actually) blowing out of what appeared to be the back right but was really from under the hood. I was lucky to notice it when I did as I only had a few seconds to take the last exit before hitting the Fort Liberty access control point which would have had me a good 10 minutes away from being able to safely pull over and do anything. I exited and went to a nearby 7-11.

I popped the hood and saw the hose was disconnected. I'm pretty sure I oversized the clamp. I was able to recompress it enough with my bare hands to get the hose back on the outlet from the thermostat housing. I topped off the radiator with some 7-11 branded prediluted coolant that was labeled as "being able to mix with any coolant" and drove home, monitoring temps on the Torque app just to be safe. Parked the TJ, cleaned up a bit, switched back to the F150, and drove to work.

I thought I had followed the guide on which clamps to use posted elsewhere in the forum, but
I likely used the wrong clamp here. I bought at least two of each clamp, so maybe I used a clamp from one of the areas that needed a larger clamp. I do not think I could compress any of the other clamps with my bare hands enough to remove the hose. I yanked on the ones I could easily access without dirtying-up my work clothes and they all seemed tight.

That said. If
I want to be sure I am using the correct size constant pressure clamp, how do I do that? Using the thermostat housing as an example, should the clamp be snug on the housing without the hose attached, ensuring it will be tight when the added diameter of the hose is added?

Another observation. I used this housing (Dorman 902-306). I assume the hose should be pushed up against the stop and the clamp should be centered between the stop and the lip on the output. The current clamp sits a little askew when on the hose - there is not enough space between the hose and the engine for the clamp to be fully centered between the stop and the lip all the way around. Is this likely another sign that the clamp is too big? I have a box full of worm gear clamps if I have too.....
 
I appreciate the responses here that had to do with wheel spacers and my particular situation. I think I have enough information now to weigh the pros and cons of keeping them on or removing them. I think I'm going to leave everything as-is for now, but eventually pull the spacers to inspect them more carefully... something to add to my list of about 200 other things I need to do eventually!

It's only been a couple days and I'm already itching to get this thing back out on the trail, probably in some more snowy/icy conditions.
 
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@tworley

I appreciate the responses here that had to do with wheel spacers and my particular situation. I think I have enough information now to weigh the pros and cons of keeping them on or removing them. I think I'm going to leave everything as-is for now, but eventually pull the spacers to inspect them more carefully... something to add to my list of about 200 other things I need to do eventually!

It's only been a couple day and I'm already itching to get this thing back out on the trail, probably in some more snowy/icy conditions
.

🍻
 
I read a lot of posts and in my head cut everything out that is just unnecessary fluff. Something I've learned in the last 5 years at my job writing reports; just keep it simple and to the point.

There was one thread earlier today...

I drove my TJ today as my F150 daily was supposed to stay home so the family could load it up for the drive to the in-laws' tonight for Thanksgiving.

About 10 minutes into the drive
, I noticed white smoke (steam actually) blowing out of what appeared to be the back right but was really from under the hood. I was lucky to notice it when I did as I only had a few seconds to take the last exit before hitting the Fort Liberty access control point which would have had me a good 10 minutes away from being able to safely pull over and do anything. I exited and went to a nearby 7-11.

I popped the hood and saw the hose was disconnected. I'm pretty sure I oversized the clamp. I was able to recompress it enough with my bare hands to get the hose back on the outlet from the thermostat housing. I topped off the radiator with some 7-11 branded prediluted coolant that was labeled as "being able to mix with any coolant" and drove home, monitoring temps on the Torque app just to be safe. Parked the TJ, cleaned up a bit, switched back to the F150, and drove to work.

I thought I had followed the guide on which clamps to use posted elsewhere in the forum, but
I likely used the wrong clamp here. I bought at least two of each clamp, so maybe I used a clamp from one of the areas that needed a larger clamp. I do not think I could compress any of the other clamps with my bare hands enough to remove the hose. I yanked on the ones I could easily access without dirtying-up my work clothes and they all seemed tight.

That said. If
I want to be sure I am using the correct size constant pressure clamp, how do I do that? Using the thermostat housing as an example, should the clamp be snug on the housing without the hose attached, ensuring it will be tight when the added diameter of the hose is added?

Another observation. I used this housing (Dorman 902-306). I assume the hose should be pushed up against the stop and the clamp should be centered between the stop and the lip on the output. The current clamp sits a little askew when on the hose - there is not enough space between the hose and the engine for the clamp to be fully centered between the stop and the lip all the way around. Is this likely another sign that the clamp is too big? I have a box full of worm gear clamps if I have too.....

Love this. It's something I've been teaching people at work, including myself. Brevity is not a sin, or something to be ashamed of! ;)
 
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If you had a shop work on it unless they knew how to properly mount the spacers I think I'd pull them back off and reinstall per the instructions.

Edit: Granted if you were going to have issues you should have already. Peace of Mind would be why I'd do it.

Would it be crazy to back off a nut on the spacer and look for the blue lock tight. If it’s on one, it’s probably on the other 19.
 
That’s true and you wouldn’t. I was just thinking it might give you some piece of mind until you have the time to pull them all.

Do one nut, do the other four. Do one wheel, do the other three.

We are past the point of this getting silly. Checking the spacer nuts is not a big job, if one is actually concerned about it.
 
That’s true and you wouldn’t. I was just thinking it might give you some piece of mind until you have the time to pull them all.

When it comes to spacers/adapters, you either do it right or roll the dice. The problem with the latter is other, innocent, people could get hurt.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts