DRW conversion to SRW?

[cerberusiam]

Spacers are nothing but a cheap hack to address redneck engineering. They may be just fine for pavement-queen-grocery-getter-gasser that can't get out of its own way, but, are a BAD idea for a truck that you want to use to its capability and rely on. The biggest problem is you forget they are on there and the next thing you know a wheel passes you as the rear rotor hits the pavement at 70 mph under a load.
If you need more traction add a better tire, PLEASE!!!!

Before the piling on starts there is a difference between spacing the duals apart for some small clearance and spacing a single wheel off the face of the rotor, a significant difference. Even with the former running more than minimal loads is asking for trouble. No matter how successfully it has been done, there are cases where it was definitely not a success. The latter is flat dangerous under a load.

 

[Jim Ross]

Very interesting, thanks!
BTW... . my '98 Ram 2500 4WD came from the factory with a stamped steel spacer on the right front! It was a bit less than 1/4" thick. I couldn't reason the need for it and I removed it and drove the truck for 3 years without it until buying my '01.

 

[cerberusiam]

I don't think a 1/4" spacer is going to align the track, more like several inches. It might be closer if you removed the spacers from the front hubs but not sure. That would take some measuring from hub face to hub face front and rear to see what it would be.

 

[JLeake]

Wertles;

Try a larger tire like one poster suggested. Are you running a highway tire or an aggressive snow and mud tire? Duals do tend to get mud and muck between the two tires, so a spacer and tires more suited to your situation may help.

If you are talking about traction out in the desert in the clay, then you may just need chains. That clay becomes like axle grease when it is wet. I've driven in that stuff, and nothing short of chains helps from my experience.

 

[NIsaacs]

If you are going to use spacers I would remove the front spacer, and get SRW wheels. Then get the spacers for the rear to match the SRW track width.

You can't use a spacer for the rear axle on a dually pickup, it is already too wide for the front, assuming you pull the spacer off of it. Since the front spacer is about 5" wide, it has to come off for a SRW or the tire would stick out from the fender that amount.

If you really want to run a single on the rear, just remove the outside wheel, it will just look goofy but they will be in alignment. On a dually pickup the front tire is in alignment with the inside rear. On a cab/chassis the front tire is in alignment with the center of the rear duals, thats why you can remove the front spacer on a cab/chassis and install SRW's and all is well. On this rig (cab/chassis) you can't just remove the outside dually, the alignment would not match.

A dually pickup rear axle is 6" wider than a cab/chassis axle, thats why SRW instalation will not work.

As far as your thin spacer on your '98 pickup, some came from the factory with them, it was also a dumb fix for an alignment/pull issue. The 5" spacer on the front of a dually is built for the task. Since the dually wheel has so much offset, the weight is carried inboard of the spacer. With an aftermarket width spacer and SRW, the weight is carried out board of the spacer. Like other have said, I would not use them. Some are dangerous.

Nick

 

[AH64ID]

I forgot the AAM was wider on the DRW, the last rig I looked closely at DRW vs SRW the DRW was narrower than the SRW.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[mfurrh55]

As long as you use the steel spacers and not the aluminum ones

You can't use a spacer for the rear axle on a dually pickup, it is already too wide for the front, assuming you pull the spacer off of it. Since the front spacer is about 5" wide, it has to come off for a SRW or the tire would stick out from the fender that amount.

If you really want to run a single on the rear, just remove the outside wheel, it will just look goofy but they will be in alignment. On a dually pickup the front tire is in alignment with the inside rear. On a cab/chassis the front tire is in alignment with the center of the rear duals, thats why you can remove the front spacer on a cab/chassis and install SRW's and all is well. On this rig (cab/chassis) you can't just remove the outside dually, the alignment would not match.

A dually pickup rear axle is 6" wider than a cab/chassis axle, thats why SRW instalation will not work.

As far as your thin spacer on your '98 pickup, some came from the factory with them, it was also a dumb fix for an alignment/pull issue. The 5" spacer on the front of a dually is built for the task. Since the dually wheel has so much offset, the weight is carried inboard of the spacer. With an aftermarket width spacer and SRW, the weight is carried out board of the spacer. Like other have said, I would not use them. Some are dangerous.

Nick

 

[tempforce]

have you thought of just using the outer wheel in the back. . instead of the inner wheel… track issue solved. .

 

[Jim Ross]

Yes. I have actually tried that, but my fear is that the brake assembly could be damaged in any off-road travel because it is totally exposed when the inner dual is off the axle. And, on the highway, it is exposed to any road debris that is kicked up.

 

[mfurrh55]

i did that on a chevy 1 ton and it wound up breaking the wheel studs, That was bad news,Monte

have you thought of just using the outer wheel in the back. . instead of the inner wheel… track issue solved. .

 

[mfurrh55]

If you just put the outer wheels on, it will throw too much stress on the studs, ,When you run both wheels it balances the weight out to each one, I know ,I tried this once about 30 yrs ago, had to replace several studs, It;s a wonder they all didn't break, could have caused alot of trouble for me and maybe someone else on the roadway, Anyway that's my experience with running just the outside dually wheel, Monte

 

[AClayton]

If you just put the outer wheels on, it will throw too much stress on the studs, ,When you run both wheels it balances the weight out to each one, I know ,I tried this once about 30 yrs ago, had to replace several studs, It;s a wonder they all didn't break, could have caused alot of trouble for me and maybe someone else on the roadway, Anyway that's my experience with running just the outside dually wheel, Monte

But you're cool with wheel spacers?

 

[mfurrh55]

I ran them on my 01 for about 5 years, No problems,Monte

But you're cool with wheel spacers?

 

[cerberusiam]

have you thought of just using the outer wheel in the back. . instead of the inner wheel… track issue solved. .

The front tracks on the inner wheel not the outer wheel. That solves nothing.

 

[shais1550]

I want to convert my srw to drw what year is your truck

 

[mfurrh55]

I want to convert my srw to drw what year is your truck

The truck i converted was an 01, where are you located?, i do have out in my shop 6 16" Dodge dually wheels, I made a half inch spacer to keep wheels out from brake drum so they would fit properly,if you have disc on rear this shouldn't be a problem won't need the spacers, also had to replace all the studs on the rear with longer ones, front has adapters you can buy from dodge or ebay or CL, Monte

 

[shais1550]

The truck i converted was an 01, where are you located?, i do have out in my shop 6 16" Dodge dually wheels, I made a half inch spacer to keep wheels out from brake drum so they would fit properly,if you have disc on rear this shouldn't be a problem won't need the spacers, also had to replace all the studs on the rear with longer ones, front has adapters you can buy from dodge or ebay or CL, Monte

for some reason I thought you had a Chevy I'm trying to convert my single rear wheel to dual wheel wheel on my Chevy 3500

 

[mfurrh55]

for some reason I thought you had a Chevy I'm trying to convert my single rear wheel to dual wheel wheel on my Chevy 3500

No don't have a Chevy, but it's the same process , Monte