Offset help

[daddz]

Here is a pic of 240ztt's car with 16" Watanabe's:

I think this would be about as far as you would want to go with a set of 16" wheels. Keep in mind that he had to install coil overs to get this effect.

[hls30.com]

Is it me or are his rear tires the most narrow that would actually stay on those rims? I understand helping clearance, but that almost looks unsafe. I don't think tires are designed to have that stress geometry.

WIll

[Arne]

Is it me or are his rear tires the most narrow that would actually stay on those rims? I understand helping clearance, but that almost looks unsafe. I don't think tires are designed to have that stress geometry.

WIll

No, you are absolutely correct, Will. When I sold tires in my past career (OMG, I've been out of tires for almost 9 years now!), we would never have sold a fitment like that. Tire manufacturers all have fitment charts that say what size rims are safe and suitable for each size tire.

Looking in 240zzt's gallery, his rear Wats are 9.5" and he is using 245/45ZR16 Fuzion tires. According to the specs for that tire at the Tire Rack, the approved rim widths are 7.5-9.0". So his wheels are wider than the tires were designed to fit.

In most parts of the world, the tire dealers would not be allowed to do stuff like that. And the car wouldn't pass inspection that way most anywhere but here in the USA.

Even if safety and tire wear wasn't a concern (and it is), here's a thought: If one of those tires develops a small leak and gets a bit low on pressure, the tire could easily pop itself off the bead, since it is stretched so tight. And if it does, that is one very expensive wheel that will hit the pavement.

[daddz]

Arne,

This look is what some would would refer to as the 'stretch' look and while it may be popular in Japan and to a smaller degree the U.S. I presonally don't care for it. I think Joe would have been better off with a 255/40/16 or 265/40/16 but these sizes are so oddball that his next choice should have been an 8.5" or 8" wide wheel.

In any event here is how I prefer my wheel and tire to look:

The rears are 16x8 and tire size is p245/45/16 and the fronts are 16x7 with a p225/50/16. The ride and grip is very good with this setup and these wheels and tires were actually mounted on 240ztt's car for a day and the pics look good. I'll have to find them and post them when I get a chance.

[Curtis240Z]

HEY THANKS FOR REPLYING BACK. SO YOU SAY 17 BY 9'' WOLUD FIT RIGHT INTO THE Z WITHOUT ANY FLARES? .

IM THINKING OF 17'' BY 9'' IN THE REAR WITH 235/40-17, AND

17'' BY 8 OR 8.5 IN THE FRONT WITH 215 OR 225/40-17.

DO I NEED TO PUT ANY SPACER ON IT?

AND WHERE CAN I GET A HOLD ON THOSE RIMS YOU GOT CAUSE THEY LOOK VERY NICE. SORRY FOR ASKING ALOT OF QUESITION BUT THATS WHAT IM HERE FOR TO ASK, AND HELP WITH ANY OF MY KNOWLEDGE…..:nervous:

No...9" wide wheels still need flares in the rear. I am not using spacers. I bought the wheels direct from the manufacturer http://www.ccwheel.com

[zguitar71]

240ZTT's car does not need coilovers to run those wheels and tires. Watanabe's like his (typw r) are designed to have flares and a stock suspension. Go to the web site and you will notice they all have a 4.5" backspace. The 9.5" wheels have a -19 offset, thus requiring flares.

If you want larger wheels and tires you will have to either run coilovers or flares or both, otherwise make your limit 17x7.5 with 225/45's on all 4 corners.

[71240z916]

Here is a pic of 240ztt's car with 16" Watanabe's:

I think this would be about as far as you would want to go with a set of 16" wheels. Keep in mind that he had to install coil overs to get this effect.

you know what is the width, and the offset for that rims

[71240z916]

First off this setup requires rear flares and substantial negative camber to fit in the front without flaring (which is is okay for me because I race this Z). The stock front fender lips are rolled too.

The rims are made by Complete Custom Wheels, 17x9.5 on all four corners, .25" negative offset with 255/40-17 tires. You can probably get away with a 9" rim, 0" offset with the same tire and it would be fine. You can also get the rims anodized now.

sorry for asking you so much ? but above didn't you say that i can go with 9" inch rims? well if thats not what you meant then could i go with 17" by 8.5" to the rear, and 17" by 8 in the front with 235-225 45/17 on it ? hopefully this time you well answer my ? so i wont be boughtering you. thank you for your help though.....:stupid:

O and didn't you say that you have flares on your car cause i dont see any I dont know if where talking about the same car but here is the link i was looking at.....

