As important as punctuation is to QGL community, Offset is just as important to car enthusiasts. And to me its life and death!

I would just like to do my part to educate people in the importance of taking offset into consideration when buying nice new wheels for your motor vehicle.

It's Not all about rolling on 24's yo..!

What the f*** is Offset I hear you ask. Well good old Wikipedia has a great explanation

"The offset of a vehicle's wheel is the distance between the centreline of the wheel and the plane of the hub-mounting surface of the wheel. It can thus be either positive or negative, and is typically measured in millimeters. Offset has a significant effect on many elements of a vehicle's suspension, including suspension geometry, clearance between the tire, suspension elements, brake calliper, the scrub radius of the steering system, and visually, the width of the wheel faces relative to the car's bodywork."

Filling those guards is vital people!

Here is a diagram that shows the negative and positive offset difference.
http://kmhafer.datsun510.com/wheel_offset.jpeg

there are even online wheel offset calculators to help you check if the new wheel you want to purchase will fit / suit your vehicle.

Wheel Offset Calculator

here is a perfect example of wheel choice ignorance. Sure they are chromise and might be 20 inches but you f***ed up because you didn't know about Offset. The large body kit might be all the rage but it is not all about looks it's to fit those big rims on your car legally.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8459/p1170188.jpg
Nooo WRONG!
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/images/holden-ve-commodore-1-big.jpg

In Australia it is illegal to have your wheels wider than the guards of your vehicle. So there is a limit to how much awesome you want to run under your car. People who want to push the limits will stretch smaller size tyres onto rims to avoid defects and wheels scrubbing on guards. Most Mechanics will not understand that a small tyre will fit on a large rim. They are old school and need to get with the times.

extreme example of tyre stretch.

Correct A+. you mastered the concept of correct wheel fitment
http://www.velocitymotoring.com/links/images/VMR_Wheels_BMW_1-Series_White_V713_19_Hyper-Silver_184.jpg
http://www.fakelag.net/users/d/18986-1/DSC_1968.jpg


However you can go too far and end up with what's been labelled "Mexican Offset"
Here is an example. The rear wheels are outside of the guards and is ridiculous and illegal.
http://carjunkies.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/1236704440_resized.jpg



For some strange reason fords and Holden's engineers have always overlooked the importance of offset creating cars with huge guards but little wheels. Car with large guards, big V8 motors, and tiny little wheels is dangerous and looks s***. However BMW and Lexus have excelled with awesome factory Offset sizes.

Please when purchasing a new set of rims think about Offset. Ask a mechanic or sales man if you're not sure what size will suit your car! Its important!

However BMW and Lexus have excelled with awesome factory Offset sizes.

I would have said just buy a BMW, much simpler and a better car anyway.

Offset,
i often opt for the wider/widest tyres appropriate for my alloys due to the fact i prefer my sidewall to take the gutter rash not my alloy wheels.

also
i agree offset is something the larger public knows nothing about. Nothing i hate more than seeing a AU/BA/BF falcon with mags from an X-/E-series falcon, they have the same wheelsize and stud pattern but run a large amount of negative offset as opposed to the very small positive offset the modern fords run.

also also
spacers am bad.

f*** hardware, is there any thread that you wont bring up s***box ford falcons in?
I bet they're all on LPG too

spacers are awesome, they help bad rims look good and sometimes you catch yourself wondering if you're going to die from a wheel falling off during a top speed run
then you decide to put longer studs in

http://www.ausforums.com/images/icon14.gif

my car came with the wheels so none of this concerns me

GREAT SUCCESS!

i often opt for the wider/widest tyres appropriate for my alloys due to the fact i prefer my sidewall to take the gutter rash not my alloy wheels.

Yes people into their straight line speed will squeeze large tyres on a smaller rim. This helps with traction due to the baggy excessive side wall creating tyre flex. This is great for drag racing. But if you run large tyres to stop you from hitting your wheels on the gutter... if your hitting the gutter when parking your doing it wrong!

But on the wifes car it might be a smart choice ;)

However if you want your car to be reliable and predictable when turning a corner this is no good.

Here is a perfect example of tyre flex. Tyre flex is apparent when the car fells like its floating when shifting the weight from one side of the car to the other.

src=http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=4509573337445874878&hl=en&fs=true style=width:400px;height:326px allowFullScreen=true allowScriptAccess=always type=application/x-shockwave-flash>

A stretched tyre makes the side wall extra stiff and does not flex when turning a tight corner. There for you have a predictable setup that will not shift the weight of the car or understeer when cornering.

That's why it's a very common thing to see drift cars with lots of tyre stretch.

Wheel spacers are illegal. there are two kinds of wheel spacers.

Slip on
http://customwheel.com/custom_wheels/images/wheelSpacers.jpg
Bolt on
http://justjap.com/store/images/P/jjrspacers5stud.jpg

both are perfectly safe. You will even find mechanics and wheel shops will sell slip on spacers. Slip on spacers are hard for the police to spot. whereas bolt on are a dead giveaway.

The only danger with bolt on's are if you exceed and extra 25mm-30mm of track. this will put a lot of extra load on your wheel bearings and greatly reduce their life. The other danger is cheap china manufactured wheel studs used in these spacers are a low grade steel and tend to snap.


last edited by Offset at 16:50:24 18/Apr/10

Yes a higher profile tyre 50+ will be a nice smooth ride, but will promote tyre flex.

