Help me with a Wheel decision.

[AlanS]

OK...Help me with my choices. Strictly by the #'s. I have plugged in the info to Tire Rack- 2006 OR 17". I'm still trying to understand offset, etc. I searched for Volvo wheels, but the two sets that I looked into were painted poorly and one was welded over a crack. I feel better buying new.
Here are the options:

Sport Tuning T-15 +42mm, 17x8
Enkei Performance J-10 +38 17x7
Sparko DRS +45 17x7.5
Platinum Prophecy +40 17x8
Voxx Vento +40 17x 7.5

[scot850]

What vehicle are the wheels for? This may determine the offset and width you can go for. The 17" P2 rims I run on my P80 Volvo and P2 all have a 49mm offset. I have seen P2 wheels with a 43mm offset on the smaller diameters.


Offset - This has been covered several times, but if you measure your wheel width, then 0mm offset is if the middle of the rim touched your wheel hub. + 49mm, means that that center line has moved 49mm toward the front face of the rim, which in turn moves the rime closer to the inner fender. A -49mm would be the reverse and move the rim further out away from the inner fender.

So the larger the offset, can cause rubbing on components or the inner fenders at the front when turning, or tires rubbing on the outer fender lip going over bumps on a -ve offset.

-ve offset also loads your wheel bearing up more as it gets larger.

What rims are on your car now?

If it is say +49mm offset and the rim is say 7" wide, if you go to 8" wide it now would mean your inner edge of your rim in now 12.5mm (approx.) closer to the inner fender even if the offset stays the same.

Hopefully that helps.

Neil.