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April, 2025

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Car Question - Wheel Spacers or Different Rims w/ Less Backspacing?

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Zypher
Posts: 2337 - Karma: 2,268
Just bought a 96 landcrusier and dropped a dumb amount of money on a lift for it (Worth it though). I plan on going with 35s for the tires but dont want the fronts to rub when turning. Should I go with spacers, some locktite, and check them every so often or try and find rims with less backspacing than the toyota stock 4.5"?
7 years ago
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GKS
Posts: 385 - Karma: 3,014
stance it
7 years ago
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kingsskier
Posts: 6213 - Karma: 2,152
For the love of god dont use spacers. You will have so many more problems, especially with huge/heavy wheels/tires like that.
Find an offset that works or see if you can modify the wheel wells and fneders to fit the wheels you want.
7 years ago
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Zypher
Posts: 2337 - Karma: 2,268
kingsskierFor the love of god dont use spacers. You will have so many more problems, especially with huge/heavy wheels/tires like that.
Find an offset that works or see if you can modify the wheel wells and fneders to fit the wheels you want.


Did a bit more digging, apparently with the amount of lift im going with spacers arent needed. I thought that tires would rub at full flex on the car but after talking with some others there wont be any tire rub unless I move up to 37s. I swear man, those landcruiser wheel wells are like black holes...
7 years ago
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fortyvalve
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 1,573
Are you worried about tires rubbing or wheels not clearing your brakes? Spacers affect offset which has more to do with clearing brakes than wheel well fitment and then you also have to take into account the width of the wheel, for example I stretch 235/35 on a 19x10 inch wheel with a 25 offset and it fits flush in my wheel wells with no rub.
7 years ago
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Zypher
Posts: 2337 - Karma: 2,268
springvisualsAre you worried about tires rubbing or wheels not clearing your brakes? Spacers affect offset which has more to do with clearing brakes than wheel well fitment and then you also have to take into account the width of the wheel, for example I stretch 235/35 on a 19x10 inch wheel with a 25 offset and it fits flush in my wheel wells with no rub.


I was worried about two things. First, running tires 3-4" bigger in diameter than stock rubbing on the inside while turning in a short radius and secondly the tires getting chunked on the fenders when crawling at full flex. After being on Ih8mud for a while and talking with some people that were once in my shoes, I realized that none of my worries will really happen. The wheel wells on this thing are fucking massive man... you can run 35 inch tires on this thing in stock suspension and everything and will only have minimal rubbing in the fronts and some in the rear. With the lift I'm getting, everything should clear fine even without me having to even take off the fenders.
7 years ago
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mtbakerpow
Posts: 1105 - Karma: 927
Volvo v40
7 years ago
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Rum_Ham
Posts: 1449 - Karma: 4,483
Avoid spacers whenever possible. I'd never run a spacer larger than like 12mm on a steering axle
7 years ago
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daannnnieel
Posts: 5163 - Karma: 4,293
jealous af that you found a a land cruiser and had enough money to throw a lift at it.

i've been looking into 4runners a lot lately.
7 years ago
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Zypher
Posts: 2337 - Karma: 2,268
daannnnieeljealous af that you found a a land cruiser and had enough money to throw a lift at it.

i've been looking into 4runners a lot lately.


It was hard man. Waited almost 4.5 months until I found one with everything I wanted (lockers, under 185k mi, head gasket replaced, clean interior and title, not tan or white, etc). Ended up paying right around that amount and had some extra money saved up from my summer job and waxing/tuning everyone’s sticks over the winter so I got a slinky stage 1 lift and a 4X4Labs rear bumper off a group buy. Besides some small stuff with the car, I’m stoked on it. It’s missing a few Knick knacks here and there like a sun visor, 12v power doesn’t work, no cupholder mods :(, electric seats are borked, etc but they’re all cheap-ish fixes.
7 years ago
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Zypher
Posts: 2337 - Karma: 2,268
ZypherEnded up paying right around that amount

Lol never put the amount, it was 8k. More than I wanted to spend but well worth it imo. Rig has a lot of life left in her.
7 years ago
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daannnnieel
Posts: 5163 - Karma: 4,293
ZypherIt was hard man. Waited almost 4.5 months until I found one with everything I wanted (lockers, under 185k mi, head gasket replaced, clean interior and title, not tan or white, etc). Ended up paying right around that amount and had some extra money saved up from my summer job and waxing/tuning everyone’s sticks over the winter so I got a slinky stage 1 lift and a 4X4Labs rear bumper off a group buy. Besides some small stuff with the car, I’m stoked on it. It’s missing a few Knick knacks here and there like a sun visor, 12v power doesn’t work, no cupholder mods :(, electric seats are borked, etc but they’re all cheap-ish fixes.


that all seems like pretty minor things. 12v power and getting some manual seats would be pretty straight forward also. Coming with lockers is pretty rad. Everything I've looked at in my price range has been beat to absolute piss with 185+ mi.

what engine does it have in it?
7 years ago
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Zypher
Posts: 2337 - Karma: 2,268
daannnnieelthat all seems like pretty minor things. 12v power and getting some manual seats would be pretty straight forward also. Coming with lockers is pretty rad. Everything I've looked at in my price range has been beat to absolute piss with 185+ mi.

what engine does it have in it?


Still the factory straight 6. Doesn’t make a ton of power on road but cruises comfortably 65-70mph and is torquey as hell when in low range. Maybe it’ll have a Cummins swap in the future but that’ll be once this engine has 350k on it and is on its last leg. I’ve found the the Cali market for cars is usually the best or if you’re looking for a cruiser or 4Runner hop on the classifieds on Ih8mud.com . I found this thing about 2 hours south of San Fran off the forums.
7 years ago
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