Wheel Spacers for the XJ Cherokee — 1.25" and 1.75"

Difficulty 1/51 hrs$79–1851984-2001

Hub-centric spacers push your XJ's track width out by 1.25–1.75 inches per side — enough to clear fender flares after a lift or eliminate rubbing on a budget build without buying new wheels.

The XJ runs a 5x114.3 (5x4.5") bolt pattern with a 71.5mm hub bore. That hub bore dimension is the reason hub-centric spacers matter here: a lug-centric spacer — one that centers on the lug nuts rather than the hub — will fit and torque down fine sitting still in your driveway, but at highway speed it can introduce vibration because the wheel is centered by five lug nuts instead of by the machined hub register. On a daily-driven or trail rig that sees mixed pavement, pay the extra $20–$30 for a hub-centric spacer with the correct 71.5mm bore.

The most common use case on an XJ is a lifted rig that gains some clearance but finds the stock wheels or a new set of budget steels still rubs slightly at full droop or full lock. A 1.25" spacer moves the wheel outboard enough to get past the fender flare lip without requiring a wheel swap. The second use case is correcting backspacing: if you scored a great deal on a wheel with 4.5" backspacing instead of the 3.75" you wanted, a 1.25" spacer gets you most of the way back to the right offset without eating into the budget.

At 1.75" and above, factor in extended wheel studs. Most XJ studs are M14x1.5 and long enough for a 1.25" spacer with the stock lug nut engagement depth, but a 1.75" spacer leaves you right at the minimum thread engagement. Either run extended studs pressed into the hub (the right call) or buy bolt-on spacers that include their own studs. Do not use a thick spacer on the stock stud length and call it good.

Steps

Break lug nuts loose while the wheel is still on the ground.
Raise the vehicle and support it on jack stands under the axle tube — not the pinch weld.
Remove the wheel and clean the hub face with a wire brush. Any rust or debris between the spacer and the hub face causes runout; spend two minutes on this.
If running extended studs: press old studs out with a lug nut and a socket stack, press new studs in with a washer stack or a proper stud installer.
Thread the spacer onto the hub studs (for bolt-on style: torque the spacer's lug nuts to 85 ft-lb). For slip-on style, seat the spacer flush on the hub face.
Mount the wheel onto the spacer studs. Torque lug nuts in a star pattern to 85 ft-lb.
Repeat on all four corners. Re-torque after the first 50 miles.

Why it works

Cheap fix for minor clearance issues without buying new wheels
Hub-centric designs run smoothly at highway speed with no vibration
Reversible — pull the spacers and you're back to stock
Can correct backspacing on a budget wheel purchase

Trade-offs

Extended studs are required (and often skipped) at 1.75"+
Adds unsprung weight and moves the wheel load outboard, which increases wheel bearing load slightly over time
Not a substitute for proper backspacing selection when choosing new wheels
Lug-centric spacers from no-name brands are genuinely unsafe on a street-driven vehicle — buy named product

Tools required

floor jack
jack stands
torque wrench
socket set
breaker bar

Parts

Some parts links are Amazon affiliate links — if you buy through them Trail Manual may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list parts we’d run on our own rig, and never on safety-critical pages.

Part	Vendor	Est. price
Spidertrax WHS002 1.25" Wheel Spacer Kit (5x4.5")	Spidertrax	~$120
Teraflex 1.5" Hub-Centric Wheel Spacer Kit	Teraflex	~$110
Rugged Ridge 1.75" Wheel Spacer Kit	Rugged Ridge	~$89
APS 1.5" Hub-Centric Spacers (5x114.3)	APS	~$99

Sources

Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.

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