Lex01_430 Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 After reading a lot of post I believe that the best size rims would be 19", mainly because I don't want to roll the fenders with my l-sportline drop. I have been looking into different rims and learned a lot for a first time buyer, but am still confused as to the exact meaning of "offset". How does this apply when looking into rims sizes? Please explain to me like a child, because in reading these posts it just doesn't click in my child-like brain. Why do people sometimes get different offsets in the front and rear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadmilenko Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Offset is the distance from the centerline of the wheel to the mounting surface of the wheel. Negative offset is when the back of the bolt pad is closer to the inside of the wheel; when mounting surface is inboard of the rim centerline. (more of the rim and tire tread is sticking out of the fender wells.) Positive offset is when the back of the bolt pad is closer to the street side of the wheel; when the mounting surface is outboard of the rim centerline. (more of the rim and tire tread under the car) Here is a picture that shows it barney style. Tech terms: For example, an 8-inch wide, 3-inch-rear spacing wheel would have a 1-inch negative offset. Conversely, if the same 8-inch wheel had a 5-inch rear spacing, it would then have a 1-inch positive offset. Finally, if the same wheel had a 4-inch rear spacing (which is exactly half its width) then the wheel would have what's known as a "zero offset here is a picture of my rear rim and tires. Offset is +40. Front 19x8.5" +34 offset rear 19x9.5" +40 offset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Now that someone has taken care of the technical explanation (saves me from having to type something similar ;) :D ), the combination of the rim width and offset will determine how close your wheel gets to touching the fender. The lower the offset number (in this case, +14 is lower than +34), the closer you are to the fender and if low enough, past the fender an is actually sitting on the "outside" of the car body. The front and rear wheel well have different tolerances and some get different offsets to get the best result in terms of how flushed they want to get to the fender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex01_430 Posted April 12, 2005 Author Share Posted April 12, 2005 "The lower the offset number (in this case, +14 is lower than +34), the closer you are to the fender and if low enough, past the fender an is actually sitting on the "outside" of the car body." So I must be stupid...looking at the picture at looking at this statement makes me wonder. So a lower offset would push me outside the car? When looking at the picture it would seem that that more negative effect will bring me into the tire well and tuck the rim. -confused Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 "The lower the offset number (in this case, +14 is lower than +34), the closer you are to the fender and if low enough, past the fender an is actually sitting on the "outside" of the car body."So I must be stupid...looking at the picture at looking at this statement makes me wonder. So a lower offset would push me outside the car? When looking at the picture it would seem that that more negative effect will bring me into the tire well and tuck the rim. -confused ← LOL. You are not stupid. :) Let me try to explain the pic. As I am typing this, the linked pic seems to be gone so I am linking another one. I have a feeling you may have only done step one of looking at the offset in your mind. If you look at the pic and see what is marked as positive offset, it would seem like as the offset gap increases, the face of the wheel seems to move more towards the fender and "outside" of the car. In a sense, this is true. But then, you have to mount the wheel onto the car. If you imagine this step, then the mounting surface needs to go that much farther in so that the wheel can mount onto the car. So, the bigger the gap from the center line (the larger the +offset number), the farther it has to go back inside the fender to mount onto the hub. Therefore, the smaller the offset number, the less the wheel goes in to be mounted. If you look at the numbers, then as the +offset number decreases, the rim face (seemingly) move outwards towards the fender and possibly beyond. Does this make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadmilenko Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 These are all passenager tires, the lugs go on from the right . The bigger the positive number in the offset, the more of the rim and tire will under the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex01_430 Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 Oops "the lugs go on from the right "...missed that in the first picture. It now makes perfect sense. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Oops "the lugs go on from the right "...missed that in the first picture. It now makes perfect sense. Thanks ← Lol. :) Yes, car on the left then wheels then lug nuts on the right. If you look at the positive offset picture, this is really the only way it can work. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadmilenko Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Glad we are clear as MUD now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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