I've run wheel spacers on a couple of my Jeeps and I guess I've gotten a bit lax in my maintenance regime. Until this week when one loosened on my Commando.

Normally when you install wheel spacers you should apply red Loctite to the wheel stud threads and torque them down to 90 lb-ft. Then, recheck the torque on the studs after 100 miles. I was finishing up the brake job on my Commando and knew I was installing some larger 35-inch tires a couple days later, so I rushed the spacer install and didn't take the time to walk to the shelf on the back wall of my garage where I keep my Loctite. I figured I'd do it once I yanked the 33s. After all, they'd only be on there for the test-drive, right?

The result? Pretty soon I started hearing a clicking noise from the driver-side front tire upon braking. The lugs that hold the spacer to the wheel hub started loosening up about 10 miles into my drive and the wheel/spacer was pretty wobbly on the hub by the time I got back home.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the same can be said of the opposite. It doesn't pay to cut corners. I usually don't, but everybody throws caution to the wind now and then. That's usually when you get bitten in the arse. I got lucky. I yanked all the wheels and spacers off, applied Loctite like I should've in the first place, and all has been good. I still need to recheck the spacer torque in another 80 miles or so. Lesson learned.