wheel offset

[asiancivicmaniac]

So, how does wheel offset play into the fitment of a wheel?

I ask because I want to put a full size spare in my car. I bought a steel wheel off eBay with the correct diameter and width but I didn't take into account the wheel offset. The allows on the Max I think have either a 35 or 40mm offset. The steelie from a Dodge Magnum has a 22mm offset. Will it fit correctly?

 

[HTSS_TR]

No, the wheel and tire will stick out to fender up to 18 mm more than the others.

On the other hands, if the offset is more then specs then you can use spacer(s) to reduce it down to OE offset.

 

[CapriRacer]

There have been many horror stories about the use of spacers, so the consensus is not to use them. I would suggest you sell the wheel and get one that fits properly. This would include not only bolt circle and off set, but also hub diameter, and brake clearance. The wheels HAVE TO BE specified as fitting your vehicle.

BTW, here's a brief write up on offset.

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=101

 

[Kestas]

I work in the wheel hub bearing business, and we too have our share of horror stories. Mainly, increasing the offset puts additional strain on bearings. Modern vehicles have bearings that are designed at the fine edge of the loads they can handle with no additional robustness. You'd be surprised at the incredible and impossible demands manufacturers make from our bearings when it comes to package size and load-carrying capability.

Max load is during cornering. When we put bearings through a life test on a rig, they are subjected to loads similar to a car doing cornering for a long time. Reengineering this offset - which is what a lot of tuners do - dramatically increases the loads on bearings and dooms them to early failure. Warranty is denied for bearings failed under these conditions.

Then again, go ahead with increasing the offset. It'll increase business in our aftermarket sector.

 

[eljefino]

Dodge Magnum = RWD and as you notice they have radically different offsets.

If you're going to buy rims from a different car, keeping your choices to those with the same wheels driven helps narrow the field. Traditionally, FWD takes way more offset because of all the stuff in the front spindle/hub.

To an extreme, here's a 1970 FWD toronado, you can see the center of the wheel sticking way out!!

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Darn that means I have to try to sell it. All the ones that actually fit my car are alloys and they aren't cheap. Anybody know a car that uses a steel 17x7 wheel with 40mm offset and a 5x114 bolt pattern?

 

[eljefino]

Do your brakes require 17 inch rims? Maybe a 15 or 16 will fit. I've seen 16" steelies on jeep liberties and toyo rav 4s. They look like close to the offset you need.

 

[George Bynum]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Anybody know a car that uses a steel 17x7 wheel with 40mm offset and a 5x114 bolt pattern?
Ford Fusion uses 16 steel as base, with 16 and 17 alloy; I THINK the brakes are the same. These are variously reported as between 40 and 45 mm offset.

 

[Blokey]

Some Hondas/Acuras have used pretty high offset wheels, i.e.: the 2nd gen TL used a +55 mm wheel! I had a tough time finding a nice aftermarket wheel for my '00 3.2TL because of the offset issue; I ended up getting a set of HFP/Enkei "Silver Stars" 17x7 +55 mm, 5x114. Just like the '70 Toronado, look at the wheels on an Acura Legend or 1st gen TL - talk about bulging wheel center! Anyway, I think the 3rd gen TL ('04 - '07?) uses a 17x7 +45 mm wheel with a 5x114 bolt pattern, check 'em out. If the wheels on a 3rd gen TL are like previous Honda wheels (Enkei is an OEM wheel supplier to Honda), you can take a peek at the back of one of the spokes and the offset value will be cast right in.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Do your brakes require 17 inch rims? Maybe a 15 or 16 will fit. I've seen 16" steelies on jeep liberties and toyo rav 4s. They look like close to the offset you need.


I don't know. I'm pretty sure a 16 will fit because the GXE comes with 16s. But can one wheel be a 15 or 16 while the others are 17s? I just want to have the convenience of a full size spare just in case I need to be on the highway so I can go highway speeds. Also feel safer knowing I'm not on the regular spare.

 

[eljefino]

You would want to get a taller tire to get the same overall diameter for safe highway handling. Of course that would be a (slight) compromise between the donut spare and the matched alloys you're already running.

I would familiarize yourself with your bolt pattern and offset and what other cars are the same then watch ebay. Scrap yards often sell alloys for just above melt value.

 

[gizzsdad]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Do your brakes require 17 inch rims? Maybe a 15 or 16 will fit. I've seen 16" steelies on jeep liberties and toyo rav 4s. They look like close to the offset you need.


I don't know. I'm pretty sure a 16 will fit because the GXE comes with 16s. But can one wheel be a 15 or 16 while the others are 17s? I just want to have the convenience of a full size spare just in case I need to be on the highway so I can go highway speeds. Also feel safer knowing I'm not on the regular spare.


Reminds me, the other day I saw a Taurus(?) leaving a Dollar General parking lot with donuts on the right side and full size wheels/tires on the left.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Don't mean to revive a four month old thread, but I thought it would be better than starting another one.

I'm thinking about bidding on a wheel for my car on ebay. It is the OEM for the same car as mine but for the 00-01 model year. It has a 45 mm offset though and mine is a 40 mm offset. Does the 5 mm matter? I don't think it will since it was OEM for the same car, but I just want to be sure. Thanks.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Your current wheels are more flushed with the fenders, the 45 mm offset wheels will be 5 mm, about 1/5", more inside the wheel well which is almost nothing.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

That's what I thought. I might finally have a full size spare now. Thanks.