Your opinion on wheel spacers please

[Dino]

When I told the Discount Tire folks I may want to bring out my wheels to be as close to the wheel lip as possible they said they will not do anything to the car if it has spacers.  Now I understand that since they do not carry spacers, they cannot be held accountable in case anything happens and I'm okay with that.  I can just take the wheels off myself and put the spacers on but what's the deal with these?  Are they safe?  Is there ANY concerns about wheels coming loose or spacers breaking?  Frankly I don't see what the big deal would be but I've never had spacers either.

My front rims will be 8" wide with 4.5" backspacing and a 245 tire, and the rears will be 9.5" wide with 5.5" backspacing and a 275 tire.  I think I should be able to move the wheels out 1/2" no?

[ACUDANUT]

1/2 inch, ? I would not bother with them. 

[cdr]

put a 295 on & forget the spacers

[JB400]

Putting spacers on puts more stress on your studs when you corner.  You could possibly snap your studs off eventually.  For me personally, they're alright for race cars with thicker studs for fine tuning.  For street cars, I'd get new wheels with the correct backspace unless new wheels aren't a possibility.

[Dino]

Thanks guys.

I can't get a 295 for a 17" rim except the MT DR which I don't want.

The rims only come with that specific backspacing, if I had the option to get less I'd get those.

I'll forget about spacers and will just have to accept the wheels as they are...should be a vast improvement over my old 14's anyway!

[ACUDANUT]

17's.  ....Go with 15's. They look better.

[tan top]

never use spacers 

[Hard Charger]

my 72 challenger has 1/2 spacers on the back because of the wrong off set rims were used. the guy who i bought the car from installed them. he also installed longer studs. i have had no trouble in the last 10 years. my lug nuts are also very tall and go deep into the rim.