Are all mercedes rims positive offset?

I'm assuming that all Mercedes rims are positive offset. In the oldl days rear wheel drive cars were typically negative and front wheel drive cars were positive since they were trying to make room everywhere they could, and suspension geometry is easier to work out with positive offsets. I had been assuming in my search for wheels that the offsets were negative, but now I'm thinking that they aren't. I've had the wheels off of my 84 300D to do brakes, and I think that I remember that the back of the wheel has a huge cavity. So when I look for rims, I could actually get a numerically higher offset if I were willing to use spacers? I had been thinking the other way around. Please tell me if I have confused myself. It woudn't be the first time.

Basically I think that stock on my car is 14X6 with a 35mm offset. So if I went to a 15X6.5 with a 44 m offset, I'd think that the wheel would stick out an additional 9mm plus half of the half inch(6.5mm) for a total of 15.5 mm towards the center of the car. It would also move in about 3 mm on the outside of the car. I wonder if that 15.5 mm would cause trouble. I'd be comfortable with a 5 mm spacer, but not much more than that.

Is my reasoning straight?

Reply to
weelliott
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No cars are positive offset...

All MB wheels are negative offset.

By putting a spacer, you are making it more positive...

For example... a wheel has ET34 and you put a 10mm spacer, you made it ET24. Which pushes the wheel outward.

Reply to
Tiger

I've looked around on the internet, and I really think that you have this backwards. If you were to take a wheel with offset of 34 and make it 24 by adding a spacer, that would mean that you have drawn the mounting surface closer to the center of the wheel. This means that he mounting surface was on the outboard portion of the wheel, which is positive offset. One thing you said must be false, either MB wheels are all positive, or the spacer woudl turn ET34 wheels into ET44, not ET24. Maybe I should just take my spare out and measure it.

Reply to
weelliott

I guess a handy thing to know is how much clearance do I have to work with on the inside? I've looked under the car, and it seems that there is a good bit, but has anyone actually measured it, or found that it rubs somewhere other than the rod ends? Is there less than a centimeter(about 3/8 inch) anywhere?

Bill

Reply to
weelliott

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