I supose I could have ground the welds off the rim & re-welded the center disk 1" further in. That would have been quite a pain to do though.
I look at my spacers as additional wheel weights. I figure they weigh at least 20lbs each.
You definetly have more space than I do for chains. I can't even get my smallest finger between the tire and frame. If I opt for rear chains I'll have to space out the wheels but in 4 years I haven't needed them yet.