2.5" Budget Boost

[homeguy]

I'm looking to put a Rubicon 2.5" spacer kit on, just one question... Will I need wheel spacers for the rear wheels?  I've been told yes and no... I just don't want to be putting this on and find out I have to order spacers... I am hesitant in using spacers, just don't like to have something else to bolt the rim to...

I have an 07 Wrangler Unlimited... BFG LT265 72 R17 tires, stock rims, Rugged Ridge front and rear bumper.

Thanks to anyone with some information for me!   

[sn4cktime]

Needing spacers would depend more on your tire/wheel combination than the 2.5" budget lift.  If it's just spacers they're just going to sit above the coils and then be some sort of bracket for your shocks, so nothing "new" is going to be any more in the way than it is currently.

I've got spacers but that's because I've got 12.5" wide tires.

You may want to consider adjustable trackbars, but I still don't have any and I've had my 2.5" lift on there for well over a year and a half now.


So short answer, no, you're good.

[Evil-Jeep]

Some of the conflicting information you may be getting on the spacers could be related to this:

I added a 2.5 spacer kit on my TJ, the Front was fine however.... the sides of rear tires (31x10.5 on stock 15" rims) where within 3/8 of an inch from rubbing the coil buckets (top). This happened because at stock height the buckets sit lower in relation to the tire (the tire is narrower near the rim) as you raise the vehicle up the buckets come closer to the widest part of the tire (the sidewall).

So depending on the rim type, the size and the width of the tire you are planning on using you may need spacers.

In my case I decided to trim the buckets down with a grinder so they would sit flush with the frame; I may have been able to keep the buckets as is but I felt more comfortable with more room for tire flex and any lateral movement I may encounter.

[w squared]

On the JK's, the part that normally rubs on a lifted vehicle that still has stock wheels is the sway bar end links.

[homeguy]

Checked with one of the guys at Modern Motors, he looked at everything and thinks I'll be ok... I forgot to say I have Rancho shocks good up to a 2" lift.  It looks like the rear sway bar will miss every thing, rear spacers I guess will be on order if needed.  Thanks to everyone with your responses.

[sn4cktime]

If anything, when you throw the rear spacers on what you might find is that now your tires have the ability to rub the outside edge of your fenders and pop the clips off... Just a warning, mine did, on all four corners and I'm running bigger tires on my JK (35 x 12.5's or 315/75R16).... just saying you might be better rubbing IN the tire-well rather than ripping parts off.  That being said, it handles a LOT better with a slightly wider back-end.

If you kinda want to see what I'm getting at: http://forum.calgaryjeep.com/index.php?topic=10339.0



Oh man, I laughed pretty hard when I looked at those pics, specially this one.  I think my 35's look small with my tube fenders now, but oh man...

[homeguy]

If anything, when you throw the rear spacers on what you might find is that now your tires have the ability to rub the outside edge of your fenders and pop the clips off... Just a warning, mine did, on all four corners and I'm running bigger tires on my JK (35 x 12.5's or 315/75R16).... just saying you might be better rubbing IN the tire-well rather than ripping parts off.  That being said, it handles a LOT better with a slightly wider back-end.

If you kinda want to see what I'm getting at: http://forum.calgaryjeep.com/index.php?topic=10339.0



Oh man, I laughed pretty hard when I looked at those pics, specially this one.  I think my 35's look small with my tube fenders now, but oh man...

Your rig looks great.  Just one question, what size spacers did you have to get for your tires?

[shayu]

i was running 2.5''rc bb with stock 32''tires,no rub issue at all .no.

[sn4cktime]

I'm running 1.5" SpiderTrax spacers currently.  Nice fit, they make a 5 on 5 pattern which you require to keep using your stock rims, OR you could get a 5 on 5.5 and have a choice of WAY more wheels.

I really like the extra 3" of width overall, it definitely feels more stable, but it can sometimes make a tight squeeze that much worse.  Dom had to move some barbed wire for me before that everybody else fit through with no problem.  Keep in mind the JK is already the widest Wrangler model, THEN add wider wheels AND spacers.... you're kinda entering full-size truck width territory now.

If you can afford flat fenders, or don't mind chopping your fenders and start looking at new tires just get 37's, you won't regret it.  People will tell you it'll eat up your unit bearings, mine are fine and without lockers I'm definitely not very nice to mine and they're still good.

[sn4cktime]

So, I was doing something completly unrelated to jeeps and something started nagging me about this wheel spacer thread.

If you do anything with the rear sway-bar links, make sure the bolt thread faces IN towards the springs and is NO LONGER than the nut, as in, doesn't protrude, or it can snag up in the spring  Not sure if it applies to all kits with the stock tires (with some 6.25" of backspacing) but guys were tearing them because some of the jeeps were coming assembled with the threads out, so they put them back in that way and when flexed tore their tires.  This seemed to happen more often a few years ago, I think the newer jeeps have the bolts the "right" way.

In the front, if you disconnect the sway bar and tie it up to the frame the tires may also be capable of reaching in far enough to snag the end of the bar at FULL FLEX and result in a tear.  I never had that issue myself and flexed it until the fender clips popped, but thought I'd pass it along.

So in short, still don't NEED spacers in the rear, just make sure the bolt's the right way, and keep an eye on what you do in the front.

I was making a snack and it just totally hit me and I dove into a few forums until I found the old threads I was looking for.  So there you go, good karma check, cookies check, bedtime!