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running lower offset wheels on a fwd car, info inside!

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    running lower offset wheels on a fwd car, info inside!

    can rwd/lower offset wheels fit on a fwd car?

    since the "looking to find those jdm wheels" started becoming about lower offset wheels on our fwd cars, due to me, i figured i'd create a new thread.

    background info on fwd vs rwd... it's all about offset

    the thing that really distinguishes fwd and rwd wheels are the offsets. fwd wheels are generally +35 to +45, whereas rwd wheels are generally +0 to +25. this can make a difference, but this is not to say that it is impossible to fit rwd wheels on a fwd car.
    the higher/more positive/further from zero the offset, the closer it is to the vehicle.
    the lower/more negative/closer to zero the offset, the further it is from the vehicle.

    a spacer reduces rim offset (i.e. makes it lower/more negative/closer to zero) and thus pushes it further from the vehicle.

    some more info i found on offset for those interested-


    Offset is the location of the flat mounting surface of a wheel relative to the wheel's centerline. Negative offset means the mounting surface is toward the center of the car, positive offset means it is toward the outside of the car, or the wheel is "pulled in" toward the center. Offset affects many things other than just whether the wheel has the appearance of "sticking out" past the fender. The wrong offset can cause rubbing problems when the suspension is compressed or the wheel is turned. Offset affects the steering geometry's scrub radius, possibly leading to problems with torque steer or self-centering characteristics. Offset also affects the suspension's motion ratio, which directly determines the effective spring and damper rates. Potentially, in a very heavily loaded vehicle, or with extreme changes in offsets, wheel bearing life can be affected, but this is more often talked about by truck people than by small car enthusiasts. It is very, very important that the proper offset wheels be used.

    The formula to find offset located above the photo is incorrect. The correct formula is: Offset = Backspace - (width/2)

    While not directly a matter of offset, brake caliper clearance is a related issue. If you have, or plan to have big brakes on your car, be sure that your wheels, or the wheels you are going to use, will fit over the calipers. Spacers are available to solve the problem if they don't, but it is best to get a wheel with enough dish to meet your offset specs and still fit your brakes. Consulting the wheel and brake manufacturers ahead of time is wise. Many aftermarket brake companies even have templates of their brakes available that you can easily check against any wheel.



    source: http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/te...cc_wheelguide/


    getting back to the original question: can a rwd/lower offset wheel fit on a fwd car?:

    in my search for information, i searched a lot on www.vipstylecars.com . since vip style, at least in some people's eyes, is about running huge wheels with huge lip, i figured i might be able to find some info. i asked a guy (one ton vip) on the site, who seems to be very knowledggeable about wheel issues of all sorts, about running lower offset wheels on a fwd car. for reference, this is his car:




    his answer about running lower offset wheels on a fwd car:


    With a little bit of extra work, you can actually fit a lot wider and lower offset wheels on a fwd car than most people would think. For example, I had always been told that you'd be lucky to fit anything more than a 7.5", +32mm on a honda civic... well, here's some 17x8", +25mm we put on a friend's civic for kicks:




    I would reocmmend checking out stylewagon magazine if you're near a japanese bookstore for ideas too, because that's where you'll see most of the crazy fixed up fwd cars, including accords every so often...

    the best way to determine how wide/low offset you can go is to take your existing setup, and measure the clearance that you have now, and go from there. Try and see how much room you have between the outer edge of your current wheels/tires and about a few mm beyond the middle of your fender lip. I'm willing to bet that you've got AT LEAST an inch. so if you rolled your fender lips flat... and ran even just another deg of negative camber all around, you could probably fit something along the lines of a 17x8", +20mm or so... just to give you an idea...


    so, it seems with some modification (rolling fenders, running negative camber), it can be done.
    not sure if i'll do it, but wanted to present the information to everyone interested.


    absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

    #2
    scion xb:

    stock wheel is 15 inch, 5.5 inch wide, +38 offset.




    these wheels are 18 inch, 7.5 inch wide, +30 offset in front.
    18 inch, 8 inch wide, +25 offset in the rear.
    run with a quarter inch spacer.


    absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

    Comment


      #3
      I have been wondering about this very same thing. Elliot is the man
      Honda-Tech Username: Lostcb7
      The cb7tuner.com OG.

