Aftermarket wheel came off!!

[mike70gtx]

Have a 2003 Excursion 7.3 4x4 and got some aftermarket alloy wheels that were 17 x8. I ordered them from a local rim shop and asked about back spacing. They put them on and looked like they set in too far. Backed out of there shop only to hear grinding. The whees were rubbing on spindle by tie rod and ground about a 1/4 inch of the edge off of wheel. I should have had them send them back at that point. They put on some 1/2 inch spacers and that solved that problem. After about 5000 miles the rear wheel came off, thank God I was only going about 10 mph. It broke 6 of the studs and ruined wheel. They guy that repaired the studs, replacing 14 of them because others were stripped. Said the truck is too heavy to run spacers. The wheel shop is working with me getting it right. Has anyone else had any problems with spacers. Should I just get new wheels with better back space and eliminate spacers? Is losing 1/2 inch of stud too much for lug nut?

[ZMANN]

1/2 inch spacers arent huge but combined with the fact that cast wheels take up more thread space than steel wheels I bet they just came loose

[travisH3]

1/2" spacers are huge considering the factory studs are what.....about 1.5" long. if you take away a half inch, that leaves an inch of threads for rim and lug. if the rim is 1/2"-3/4" thick, that only leaves a few threads holding the rim on. Not only that, the shear force is towards the outside of the stud where when the rim is all the way back, the shear force is shared between the stud and the rotor/hub your mounting it against. Recipe for disaster if you ask me. If anything, you have to get deep enough spacers so that the factory studs are recessed into the spacer, and there are new studs on the spacer so all that shear force isnt all the way at the end of the studs. You NEED rims with PROPER back space and offset

[mike70gtx]

Thanks for the advice. It looks like he will get me wheels with right back space. I still have to work out the $460 bill to replace 14 studs. It was major getting the back wheel studs out. Took new rear bearings and seals to accomplish the job.

[shawnb99]

A 1/2" is huge...... like said , no lug. if AND I STRESS if you ever run a spacer it better be a bolt on,,,,,,

[mike70gtx]

The wheel shop is going to get me new wheels with right offset. He says they are $300 more than the ones I got on sale and he will cover that, but he wants me to eat the $460 for the stud work. He says the guy didn't need to go to that much work to get the old studs out. I might have to go have a talk with that guy. He took it down to the point of needing new seal and bearings on the axle. It does look like he overcharged me for wheel studs at over $9 per stud

[BIG Laing]

Originally Posted by mike70gtx

The wheel shop is going to get me new wheels with right offset. He says they are $300 more than the ones I got on sale and he will cover that, but he wants me to eat the $460 for the stud work. He says the guy didn't need to go to that much work to get the old studs out. I might have to go have a talk with that guy. He took it down to the point of needing new seal and bearings on the axle. It does look like he overcharged me for wheel studs at over $9 per stud

Sounds like you need to find a new wheel shop. Is this place ran idiots?