Offset Question: 35mm vs 20mm

[Jon K]

means the 35mm would hit your strut and you'd need a 15mm spacer to make it work

[Jon K]

Ignore lip size. You can run a 45mm wheel and 4" of lip and it'd look deep but not stick out far.


Offset is how far in or out the wheel sits on the hub. You can google it. Don't get it confused with backspacing. Similar idea, but backspacing measured from teh hub to the edge of the wheel. You need ET 20. You can run an ET20+ but it'll require a spacer. I run ET10 or ET15 17x10" wheels in the rear.

[BMWCCA1]

You'll end up with about a 5mm offset if you use those wheels with your spacers. A rather f*cked-up set-up if you ask me. Plus with that wide a wheel at the back you're likely to rub the fender. What are the wheels from? Are your lug bolts like 4-inches long? Is the order of the posts in this thread as confusing to everyone else as they are to me?? Will that ever get fixed on this list???

[Paul in NZ]

ET is shrthand for offset...the wheels you have,and the wheels you are considering come form the three series which typically have 35 mm offset.just about every other bmw series(ie 5 ,6 ,7 and 8 series) have 20 mm offset.Try to find wheels from a 5 or 7 series ,much more suitable for your car.If you are running 15-25 mm spacers,you should be using 15-25 mm longer bolts.All adds up to a les than desirebale wheel set up,and if you havent already found out our cars are very sensitive to wheel balance/centering and steering/suspenion tolerances

[bad_manners_god]

Hey guys. I'm looking at wheels for my E34 Touring. However I'm don't know what offset ratings mean.

The wheels I found are 35mm Offset with 8.5" in the front with a 2" lip and 9.5" in the back with a 2.5"lip in the back.

So my questions are:

a.) What is offset mean?
b.) Will the wheels I'm looking at fit with the offset and width?


NOTE: On my E34 Touring right now I have the 17" 330Ci Sport Package Wheels on with a 47mm Offset and 8" Wide. The only way they clear is because I have 1.25" Solid Aluminum Spacers on all 4 corners.

[bad_manners_god]

means the 35mm would hit your strut and you'd need a 15mm spacer to make it work

Fixed my top post....much more clear.

[bad_manners_god]

Ignore lip size. You can run a 45mm wheel and 4" of lip and it'd look deep but not stick out far.


Offset is how far in or out the wheel sits on the hub. You can google it. Don't get it confused with backspacing. Similar idea, but backspacing measured from teh hub to the edge of the wheel. You need ET 20. You can run an ET20+ but it'll require a spacer. I run ET10 or ET15 17x10" wheels in the rear.

ET??? Whats that.

The Rims I'm looking at with the 35mm offset and 9.5" width should fit on my car with the 1.25" spacer?

[rob101]

ET??? Whats that.

Einpresstiefe

[bad_manners_god]

Einpresstiefe

In English?

[BigKriss]

heheh nice one Rob. For the educated masses, he just answered you. :p

i'm out of here..

http://stason.org/TULARC/vehicles/vw-performance/44-What-is-rim-offset-D-EinpressTiefe-or-ET-Value.html


In English?

[bad_manners_god]

The Wheel Spacers I have are solid aluminum with male studs.

Here is a picture: http://usera.imagecave.com/badmannersgod/DSC00232.JPG

[Jon K]

Just remember running a spacer like that does tend to strain the hub. I would avoid running anything over 5 - 10mm spacer so as to not change the load so weird on the hub. Basically, forget E36 and E46 wheels.

[bad_manners_god]

Just remember running a spacer like that does tend to strain the hub. I would avoid running anything over 5 - 10mm spacer so as to not change the load so weird on the hub. Basically, forget E36 and E46 wheels.

With these spacers I don't have to forget e36 Wheels or e46 wheels either and they're hubcentric.

[Brandon J]

Hmm, this topic has been discussed very extensively. Search, search, search. There is enough info on the internet about this. An orginal hub is exact, only dirt inteferring with contact to wheel, while a spacer allows for more misalignment and strain (ultimately shimmy). There are many topics across the internet about using spacers and if you don't hear many successful stories about them, perhaps there is a reason. The e34 is 20 years old so there is enough info available on the internet to cover topics such as this. Probably see what others have done and perhaps it is done for a reason. Perhaps some things are not done for a reason.

I am sorry, but sometimes I feel people post just to post (get their numbers up) or post before researching. I know there is info on this subject if you search specifically for the e34 or generally.