A low profile will leave your rims at the mercy of the conditions of the roads surface. Hit a pot hole with a 40 profile and you could buckle a rim. You will also feel ever little bump in the road!

So you have to make a compromise. I like to run 45 profile as they are common and not as expensive as the 40 and 35 profiles.

aren't spacers illegal?

Edit: just read offsets post :/

last edited by Martz at 18:16:20 18/Apr/10

absolute horses*** on the tyre stretch thing. its only for looks and to fit the biggest rims (or most offset) possible (for looks). a car won't drive better with stretched tyres. tyre flex is a good thing. it keeps the largest patch of rubber on the ground. also on that topic, huge offset destroys wheel bearings, i can't see how that is safer.

Sorry mate but you are 100% wrong.

The closer your wheel offset is to 0 the more balanced your wheel is on your hub.

There for life on your wheel bearing is not so hard.


I have experience with trying lots of different tyres on the track. Big side walls do not handle as well. It unpredictable. That's the best way to describe it.

For example typical tyre flex problem:

You are cornering hard and the back end comes out because the tyre flex has rolled the tyres over resulting in more of the cars weight shifting and unsettling the traction balance. You try to counter correct your steering because the back end has lost traction. You pull the car straight but because the tyres have rolled over (because of the large side walls) as you correct and get the car straight again the tyres flex back to normal. In doing so the weight of the car suddenly shifts to the opposite side resulting in spinning out or fish tailing depending on how good your car control is.

A stretched tyre does not do this at all.

Have you not ever seen a 4x4 with big tyres going to fast around a corner and the wheels are making that funny noise because they are flexing and understeering.

Put some smaller wall tyres on that same 4x4 and watch it do the same corner at the same speed.
Stretching tyres is the same thing you are making the side wall stronger to reduce flex!

Big side walls do not handle as well. It unpredictable.

So why do F1 cars have tyres with big sidewalls?

nice EniGma!

love those rims! I have stich rims that look almost the same.

Also Tyre flex creates heat.

Mexican offset ftw. Mmm hellaflush.

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH) is a good reason to stick with OEM chosen tyres. Some other good reasons are every other analytical engineering design consideration which is done on modern automotives including but not limited to: computational fluid dynamics, crash safety simulation, vehicle handling & dynamics and fatigue & durability.

if wheel spacers are 'perfectly safe', then why are they illegal?

because they can be unsafe if done wrong. hence the authorities just take the easy route and ban them outright.

if vehicle manufacturers were operating solely out of the goodness of their hearts instead of running a business
aftermarket tyres can almost always improve on every single item you listed there pinky

Maybe, but you should probably just buy a better car.

Business is only two things: quality and cost.

A good business strives to reduce cost and increase quality. It's always a trade-off. If you're going to buy a car and then mod the f*** out it then you should have just bought a better car - which would be properly engineered.

ugh this f*****g forum

So why do F1 cars have tyres with big sidewalls?

Regulations. Since the designers were forced to make cars with big tyre sidewalls, they actually make up a significant component of the car's suspension dynamics.

You can improve anything you buy - I'm just questioning that these mods are actually an improvement and encouraging critical thinking about their 'investment'.

I know how much engineering goes into all of the above areas and how many design decisions are made to bring a vehicle to market.

I guess people just want different things out a vehicle. Engineers work to reduce cabin noise and sell a vehicle - next thing you know someone has fitted an aftermarket exhaust and you can't even hear yourself think in the passenger seat, much less talk to the dude next to you.

Well, I know how much work goes into underhood flow, engine design and exhaust flow - and I just think fitting an aftermarket exhaust is a bad idea. Similarly I know how much work goes into wheels, on-road noise, handling and dynamics (of which tyres are a VERY important part) and I think fitting aftermarket rims/tyres should be carefully considered - and you should have some serious engineering data provided by the supplier to back-up your purchase.

Well, I know how much work goes into underhood flow, engine design and exhaust flow - and I just think fitting an aftermarket exhaust is a bad idea.

so what exactly is wrong with an aftermarket exhaust that adds say 10% horsepower and no increase in noise? Did you consider some people might want the power? Others might want to free up that engine note a bit more?

yeah certainly am, you just reminded me i have to pay/book

i think maxe and others are keen too

excellent should be a good day out now that the weather is a bit cooler. Gonna work on keeping the rear in check around turn 6 this time pave ? :P

KU36 are f***en lame s*** c*** f***.

Made by Philippine hookers, they're a sorry excuse for "Semi-Slick"

GAH!

But for $160, they are cheap and smoke up good. :D

I got no coin to do Time Attacks anymore :(

Last set of RE55s cost me $1000. >_<

meh they will be ok, better than most normal road tyres

I know an S13 for sale.

they're perfectly fine for <200rwkw and a fried clutch :p

it's lucky i don't have a fried clutch hey

man....posted this on SD.
Hate came down like rain. I liked it.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i55/vteclol/ceffy/IMGP0039_1024x768.jpg

reviving old thread lol

hey it's glenny!

omfg phat. i liked the old primer colour but that grey is just porn !

blar
http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2274/sizeq.jpg

last edited by scooby at 20:04:53 05/May/10

http://carview-img02.bmcdn.jp/minkara/photo/000/001/614/797/1614797/p6.jpg