ramifications of adding a spacer to dual wheels
Hi, I will have to add a spacer of 0.55 of an inch to boost the distance between my rear rims in order to move to 235/R85/16 tires. What might be the concerns of doing so?
Forum Discussion
Might need stronger lugs and nuts.
Apart from the longer lever arm and dynamic loads from being slightly wider, there are tremendous twisting forces on the two joined wheels in tight turns. Both wheels are trying to be forced to go the same speed, yet they travel a different distance. When we had a tread loss (not flat) and nothing the tow truck driver could do would loosen the Alcoa from the steel wheel (including air tools and the power of the tow arm), I used the trick of driving in a figure 8 with the lug nuts half a turn backed off. The massive force differential between the two dually wheels easily broke them loose.
You need lugs and lug nuts that can stand up to that with the increase that the extra spacing will add.
Jim
Apart from the longer lever arm and dynamic loads from being slightly wider, there are tremendous twisting forces on the two joined wheels in tight turns. Both wheels are trying to be forced to go the same speed, yet they travel a different distance. When we had a tread loss (not flat) and nothing the tow truck driver could do would loosen the Alcoa from the steel wheel (including air tools and the power of the tow arm), I used the trick of driving in a figure 8 with the lug nuts half a turn backed off. The massive force differential between the two dually wheels easily broke them loose.
You need lugs and lug nuts that can stand up to that with the increase that the extra spacing will add.
Jim
