Jeep Renegade 25mm (1") Wheel Spacers Installation Write-Up

Discussion in 'Renegade Write-Ups' started by wayoflife, Aug 20, 2015.

  1. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    Just like any Jeep right off the showroom floor, our Jeep Renegade Trailhawk had a stance that made it look like it was wearing a pair of skinny jeans. I mean, the Renegade itself looks great but the wheels and tires just looked way too narrow and tucked way too far inside the fenders. Needless to say, Cindy and I have been wanting to give our Renegade a slightly wider stance to help this out since day one but wasn't exactly sure how best to do that. Probably the best solution would be to get new wheels with an offset or back spacing that would push the wheels further out but, that would also be one of the most expensive options. Now, if there were a set of wheels in a bolt pattern that we need that we actually liked, we may have gone that route but unfortunately, there isn't or at least, not as of yet. Of course, as crazy as it may sound, we actually really like the factory Trailhawk wheels and so for now, we decided to just run them with a set of 25mm (about 1") wheel spacers. The best part is, going this route will only put you back about $125.

    What you will need
    • 17mm, 19mm Socket
    • Ratchet
    • Ft. Lb. Torque Wrench
    • Red Loctite
    • Floor Jack
    • Brake Cleaner

    What you will get
    (4) 25mm (1") HUBCENTRIC 5x110 Wheel Spacers w/12x1.5 Studs
    (20) Lug Nuts


    Instructions
    Here is a shot of everything you will get with your new wheel spacers. Make sure that you have all 20 lug nuts and red loc-tite before you start this installation.
    [​IMG]

    1. Starting from the driver side rear wheel, loosen but do not remove the lug bolts on your Jeep Renegade using a 17mm socket or lug wrench. Then, using a floor jack, raise the wheel you will be working on from the chassis rail close to the wheel until it is off the ground and then remove the bolts.
    [​IMG]

    2. While the Renegade does use hubcentric wheels, the hub ring will not be enough to hold the wheel up with the all the bolts removed. Be sure to push or hold the wheel in place as you remove the last bolt or else it will just fall off. Set aside your wheel for now.
    [​IMG]

    3. Take some time to inspect the surface of your rotor and clean the surface of any sand or dirt that might be on it with some brake cleaner.
    [​IMG]

    4. Install one of your new wheel spacers onto your Jeep Renegade's axle.
    [​IMG]

    5. Apply a dab of red loc-tite to the threads of the 5 factory bolts you have removed.
    [​IMG]

    6. Engage your parking brake and then, using a 17mm socket, secure your wheel spacer in place making sure to slowly tighten the nuts in a 5 point star pattern. Tighten all the bolts to 95 ft. lbs. of torque. For your front wheels, you want to have a friend help out by stepping on the brake pedal while you do this.
    [​IMG]

    7. Reinstall your wheel onto your wheel spacer and secure it in place using the lug nuts provided. Using a 19mm socket, tighten these nuts in a 5 point star pattern and to 95 ft. lbs. of torque.
    [​IMG]

    8. After 100 miles of use, it is important to check the torque on all your wheel spacer lug nuts to make sure that none of them have come loose. You do not want to over torque the nuts and break the loc-tite so just make sure they do not move when tightened to the SAME torque setting. Also, I would recommend that you at least do a visual inspection of them at every tire rotation which, if you are now running big off road tires, should be about once every 3,000 miles.


    Before & After Photos
    Below are a few before and after photos that I took that will illustrate the difference you will see with and without wheel spacers installed on a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk running factory wheels and tires. First, here's a view from the front before the spacers.
    [​IMG]

    And here's the after shot with a 25mm wheel spacer installed.
    [​IMG]

    Here's a before view from the rear without spacers.
    [​IMG]

    And, here's the same view of the rear after installing a 25mm wheel spacer.
    [​IMG]

    As you can see, the difference isn't huge. The wheel spacers simply bring the face of your factory wheels and tires a bit out and sitting more flush with the edge of the fender as opposed to being tucked far inside of it. Overall, I think it still gives our Renegade Trailhawk a factory look only with a nicer stance. Of course, with 25mm spacers, we could easily run a set of new 16" wheels and at that size, there are a myriad of all terrain and even a few mud terrain tires you can choose from.

    Here are a few more overall shots to show you what our Jeep Renegade Trailhawk now looks like with it's new wheel spacers installed.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Are wheel spacers safe to use?
    Are wheel spacers dangerous to use or cause unusual stress to your axle? High quality wheel spacers like the kind that bolts up to your axle and then your wheels to them are no more dangerous or cause any more stress to your axles then would a wheel with less backspacing. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about and I have yet to hear a single good or specific explanation as to exactly how they are worse. Just to be clear, the thin cheap spacers (the kind that you can get at Pep Boys and are sandwiched between your wheel and axle using the existing wheel studs) are in fact EXTREMELY DANGEROUS and should not be used.

