Not another offset question!!! This ones unique, I swear!! Help!!

[tl1000sga]

Ok, I know you guys cringe when you see another offset question, but I have been searching this forum for almost 2 hours now and I can't find an answer for my exact question. Help me, PLEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!

I want to run a 17x7 in the front and a 17x10 in the rear on my 95' 240sx SE and I need to know what offset is needed to fit the rims as far in the fender as possible. If a 17x10 won't work at all, then I will go with a 9 or 9.5"(widest possible while staying flush or less).

I have found numerous posts ranging from +10 to +45 offset, and now I have confused my self to the point that I'm willing to risk all the bashing for yet another offset question. Isn't this what this forum is for? I swear I have tried to find the answer by searching (for the past few hours) but I couldn't find a definate answer.

Be gentle.........

[chmercer]

you want to run drag slicks or somthing? thats kind of what it sounds like.

what camber do you run? what caster do you run? do you want to modify your fenders? what tire size do you want to run? what suspension do you have?

^^^somone should add these questions to the faq of somthing.

[tl1000sga]

No, this is going to be a street car mainly (Turbo KA), but I may set up a second set of rims with slicks for the track later. I want as much tire as I can get touching the ground in the rear for traction, and the staggered width look that all RWD cars deserve.

This is my newest S14 and I haven't changed the camber/caster but it does have an eibach suspension and it looks to be sitting about an inch lower than stock.

I am more worried about the width and backspacing I can use right now, after I find out the widest rim that will fit reliably I will check my height limitations and see what I have to work with. I would like to go with a 17" rim, but if I cant run a tire with a decent sidewall height then I will go with a 16". I am not against rolling the fenders to help with the width though. Thanks for your help, and ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Exar-Kun]

you want to run drag slicks or somthing? thats kind of what it sounds like.

what camber do you run? what caster do you run? do you want to modify your fenders? what tire size do you want to run? what suspension do you have?

^^^somone should add these questions to the faq of somthing.

I would add them if it made a difference to someone overall goals..but it really doesn't...the choice of suspension, and settings are given by their run of choice (street, drift, road race, autocross, etc)..so that's covered in the basic "attention" sticky.

also, this is NOT a unique question, it's been discussed under such headings as "what the widest rear wheel I can fit..." etc.I highly suggest you browse around the FAQ links because many of those will tell you how to determine how far things will stick out, pull in, etc.

charlie, the rear of the car doesnt have caster.

IMO a 17x9 is the widest rim anyone should be contemplating putting on any S chassis, from a handling and suspension/steering geometry standpoint. you don't want to deviate the centerline of the contach patch too far from its stock location otherwise you WILL encounter problems. and even a 9" wheel on the front is going to cause issues as far as that stuff is concerned...

the problem is most people1. don't care2. don't want to learnor3. disregard logic

anyways when choosing wheels and offsets, for a "look" or something. To each his own, and if you want a specific look, as I;'ve said before..say so before I start the flaming.

a 17x9 with a 255-40-17, 25mm offset or so should be nice on the rear.

[tl1000sga]

Thanks, I didn't think to search for "widest rim". 17x9 Is plenty for me, I thought I had read that 17x10 would fit easily.

If this is such a widely asked question, then maybe a sticky should be put up?

I was unaware that the FAQ section contain questions regarding wheel size, I figured it was questions regarding the forum and rules.

Thanks for answering my question though, I figured no one here would be willing to take 1 minute of thier time and save me a lot of headache.

[crzycav86]

Here, I'll help you help yourself...

Your stock wheel specs are 16x6.5 +40

Use the wheel offset calculator(found in wheel faq): http://toy4two.home.mindspring.com/offset.html

Plug in some numbers for your size and take some measurements on your car.

Good luck

[SmithSR]

If I ever get any more time to myself, I'm going to take my car back to work and measure maximum allowable backspacing front / rear and maximum outer distance (to get a flush rim edge to fender fitment) using a plum bob on level ground.

Fitment issues always come down to What do you want to do with the car? Will you hack the car and it's alignment, just to fit a JDM wheel from Option video? Does a sunken wheel look girlie-man? Is maximum grip more important than having 10" wide mesh wheels from aforementioned Option video? Always remember that R compound is available in smaller 16" sizes too..

[chmercer]

charlie, the rear of the car doesnt have caster.

lol, cmon man, what do you take me for. i just included it since large amounts of positive caster can affect wheel fitment (IN THE FRONT).

hahah

and if somone is asking a question about wheel sizing, i think thoes questions i listed would be quite helpful in determining what size wheels to use. *shrug*

[tl1000sga]

Here, I'll help you help yourself...

