Hub or Lug Centric spacers for stock 97 LC wheels?

[-Spike-]

You could also mount the spacer before installing the drive flanges or remove the nuts and washers that retain the drive flanges then install the spacer.

I'm not following this at all. The drive flange won't fit through the hole in the spacer (which is gonna complicate things no matter what if Rookie uses the spacers and needs to do any work to the knuckle) and the flanges kind of need the nuts and washers.

Really, the best option is to get lug-centric spacers. If you're concerned about centering the wheels, install them with three acorn-style lug nuts just snugged, which will center the wheel, then install 3 shank-style lug nuts (if that's what you're using on your wheels), remove the acorns, and replace with the last three shank-style. If your wheels use acorn-style, just snug them all gradually, allowing the wheel to center on the lugs (as almost all wheels used to do before the fancy hub-centric wheels came out).

 

[NateMob]

I'm having the same problem with my 97, with a set of 2" spacers. These spacers are Hub Centric and they hit the nuts on the Ihub. I could notch the Centric ring with my die grinder, but I'm worried that will compromise the spacer. I was told that I needed the Hub Centric spacers. The seller told me they would fit a 97 and Amazon verified it. I cross checked the bolt pattern and the thread pitch. I thought that I had covered all my bases. Do I need to order spacers without the centric ring? I read that will cause issues with wheel alignment and the wheel could get off centered without the ring. What are the thoughts on this?

~Rookie
]

This is what i referenced earlier in this thread.

You always have the option of having a local machine shop turn down that lip inside, you just need a few mm taken out. It'll take less than five minutes per spacers on a manual lathe.

 

[ppc]

I was thinking more of the spacer in post 17 where the drive flange mounts proud of the spacer. That may not hold true with a 2" spacer but I would think it would be very close.

 

[-Spike-]

Correct, they wont unless they are machined from the designed hubcentric hub diameter of 106mm to the 80 hubsize of 108mm.

This is what i referenced earlier in this thread.

You always have the option of having a local machine shop turn down that lip inside, you just need a few mm taken out. It'll take less than five minutes per spacers on a manual lathe.

80 hubs are 106mm. Hub-centric spacers don't fit over the nuts/drive flange because the I.D. on the extra ring on the spacer is smaller than 106mm, probably something like 100 or 102mm. Lug-centric spacers are 106mm all the way through, just like most Toyota 4x4 wheels.

 

[-Spike-]

I was thinking more of the spacer in post 17 where the drive flange mounts proud of the spacer. That may not hold true with a 2" spacer but I would think it would be very close.

The blue spacers you are looking at are lug centric.

 

[NateMob]

80 hubs are 106mm. Hub-centric spacers don't fit over the nuts/drive flange because the I.D. on the extra ring on the spacer is smaller than 106mm, probably something like 100 or 102mm. Lug-centric spacers are 106mm all the way through, just like most Toyota 4x4 wheels.

yup, already been established but wasn't going to edit my post from weeks ago. Like i said get them machined or sell them, tacoma and 4runner owners buy them for almost new prices all the time.

 

[-Spike-]

yup, already been established but wasn't going to edit my post from weeks ago. Like i said get them machined or sell them, tacoma and 4runner owners buy them for almost new prices all the time.

Sorry, I just saw a few arguments about the fictional 108mm hubs after your post and I had to pile on.

 

[Rookie44]

I'm not following this at all. The drive flange won't fit through the hole in the spacer (which is gonna complicate things no matter what if Rookie uses the spacers and needs to do any work to the knuckle) and the flanges kind of need the nuts and washers.

Really, the best option is to get lug-centric spacers. If you're concerned about centering the wheels, install them with three acorn-style lug nuts just snugged, which will center the wheel, then install 3 shank-style lug nuts (if that's what you're using on your wheels), remove the acorns, and replace with the last three shank-style. If your wheels use acorn-style, just snug them all gradually, allowing the wheel to center on the lugs (as almost all wheels used to do before the fancy hub-centric wheels came out).

Thanks Spike and everyone else who has added to this thread. Spike is correct. You cannot pull the nuts on the drive flange and reinstall them after the spacer in on. Please see this picture of the hub with the nuts pulled and the spacer on. You can see that the Hub Centric ring hits on the wedge washers that align the drive flange.

After a bit of research I have figured out where the problem lies with my spacers. 1" 1.25" 1.5" spacers work just fine because they set into the hub deep enough for the wheel to still center on the hub and there is no need for a Hub Centric spacer at these sizes. Look back through this thread and you will see a picture of a 1.5" spacer and this will make sense. 2.5" and thicker Hub Centric spacers will work just fine as well. It's the 2" spacer that will cause issues because the Hub Centric ring that is machined into the spacer isn't large enough to fit over the 106mm hub. So at 2" you are kind of in no mans land...... You need a Lug Centric spacer but then you wheels don't center on anything. You are all on your lug studs at that point. If you use 2.5 and thinker the hub in completely swallowed in the spacer and the Hub Centric ring will stand proud. My options are to do as suggested here:
1) notch the spacers to pass over the nuts
2) have the spacers machined to pass over
3) buy Lug Centric spacers.

I will be doing one of the listed options. Thanks again for the support and I hope this thread can help out someone like me in the future.

~Rookie

 

[Rookie44]

*UPDATE*
So I was wrong about the 2.5" Hub Centric spacers working on the rear wheels. The rear hubs have a further reveal than the fronts. Please see attached.

The resolve: I couldn't immediately find a spacer that was Lug Centric, 2" and 106mm Center Bore. I could find a 108mm CB, which matched the lug spacing and all but was more for a Chevy. I wanted to get this done and not screw around with returning the old spacers and ordering new ones. So, I took the spacers to my buddy's shop, who has a lathe, and turned the spacers to trim off the centric ring. Now, they are perfect. Please see attached.

 

[NateMob]

Nice job!

 

[Fletcher34]

These worked perfect on my 97.