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13914

[veritech-z]

The way offset works is like this: take your advertised wheel width, and divide it in half. The mid point is 0 offset. What a wheel with 0 offset means is that the actual mounting flange of the wheel is exactly at the centerline. closer to the strut is negative offset, closer to the outer edge is positive offset. What this does to your backspacing goes like this: In order to seat your tire bead, there is an extra inch, one half in the front, one in the back, so add that to the amount you get from dividing the wheel in half. So a 17X8" wheel is actually 9" wide from outside to outside. An S30 Z car with standard suspension components can fit roughly 4.5" of backspace without rubbing the struts. On a 17X8" wheel, 0 offset would leave you with 4.5" of backspace. On a 16X9.5" wheel, you would need a -19mm offset to maintain that 4.5" backspace, or else use a spacer to make up the difference. Here is a picture of a 17X8" wheel with a +38mm offset and a 1.5" spacer (this corrects the offset to 0) on my car. Tire is a 255/40 17 from a 996 porsche in the rear. This car has been lowered 1" with the tokico spring/strut kit commonly available on ebay.

This picture is the same car from the side, an interval of time has passed between these two images, so don't stress out about the different mirrors and paint

:

[Curtis240Z]

sorry for asking you so much ? but above didn't you say that i can go with 9" inch rims? well if thats not what you meant then could i go with 17" by 8.5" to the rear, and 17" by 8 in the front with 235-225 45/17 on it ? hopefully this time you well answer my ? so i wont be boughtering you. thank you for your help though.....:stupid:

O and didn't you say that you have flares on your car cause i dont see any I dont know if where talking about the same car but here is the link i was looking at.....

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13914

What I meant by the 9" statement was for the 255/40-17 tire I am running you could use a 9" rim also (because I am using a 9.5" rim in the event I want to go to a 275mm tire).

Because you are only going to a 235mm tire you maybe able to squeeze the 8.5" rim in the rear. I know that I've used a 245/45-16 tire on a 8" rim without flares. The limiting factor is the 5" backspacing with coil-overs. You don't want your tire/rim combination to look like 240zTT in my opinion, especially if you plan to race your Z.

The picture of my Z you referenced does have a rear flare (about 1"). I made the flare follow the factory lines so it isn't obvious (I guess it worked!). The other picture of my Z you can better see the rear flare http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13913

[71240z916]

What I meant by the 9" statement was for the 255/40-17 tire I am running you could use a 9" rim also (because I am using a 9.5" rim in the event I want to go to a 275mm tire).

Because you are only going to a 235mm tire you maybe able to squeeze the 8.5" rim in the rear. I know that I've used a 245/45-16 tire on a 8" rim without flares. The limiting factor is the 5" backspacing with coil-overs. You don't want your tire/rim combination to look like 240zTT in my opinion, especially if you plan to race your Z.

The picture of my Z you referenced does have a rear flare (about 1"). I made the flare follow the factory lines so it isn't obvious (I guess it worked!). The other picture of my Z you can better see the rear flare http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13913

Aright thanks. I think you answer most of my ? now that i kinda decided what to go, I'm gonna go with 17" by 8 with 235/45-17 on the rear, and 17" by 7.5 with 235/45-17 on the front. But what I really want is 17"by 8.5 on rear, and 17" by 8 on the front with same size tire. Well lets see... when I get it I well post it up, but mean while my car is at my friends shop ready for paint and I havent decided what color to paint it yet cause I want to paint some color that I would not regret. man I like to have that 1" flare on my car. Was that costum? or do they have a kit for it, cause I dont like those big flare. well if I have any ? I well let you know. I learn alot from you thanks again....... by the way your z looks nice....

[Curtis240Z]

Aright thanks. I think you answer most of my ? now that i kinda decided what to go, I'm gonna go with 17" by 8 with 235/45-17 on the rear, and 17" by 7.5 with 235/45-17 on the front. But what I really want is 17"by 8.5 on rear, and 17" by 8 on the front with same size tire. Well lets see... when I get it I well post it up, but mean while my car is at my friends shop ready for paint and I havent decided what color to paint it yet cause I want to paint some color that I would not regret. man I like to have that 1" flare on my car. Was that costum? or do they have a kit for it, cause I dont like those big flare. well if I have any ? I well let you know. I learn alot from you thanks again....... by the way your z looks nice....

Use a 245/40-17 on 8" rims front and back.

Or buy the rim and tire size you ultimately want and have your body shop build the flares to fit since it is already in the shop.

My rear flares were custom made.