Your stock wheel specs are 16x6.5 +40

Use the wheel offset calculator(found in wheel faq): http://toy4two.home.mindspring.com/offset.html

Plug in some numbers for your size and take some measurements on your car.

Good luck

Thanks, but the whole reason I was inquiring is because the car is an hour away getting painted and I wanted to go ahead and order the wheels so they will be here when it is done.

If I could, I would just pop off a front and rear wheel and take my own measurements. Hell, that would have taken less time.

Anyways, Thanks for everyone's help.

[tl1000sga]

Fitment issues always come down to What do you want to do with the car? Will you hack the car and it's alignment, just to fit a JDM wheel from Option video? Does a sunken wheel look girlie-man? Is maximum grip more important than having 10" wide mesh wheels from aforementioned Option video? Always remember that R compound is available in smaller 16" sizes too..

That is the whole reason I asked. I searched for over 2 hours and I couldn't find a straight forward answer for the question I asked. My question was pretty straight forward could have been answered easily. Some poeple on this forum are good at making mountains out of molehills.

Oh well, I knew it was going to happen. For those that merely meant to help, Thank you.

[SmithSR]

That is the whole reason I asked. I searched for over 2 hours and I couldn't find a straight forward answer for the question I asked. My question was pretty straight forward could have been answered easily. Some poeple on this forum are good at making mountains out of molehills.

Oh well, I knew it was going to happen. For those that merely meant to help, Thank you.

Hey no hard feelings man

[Exar-Kun]

I know. ...but some people confuse caster with other measurements in the rear.

as yes, they're good questions, but are included in the "use" stage IMO.

no biggy, I didn't mean any offense.

sga: search around, there's a pleothora of suspension info here, the FAQ and especially some of the archived threads of C-kwick, dori, myself, smith, grant, alan, dennis(q45 tech) etc explaining things like kingpin inclination, etc...

-Chet

[Nismo_Freak]

IMO a 17x9 is the widest rim anyone should be contemplating putting on any S chassis, from a handling and suspension/steering geometry standpoint. you don't want to deviate the centerline of the contach patch too far from its stock location otherwise you WILL encounter problems. and even a 9" wheel on the front is going to cause issues as far as that stuff is concerned...

the problem is most people1. don't care2. don't want to learnor3. disregard logic

Wide wheels with a correct offset (read: no drifter flush, OMG my wheel sticks out 10" it's soooooo JDM!) shouldn't have too much of a degradation. The centerline is still within the norm.

[Exar-Kun]

Alan,

Yeah...on the back...No way you can pull a 9" on the front and still keep the centerline within some sort of tollerance.

but yes, you're correct, the rear (since you cna run a sufficiently decnet offset while still cleargin the inner suspension) can be done with good respect to origional/well thought out specs.

quit picking on me you meanie!:p-Chet

[C-Kwik]

Without even getting into offsets, why do you want to run such a huge difference in stagger? I mean, I have no problem with you running a 10" wide rear wheel(I wanted to at one time), but couple it with a 7" front wheel and there is a difference of 3 inches in treadwidth. The only cars I see with that much of a stagger difference are Porsches and those are Mid/Rear engine cars so they tend to need it. And keep in mind they have rear weight biases close to about 60%.

[Exar-Kun]

he's absolutely correct...

where you been man!??!?!? Missed ya C-kwik. welcome back :p-Chet

[tl1000sga]

Without even getting into offsets, why do you want to run such a huge difference in stagger? I mean, I have no problem with you running a 10" wide rear wheel(I wanted to at one time), but couple it with a 7" front wheel and there is a difference of 3 inches in treadwidth. The only cars I see with that much of a stagger difference are Porsches and those are Mid/Rear engine cars so they tend to need it. And keep in mind they have rear weight biases close to about 60%.

Actually I meant 17x8 in the front, but this 240 will never see a road course anyways. This car will be a street car with drag racing as it's main purpose, therefore I want as much rubber on the ground in the rear as possible. The front doesn't matter either way, unless you consider the added weight of the wider rim and tire (but I'm not really worried about that).

[Nismo_Freak]

Actually I meant 17x8 in the front, but this 240 will never see a road course anyways. This car will be a street car with drag racing as it's main purpose, therefore I want as much rubber on the ground in the rear as possible. The front doesn't matter either way, unless you consider the added weight of the wider rim and tire (but I'm not really worried about that).

If you want to be good and consistant at drag racing, get a spare set of 16x8.5 Z32 Turbo wheels and put M/T's on them.

Don't d!ck around with street tires for anything other than street driving. You are just cheating yourself out of the single biggest benefit in the whole game.