What Does Wheel Off Set Mean?

[james holley]

Will somebody 'splain this to me? By the way, what is the off set on the factory 16/9.5 wheels that came on my 87? Thanks.

[leadfoot4]

James, "offset" is the distance that the bolt pad is from the actual centerline of the rim.
In other words, if you have a rim that is 8" wide, and there is 4" from the bolt pad to the back of the rim, and 4" to the front, the wheel has "zero" offset, since the bolt pad is "centered" in the rim.
Positive offset, is when the bolt pad is closer to the front of the rim. All front drive cars, as well as C-5 'Vettes and 4th generation Camaros have positive offset wheels.
Naturally, negative offset is the opposite. Remember all of the old jacked up muscle cars with the big tires that stuck out? Extreme negative offset.
I'm sorry, but I can't answer your factory offset question.

[Todd@Tires.com]

Your Vette came with a +39 offset on the 16x9.5 rears & +32 offset on the 16x8.5 fronts.




The offset of a wheel is what locates the tire and wheel assembly in relation to the suspension. More specifically, it is the measured distance between the hub mounting surface and the center line of the rim. Below is an explanation of the various types of offsets which are pictured in the above graphic.

Positive Offset
A positive offset occurs when the hub mounting surface is on the street side (the side you see) of the center line of the rim. Most factory rims will have this type of offset.

Zero Offset
When the hub mounting surface is centered within the rim, it is known as a zero offset.

Negative Offset
If the hub mounting surface is on the brake side of the center line of the rim, it is considered a negative offset or "deep dish".

Note that extensive negative offset can potentially cause increased steering wheel kick-back and place additional stresses on the vehicle's entire suspension.

Please feel free to drop by or phone a store near you if you require additional facts about wheel offsets.


[Modified by Todd@Tires.com, 10:30 PM 12/10/2002]