    As is the case with any modification you make, it is your responsibility to inspect and maintain the components on your Jeep and on a regular basis.
     
  2. 10frank9

    10frank9 Moderator Staff Member

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    Another great write-up! I bet driving Renny is noticeably different with the wider stance and better handling. He's really coming along.
     
  3. Thud Nugget

    Thud Nugget New Member

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    Nice write-up!

    I'm rather clueless about rim/tire sizes and proper fit for the wheel well/calipers and such. I typically default to using a tire fitment calculator on a website that doesn't take spacers into the equation. Are there any kind of specs as to what size rim and off-road tire size maximum this spacer application will allow?
     
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  4. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    This thread should help you out
    http://toasterjeep.com/index.php?threads/jeep-renegade-tire-options.121/
     
  5. Cozdude

    Cozdude Moderator Staff Member

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    The spacers came out awesome
    Eddie! It was very informative as usual! I didn't know that the toasters used lug bolts like that instead of it being like our JK's
     
  6. TrailHawk

    TrailHawk Member

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    Excellent post, thank you for the information.
     
  7. Jeepilot

    Jeepilot New Member

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    Looks great Eddie!
     
  8. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    Thanks! We really love the new wider stance. Even with just the factory wheels and tires, it looks so much better. Just about to take our Renegade on a 3,000 mile trip with this setup and I'll keep you all posted as to how things go.
     
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  9. Jeremy

    Jeremy Member

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    Hey WoL!

    Noob question and advice please.

    Which company spacers are they? I know they're hubcentric type...but is that also the company name? Thanks! :D:D:D
     
  10. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    There's a shop in Anaheim, CA that makes them. I've had adapters made for another Jeep in the past from them and they seemed to work well. I believe they also sell on Amazon. Sorry, can't place the name at the moment but I can look it up. I would have preferred to get Spidertrax but they don't make any in this size... yet.
     
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  11. Jeremy

    Jeremy Member

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    Thank you Sir! I'd really like to get some and I would like to get the ones you recommend since I'm a lowly mud skipper lol.
     
  12. MLH24

    MLH24 Member

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    Hey WoL! I'm in SoCal and would love to get this done. Any chance you can dig up the name of the shop in Anaheim? As I do not have a home lift or tools, would hope they could accomplish installation as well... Thanks!
     
  13. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    Sorry for not responding sooner. I believe they are called European Motor Werke
     
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  14. MLH24

    MLH24 Member

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    Awesome. Thank you, sir.
     
  15. jesse.lewis

    jesse.lewis Guest

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    Eddie, just tried to install these and backed out because the stock lugs stick out farther than the spacer surface. Did yours have this issue? It looks like they did in the pictures ?
     
  16. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    I ran mine with factory wheels and they have recesses in the cast so the lugs cleared no problem.
     
  17. jesse.lewis

    jesse.lewis Guest

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    Balls ! I guess I'm gonna have to get creative, I'm not ordering the renegade ready ones. I may play with shaving down the lug bolts. Good times ! thanks for the reply. If nothing else this proves the renegade is a real jeep, because no modifications go smoothly as planned. lol
     
  18. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    I've had a few people contact me about these 1" wheel spacers as they wanted to know if they would work on a set of aftermarket wheels. The following will help illustrate why they work with factory wheels and what you will have to look out for if you choose to buy new wheels.

    First up, this photo will show how the heads of the factory lug bolts stick out about 3/16" past the surface of the 1" wheel spacer. This can be a real problem and one that will prevent the proper installation of your wheels IF they don't have the means to clear the bolt heads.
    IMG_4601.jpg

    As you can see here, the factory Trailhawk wheels have deep recesses next to the mounting holes and they provide the clearance the bolt heads need for proper installation.
    IMG_4604.jpg

    If you choose to run a wheel that does not have recesses like the factory wheels have, you will want to get a set of 1.25" wheel spacers.
    IMG_4694.jpg

    The following photos show how a set of 1.25" wheel spacers will keep the bolt heads below the mounting surface of the spacer.
    IMG_4702.jpg

    IMG_4703.jpg
     
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  19. Jeremy

    Jeremy Member

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    Thank you Sir! :)
     
  20. EnderAZ

    EnderAZ Active Member

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    Man I should have read this before ordering my 1" spacers. Any idea if many aftermarket wheels have that same recess?
     
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