Wheel Offset

Hi All

probably stupid question, but I don't know exactly what a Wheel Offset is all about. Most, if not all, MB wheels have a 5 bolt pattern at 112 mm. The bolt sizes vary, the older being a couple or so mm smaller than the newer so that one has to be careful of the bolt 'seating' correctly. But what the heck is this 'offset' about. I see 'spacers' for sale when adapting different type of rims to vehicles... what do these do?

thanks for any pointers

cheers, guenter

Reply to
Guenter Scholz
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Offset is how much distance between the center of the wheel widthwise to the mounting flange of the wheel (where wheel sits on the brake).

It all depends on the manufacturer on how far their suspension sits in relation to the body and what characteristics they want the car to perform.

Most E class are around 37mm offset (ET)... and the wider you go on the wheel... the smaller the offset... like 34... otherwise, your wheel does not sit in the wheelwell properly.

Reply to
Tiger

Thanks for that Tiger, makes sense now. In particular why it always seems to come up in connection with putting on differing tire widths.

cheers, guenter

Reply to
Guenter Scholz

snipped-for-privacy@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Guenter Scholz) wrote in news:f82ju5$q29$ snipped-for-privacy@rumours.uwaterloo.ca:

Hi Guenter, I can tell you from sad experience that you need to check the offset especially on the rear wheels. I bought a spare set of OEM wheels for my '87 300SDL only to find that the lug bolts would extend into the parking brakes when I put on a new set of tires. Apparently the fella that I bought the SDL from had changed both wheels and lug bolts. Too long a lug bolt for standard 25mm offset tends to destroy parking brakes quickly if the operator has a brain fart.

Reply to
Kurt

As Kurt mentioned about the bolt length... he is right. The right bolt is about 3/4" sticking out of the rear of the wheel... That is while you wheel is off the car... stick a bolt in... it should stick out 3/4"... too little, you risk thread damage and wheel pops out... too long and you will damage the parking brake immdiately.

I recently got a set of old Lorinser wheel and the guy gave me a set of lugbolts... factory lugbolts on aftermarket wheel... In this case, the lugbolt was only sticking out 1/2"... which means the first 1/8" is useless and his life depended on 3/8" of threads... Isn't that scary?

In any case, make sure you got the right bolt... right seat on the bolt (ball or cone) and the right length. I highly recommends this site for replacement bolts.

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RAD lugbolts are made in Germany with high strength steel and at very reasonable price.

Reply to
Tiger

Kurt, Tiger, many thanks, in particular for the link to the lug retailer

cheers, guenter

Reply to
Guenter Scholz

bolt sizes vary, the older being a couple or so mm smaller

This might help a bit:

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Reply to
Richard Sexton

There are different length lug bolts for steel and alloy wheels.

Worse there are different types of alloy lug bolts.

Reply to
Richard Sexton

snipped-for-privacy@news.vrx.net (Richard Sexton) wrote in news:f8bq1o$o8a$ snipped-for-privacy@news.datemas.de:

And as an aside to the wheels comment, there is also a slight difference in the diameter of the wheel center holes between some alloy and steel wheels. So the covers/caps/whatever-you-call-the-things may not fit when you switch from one type of "stock" wheel to another.

Reply to
Kurt

Richard, perfect... many thanks for that. I actually go to that website quite often but apperently I have not perused it thoroughly enough yet.

cheers, guenter

bolt sizes vary, the older being a couple or so mm smaller

Reply to
Guenter Scholz

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