I'd go with longer studs if u do use the spacers.

 

Is the problem mainly the studs or the fact that the wheel is further from the hub?

Here's how mine are:

 

It's that the wheel is farther from the hub, and it's more than just that. You've then bolted an adapter to the hub, then bolted the wheel to the adapter. These things are known to cause vibrations since the wheel almost never actually centers up correctly on the vehicle's hub. Also, since the vehicle owner almost never retorques anything, they loosen while driving. The additional leverage against the hub also seems to cause excessive wear on bearings and suspension components.

If a customer brings me a vehicle complaining of handling/vibration concerns, and it is found to have spacers/adapters, we will not work on it. Put the correct wheels on and bring it back.

 

I've had 1.5" spacers/adapters on the rear of my Z71 for 30,000miles, 3 different sets of wheels & have had no issues with vibrations or loosening of the adapter nuts or the wheel nuts. I use Loctite on the studs holding the spacer on & check torq each time tires are rotated. I had a similar issue as the OP with my S-10, I changed to a longer wheel stud b/c I only needed about 1/2". I think the smallest adapter style spacers you can get are 1". If ur interested I will get you the part # for the longer studs.

 

Okay I figured it out.
Without a spacer the Wheel is more centered over the top of the hub. Thus applying pressure evenly on the hub. With a spacer the wheel is further from the hub and applies leverage onto the hub putting the bearings in strain.
Makes sense to me.

 

I know I'm bringing this thing back to life...anyway. If you use a spacer to gain spacing between wheel and leaf spring, but then use a wheel that takes up the space that the spacer freed up, wouldn't the load still remain centered?

 

It will be centered but the force is always going to applied to the lever arm that you created when you installed to spacer. So there is now going to be a torque applied to the hub instead of just the shear force and torsion that it will always see.

 

I wouldn't use them. At Discount Tire Co. we wont touch a vechicle if we discover the wheel spacers. Sometimes you'll get fortunate with them and sometimes you won't. If you need spacers then you need to go with a new wheel and tire combo. I could go through the reasons why but I think everyone has covered it. Also, we'eve been told that having two different types of metal on a surface area that readily heats and cools as well as the two different metals that heat and cool at different rates can cause problems as well.

 

Well if it's heat that's gonna ruin things, then I'm screwed already lol. I mean since my engine has an iron block and aluminum heads that heat/cool at an extreme rate compared to wheel hubs, different metals should be OK.
But just for argument's sake, assuming the wheel is still centered, wouldn't the hub see the spacer and wider wheel as just a little more backspacing? The net force of the wheel on the hub should be directly upwards like stock, not if a stock wheel was just spaced and the centerline was shoved outside of the hub.

 

Same ones I had on my truck when it was lifted for 2 years and never had a problem. Whenever I rotate tires, obviously had everything tightened up. Kept on eye on them, and that was about it.