Offset

SE · 08-01-2010, 07:16 PM

Hi Jay,

Offset is how much the wheel comes in or out. This number is independent of the wheel width.

A wheel with a higher offset will sink into the wheel wells more (towards the car). A wheel with a lower offset will be pushed outwards.

If you're having trouble understanding this concept, imagine that the face of the wheel and the barrel (where the tire sits) are not connected. If you push the barrel outwards, this demonstrates a lower offset. Push it inwards, that's positive offset.

To the extremes, offsets can have a strong impact on whether or not they will fit- too high of an offset and the wheels will not clear your suspension or begin hitting your inner fender well. Too low of an offset and the wheels will start to stick out past the fender. Wheel fitment is all about finding that balance between what looks good and fits well.

Staggered wheels mean that the front and rear wheels are of different sizes. Most of the time, this term is applied only to width but in some rare instances it can also apply to diameter as well. For RWD cars, a staggered setup is slightly wider in the rear versus the front.

PM me if you have any additional questions. I can help you find what you need.

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08-01-2010, 07:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
SE A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 4,236 Drives: 370z/STI/EVO X/IS-F Rep Power: 25	Hi Jay, Offset is how much the wheel comes in or out. This number is independent of the wheel width. A wheel with a higher offset will sink into the wheel wells more (towards the car). A wheel with a lower offset will be pushed outwards. If you're having trouble understanding this concept, imagine that the face of the wheel and the barrel (where the tire sits) are not connected. If you push the barrel outwards, this demonstrates a lower offset. Push it inwards, that's positive offset. To the extremes, offsets can have a strong impact on whether or not they will fit- too high of an offset and the wheels will not clear your suspension or begin hitting your inner fender well. Too low of an offset and the wheels will start to stick out past the fender. Wheel fitment is all about finding that balance between what looks good and fits well. Staggered wheels mean that the front and rear wheels are of different sizes. Most of the time, this term is applied only to width but in some rare instances it can also apply to diameter as well. For RWD cars, a staggered setup is slightly wider in the rear versus the front. PM me if you have any additional questions. I can help you find what you need.