What is the purpose of wheel spacers?

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FirstJeep

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What is the purpose of wheel spacers? Is there a purpose for them or is it mostly just for looks?
 
In addition to the above post, the spacers I just took off our Jeep were actually adapters for an alternative bolt pattern to fit a wheel with 5x5" pattern vice the stock 5x4.5".
 
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The purpose of wheel spacers is pretty much cosmetic.

While I have nothing against them (and have even run them myself), the proper way to do it is picking a wheel with the correct backspacing.
 
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Probably not what the OP has in mind but if you want to put Jeep wheels on a trailer, spacers are the best way to go. Jeep wheels won't fit over most trailer hubs. They're also needed to deal with the larger back spacing of a Jeep wheel.

15-06-27M 003.jpg
 
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PCO6 said:
Probably not what the OP has in mind but if you want to put Jeep wheels on a trailer, spacers are the best way to go. Jeep wheels won't fit over most trailer hubs. They're also needed to deal with the larger back spacing of a Jeep wheel.

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I thought about this with my trailer but instead we cut the axle, widened it 5", and moved the spring saddle.
 
billiebob said:
I thought about this with my trailer but instead we cut the axle, widened it 5", and moved the spring saddle.
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I've cut up axles to widen or shorten them too … you do what you gotta do to make things fit. 😊 I'm about to buy a 3,500 lb. axle ( https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/3-500-lb-72-in-trailer-axle-assembly/A-p8186710e ) that has wider spring perches than I need by 2"! ugh. I'll be cutting it down which is more work than I want to do but it's the most cost effective way to go.

Were you able to put Jeep wheels on to your axle? The reason I used spacers is that trailer hubs are almost always a larger diameter than the center hole of a Jeep wheel. Trailer wheels have a larger centre hole and they fit over a trailer hub properly. Spacers also have a large centre hole and they fit over a trailer hub easily as shown in my pic above.

The pic below shows what I mean a bit better. The original trailer wheel fit over the trailer hub. The Jeep wheel would not fit because the centre hole is too small. A 2" spacer solved the problem and also dealt with the larger back spacing of the Jeep wheel. Trailer wheels have a lot less back spacing.

EXP5.jpg


EDIT - Sorry ... I don't mean to make this thread about trailer axles. Spacers have their uses and this is just one of them.
 
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