[Maml]

Hi All,

I'm thinking of fitting 10 - 15mm wheel spacers to my Jimmo...

Are the stability benefits worth the wear and tear of wheel bearings etc?

What else to consider? I've got the OME 40mm kit fitted, with 215 MT's. Standard rims.

(Aside: OME front-end seems to have sagged again - going to the fitment centre tomorrow to see if there's truth in my 'feeling'...need to get this sorted before considering spacers as above).

Thanks in advance

[BlueSuzy]

Changing your rims will change the offset also. a better idea?

Unsure about S Africa. But in Australia, it is illegal to put spacers on and it is heavily Police'd.

[ninjadaniel]

you may run into trouble with your tyres touching the guards

[Maml]

Thanks guys,

@ BlueSuzy: Yep, offset rims a much better idea; but more expensive...wheel spacers not nearly illegal here - the cops prolly don't even know what they are

@ninjadaniel: Any idea what sort of lift one would need to cure this?

Keep 'em coming...

[want33s]

Maml wrote:

@ninjadaniel: Any idea what sort of lift one would need to cure this?

Keep 'em coming...

Lift won't help..
The more offset you have the bigger the wheelarch has to be as the outside edge of the tyres will swing in a wider arc when turning.

[BlueSuzy]

It should be fine. Its only 215's. If it does scrub, it wil be the inner black guards up front at full lock. Probably nothing else.

Not major in my opinion. Rubber wears out thin plastic...

What kind of spacers? Do they replace the studs or just slip over, then bolt wheel back onto original studs? Is there a spare 15mm on the original studs?

[Maml]

They're machined from 7076 T6 Aluminium...price pending. Pic will give an idea on fitment...I haven't asked further questions from the 'seller', thought I'd find out from you guys if the 'idea' is worthwhile...Jimny's are still new this end of the world.

With std tyres & susp, there is scrubbing on the front bumper...coming from the guy who had them machined & fitted to his Jimny.

I've got an ARB so bumper plastic non-existant , but the wheelarch flares concern me a bit - full lock & flex might very well scrub?

Does anyone's offset rims cause excessive component wear? With my Defender; I knew that if I fitted offset 'wheels', they would eat wheel bearings and other bits - not sure if it's the same with the Jimny?

[zukenutter]

Don't like the idea of wheel spacers + I would be pretty wary of putting any extra load on Jimny wheel bearings and king pins. Go for set of rims. Mine have worked out really well. They are 1.5 inches wider that stock but the extra width is Spread equally inside and out.

[want33s]

zukenutter wrote:

Don't like the idea of wheel spacers + I would be pretty wary of putting any extra load on Jimny wheel bearings and king pins. Go for set of rims. Mine have worked out really well. They are 1.5 inches wider that stock but the extra width is Spread equally inside and out.

Paul that doesn't make sense....
You are saying that your 1.5" wider rims (40mm) are spread inside and out so stick out 20mm more than stock...
Old mate only wants 15mm spacers...
While I don't like the idea of 15mm spacers that use the original studs to hold spacer as well as wheel on, I think 15mm neg offset will cause less bearing load than 20mm rims.

[zukenutter]

want33s wrote:

zukenutter wrote:

Don't like the idea of wheel spacers + I would be pretty wary of putting any extra load on Jimny wheel bearings and king pins. Go for set of rims. Mine have worked out really well. They are 1.5 inches wider that stock but the extra width is Spread equally inside and out.

Paul that doesn't make sense....
You are saying that your 1.5" wider rims (40mm) are spread inside and out so stick out 20mm more than stock...
Old mate only wants 15mm spacers...
While I don't like the idea of 15mm spacers that use the original studs to hold spacer as well as wheel on, I think 15mm neg offset will cause less bearing load than 20mm rims.

The way I figure it the width is better balanced the majority of the time because the central axis of the rim is still the same. Or am I just talking out of my arse?

[royce]

Yeah Zukenutter is right, the wheel track is still the same as standard when measured in the centre of the rim but being wider overall they are still further out for stability purposes

I think its neither here nor there, that much extra width is probably bugger all once you get to the point where you need to be wider to not fall over

[Highway-Star]

Serious question;
How much extra real world stability will more offset really offer you? I've always viewed it purely as a keep the tyres off the springs (control arms for Jimnys) thing. I would think that 99% of your stability would come from your suspension geometry anyway? (99% is not a measured number, just used for arguements sake )

[BlueSuzy]

Realistically, I wouldn't bother doing anything for 15mm a side.

[Maml]

Thanks for the replies Gents, much appreciated.

I agree about the rims being a better idea than spacers; which prob won't make enough difference in the end anyway.
So will put the idea on hold until I have some extra bucks ava...other things more NB for now.

Grrr, now to sort out the sagging OME front - 20mm in the last 7kkms...waiting to see what the agent says...

[woody1]

Sorry to sound like an idiot, but why are wheels spacers illegal in here is Oz?
I've always wondered why.
Cheers
Woody

[flaxton123]

RE why wheel spacers are illeagal

it is illeagal to bend , heat , weld and space out any suspenion part unless you get writen consent from qld transport and an engineer witch is fairly unlikly to get but basicly it is unsafe if not done properly and thats the main consern of qld transport so bogans dont weld things together with a stick welder and it brakes and they crash and kill some one and or get a 15mm spacer that dosent bolt on and just get the the wheel nuts on a few turns and go itl be right and the wheelsa studs snap goin down the high was

[woody1]

Cheers mate, now I understand how they work.

[BJPK]

if you were to go to a 15x7 rim then you would have to go a 235 75 15 tyre
why do you want more offset? have you nearly had it on its side a few times?

[Maml]

BJPK wrote:

if you were to go to a 15x7 rim then you would have to go a 235 75 15 tyre
why do you want more offset? have you nearly had it on its side a few times?

Nope, not going anywhere near 235's - unless I can conjour up more power from somewhere

Just wanted more stability - generally...no close calls to blame it on. There is a possible option to do a group buy & at a good price, so was researching to see if it's worthwhile.

[BAZZOOK]

The jimny front hubs have just one bearing pressed into it. I'd say that's why they have zero offset wheels. If you put spacers on it will place sideways load on the bearing

[Relic]

BAZZOOK wrote:

The jimny front hubs have just one bearing pressed into it. I'd say that's why they have zero offset wheels. If you put spacers on it will place sideways load on the bearing

Hello All,

Bringing this topic back from the dead.

Let me get this straight, the spacers will cause an increase in load on the bearings but offset rims dont?

is that right?

[Maml]

Strange you brought this up today...the day I trade my Jimny in on an AWD SX4. Collecting in about an hour or so

...long story...

[Fatzook]

Relic wrote:

BAZZOOK wrote:

The jimny front hubs have just one bearing pressed into it. I'd say that's why they have zero offset wheels. If you put spacers on it will place sideways load on the bearing

Hello All,

Bringing this topic back from the dead.

Let me get this straight, the spacers will cause an increase in load on the bearings but offset rims dont?

is that right?

No. They both add load. I think the argumant was abiut which is worse, but its very same same.