      Comment


        #4
        wow! elliot you are now the info king of the world!

        That makes me want to get some advans again
        OS^e
        1993 Honda Accord LX Coupe

        My Members Ride's Thread



        StickyDilJoe: "JDM may be a fad, but making your car look like shit... thats forever"

        Comment


          #5
          yet to be confirmed, but from one ton vip, it seems as though we should be able to fit a wheel that is :
          17 x 8
          +20 offset

          with rolling the fenders, both front and rear; and stretched tire- a 205/35 to 45 or a 215/35 to 45.
          Last edited by uncle_el; 03-26-2005, 02:44 PM.


          absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by uncle_el
            yet to be confirmed, but from one ton vip, it seems as though we should be able to fit a wheel that is :
            17 x 8
            +38 offset

            with rolling the fenders, both front and rear; and stretched tire- a 205/35 to 45 or a 215/35 to 45.

            it can be done el..i had a set of DTM rims awhile back, they were 17x8 with a +38 offset, but i had my fenders cut in the rear, instead of it being rolled. the tires on there were 215/45/17, but definetely not a problem gettin wider rims on if u wanted too.
            5.6L V8 32V DOHC
            JDM HERITAGE - US BUILT

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by PRIMOCB7
              it can be done el..i had a set of DTM rims awhile back, they were 17x8 with a +38 offset, but i had my fenders cut in the rear, instead of it being rolled. the tires on there were 215/45/17, but definetely not a problem gettin wider rims on if u wanted too.
              really?!?!?!
              any chance you have any pics?!


              absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by uncle_el
                really?!?!?!
                any chance you have any pics?!
                as a matter of fact, i do, but i i gotta have my girl scan them..so maybe sometime next week, i'll have them up.



                Last edited by uncle_el; 04-08-2005, 07:26 PM. Reason: pics, 6 months after request!!!!!
                5.6L V8 32V DOHC
                JDM HERITAGE - US BUILT

                Comment


                  #9
                  I definitely want to see these pics also.
                  "I'm out for presidents to represent me"

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Wouldn't that mess up your bearings?


                    Originally posted by lordoja
                    im with you on that one bro! aint nothing beat free food and drinks any day of the week, even if its at a funeral

                    Comment


                      #11
                      just to help you guys out, check out the link below. you can use this as a reference point when buying wheels that have offset other than your usual 7 inch wide +40mm offset rims

                      wheel offset calculator

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by weneklek
                        just to help you guys out, check out the link below. you can use this as a reference point when buying wheels that have offset other than your usual 7 inch wide +40mm offset rims

                        wheel offset calculator
                        i've seen that wheel calculator before, but it doesn't really help you in terms of practicality... as it doesn't take into account the car type, and thus the specifics of the car: suspension, fender wells, etc. it also assumes the current wheels on the car have perfect clearance, which they may not.

                        many places that sell wheels won't sell and install wheels that are designated as rwd for a fwd car. from experience, when i've gone to a wheel shop, they'll show the fwd wheels, but not any rwd wheels that may fit. i suppose there are many issues (cosmetics, fender rolling, tire stretching) that may get in the way of shops wanting to sell the rwd wheels... but we could at least try, lol.

                        primocb7, where are those pics?!?!?!?!?


                        absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          another thread that may be of some help


                          absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            been doing some thinking... if you run 96 itr wheels, which have a +38 offset, you either shave the calipers, or run a 5mm spacer... and that's not flush with the fender... which really makes me think the super advans and other low offset wheels may be doable without fender rolling, provided the wheel is not 17 inches in diameter.
                            Last edited by uncle_el; 03-26-2005, 02:45 PM.


                            absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              low offset wheels are doable just like you said in your first post but only to a certain limit of course. i always hated the ITR wheels for having too little positive offset. it doesn't look proportional to the fender at all.

                              a reason why i don't think some wheels with low offsets won't work is because of the front caliper clearance issue on top of the fender clearance. too much negative offset won't clear the calipers just like too much offset. you have to find a good balance of min and max.
                              Last edited by uncle_el; 06-12-2005, 02:42 PM.
                              1cor10:31
                              - 92 LX coupe
                              - 96 EX wagon (sold)

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