Spacer Trouble

[Nakashige]

Hey I have Freds 6x5 to 6x5.5 spacers. On the way back from Cape Cod this weekend my lug nuts on the spacers start to loosen. I pull over and re tighten all the lugs. about 50 miles later they are loosening again. Call AAA the tow driver tightens every thing again with a impact wrench. Got home loose again. Any Ideas about what to do?

[MrSmithsTB]

Which lug nuts? The ones holding the spacers to the vehicle or the wheels to the spacers?

[Nakashige]

spacers to tb

[MrSmithsTB]

Hmm, I will say that is a unique problem. I would first try switching the mugs with another spacers. If the problem changes to the other spacers, it is the nuts. If it stay on the original spacer, then it could either be the spacers or wheel studs. You could also try some thread locker, though it may be difficult the next time remove is needed.

[DmccartneyFF2TB]

I put red lock tight on mine.

[Blackout]

Locktite and/or replace the nuts. If that doesn't work, go for new studs/hub. I doubt it's the spacers, it's probably the hardware being work-hardened over time

[navigator]

I would contact Fred, especially if I bought them directly from him.

[Trail X]

How were you catching that they were loose? Were your tires wobbling? How loose were they? Enough that you could visibly move the spacer by hand? How have you been tightening them in the past? What torque? Do they seem to be easy or hard to thread on?

Have you replaced the nuts at some point? Maybe they don't have the correct seat angle or thread?

Try marking the orientation of the nut to the stud, see if they are actually loosening by spinning off, or if the nuts are eating into the aluminum somehow.

I'm tempted to recommend trying locktite, but I'm not sure that's your problem, as I actually use anti seize on mine.

[Nakashige]

Spacers were bought off a member on trailvoy. Lugs are almost 1/16th too long spacers to tb. James they were torque to 105 foot pounds. Spacers could be moved by hand after.

[Gordinho80]

So you tighten the spacers to the hubs and you can move them by hand AFTER??? Are you certain that you're not moving the hub assembly as well? Do the spacers rotate or do they actually pull away from the hub when the lugs are tightened all the way?

EDIT: Are the lug nuts that hold the spacer to the hubs open ended?

[The Roadie]

Is the vehicle side of the hub perfectly flat? Did you remove the spring clips that hold the brake rotors on at the assembly line? Acorn (closed ended) nuts in any location in the assembly could be a huge problem. Fred doesn't ship acorn nuts.

[Trail X]

Lugs are almost 1/16th too long spacers to tb.

Did you grind them down and ensure they are not poking the wheel?

[Nakashige]

Ground the spacers Lugs a 1/8th red loctight seems to be holding

[SteveTB03]

Were the lug nuts that were loosening on the rear of the vehicle? And how thick are these spacer's?

[The Roadie]

I bought maybe the 1st or 2nd set of adapters Fred made for the platform, and advised him to never supply thinner than 1.5" thick, because not everybody is going to remember to grind off their rear studs. If he started making 1.3" or 1.4" versions, that's a problem. But it would NOT cause the spacer to loosen up off the vehicle unless improper acorn nuts were used. AFAIK, Fred only ships open-ended nuts.

The typical problem with too-long studs and too-thin spacers is the vehicle's studs hit the back of aftermarket wheels. So the wheel->spacer interface loosens up, not the spacer->vehicle.

Could you clear up all these curiosities by letting us know about the nuts and spacer thickness?