Need help, do I need spacers?

recently bought some used 23" wheels, bought 3 new tires before I put them on, they are balanced.... The fourth tire is nearly new but has "fix it flat" in it.... the front end of the Tahoe wobbles like crazy after 60 mph.. the tire with fix it flat is in the back... could it be possible that the front end needs spacers, because it seems like the lug nuts are all the way tightened, but there still might be more thread...


anyway.. how often have people needed spacers in the front with aftermarket rims? Its 4wd also if that matters

thanks for any help in advance

Jack up the truck, grab a wheel, and try to move it around to see if it feels even the slightest bit loose. Make sure the wheel is sitting flush up against the hub. If not, you may need some open ended lugnuts or spacers, depending on the wheel. If the wheels are mounted flush, then try having the wheels balanced again.

right, tried that, but seemed like it MIGHT be ok.. except the steering wheel moves if I wobble it tooo much.. Know what I mean? It's like it might be 100% flush and not moving at all, but then again it might be barely... either way..

the factory open ended lug nuts don't fit because of the rim... I'm using locking lug nuts right now that need a key,, the ones that are alot narrower...


Is there open-ended locking lug nuts that you can buy that are alot narrower?? Tires plus or something

What would you recomend for a spacer size? is there a fairly standard size that most people would get?/

thanks for all the help man

One other question, having "fix it flat" in the rear left wheel, that is nearly bran new; how much vibration would you get from that? not an insane amount that makes the front-end feel like its going to fall of would it?

I've used fix it flat before and only had slight barely noticable vibration problems... It shouldn't be this severe right?


thanks for all your help

I wouldn't think there'd be any way that Fix-A-Flat would cause that much vibration, especially if the wheel is on the opposite end of the vehicle.
Are the lug nuts tapered at all? If not, then the wheels might not be centered on the hub. The tapered ends of the lugnuts help to center the wheel. If the hole in the center of your new wheels are larger in diameter than the factory, then you have to rely on the tapered lugnuts the center the wheel. Just a thought.
If nothing else, you may have to try Discount or some local wheel shop and see if they can order or recommend a certain style lugnut that will fit your wheel.
My truck did not need spacers, and everyone else I know of personally w/these trucks and aftermarket wheels have not needed spacers neither.
Hope something in here helps bro. Let us know how it works out.

Also, are you positive one of the wheels are not bent in any way? I noticed you mentioned that you bought them used. Also, I would swap the wheels from front to rear to see if it is a problem with one of the wheels and not a front end component. See if it still vibrates the same or if the vibration has moved to the rear along with the wheel(s).

Those are good ideas... I've had the factory wheels/tires on forever and it rides PERFECT... so I'm kind of only looking at the aftermarket wheels/tires..

I noticed the studs are longer in the front than in the back, because the lugs I used in the back fit perfect... and the same lugs when I tried them on the front, ran out of thread on the lug before I ran out of stud... The open ended fractory lugs don't fit ..

If the studs are for sure longer on the front, which they are... Is that a dead giveaway that I might need spacers? either way... I'm going to see if Tires plus has different open ended lug nuts that will fit.. Or If spacers changes anything... I'm going there after work today.

How much are spacers about $40 for two? J/W

troyschultzvegas said:

How much are spacers about $40 for two? J/W

Click to expand...

Not sure of the cost. Only had to buy them once before for my Z28. They were $300 for the set of spacers, which seemed a little high, but I needed them and couldn't find any others cheaper.

Got the wheels re-balanced again. along with the fourth wheel wich wasn't balanced the 1st time. It got better... Now I think the only vibration is just from the fix it flat that's in one of the tires..

Next tuesday my friend who works at Tires Plus is going to take that out and plug the tire where it leaks... hopefully after that everything will be fine.

Cool. Glad to hear things are getting better.

Thanks man, except I forgot to mention that when I brought the tires in a second time to Discount Tire, that they told me it was because One rim was bent...

the rim on the 4th tire (the only tire I didn't buy from them) . it seemed really odd. like they were just trying to get rid of me, and it was already past closing time when the finished re-balancing...

I looked at the "bent rim" 3 times, couldn't find a nick or bend anywhere , on the inside anywhere..

So i dunnno. I'll find out on Tue if it really is magically bent in an invisibley spot.. or it is just the fix it flat..

I fixed the problem. I went to Tires Plus last night, my friend is the manager there. .. the fourth tire that wobbled wasn't balanced as discount tire said... the "high point" of the tire was on the wrong spot of the rim, rotated it 180*. ... washed the fix it flat out.. re-balanced it... now everything works fine...


thanks for everyone's help on here