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Originally Posted by flclsteve
So noobie question
What are the pros n cons of having plus or minus offset is it just for looks
or do certian wheels have certian offsets to fit correctly
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In a nutshell:
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Originally Posted by Miata.net
Often a driver will select a wheel with a smaller offset than stock.
A smaller offset will create a scrub radius which may affect the handling of the car, but there are a number of reasons why you may need to choose a smaller offset.
1. To compensate for a wider wheel: A wider wheel with the exact same scrub radius as the stock wheel will be positioned closer to the suspension components. If the wheel is too much wider, it will not fit. To compensate, you would choose a smaller offset to move the wheel away from the suspension.
2. To create a wider stance: By setting the wheels outward, the stance of the car becomes wider and stability is increased. In some applications, the benefits of this stability are greater than the drawbacks of the scrub radius change and the driver may make this compromise.
3. Looks: A smaller offset moves the wheels outward, so they have a tendency to fill out the wheel well better. Cars set up for show, more than performance will often choose a lower offset wheel, however, if the offset is too small the sidewall will rub the inside of the fender.
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And as for what "scrub radius" is:
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Scrub radius is the distance from the point where the steering axis meets the ground, to the center of the contact patch of the tire. Zero scrub radius is desirable. Increasing the scrub radius will result in more kickback through the steering wheel when you hit bumps and increased steering effort.
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Also, lower offset = harder on wheel bearings, so that's something to account for.