Offset on 18" rims for New A3

[IanMcA3]

Hi guys,

Wondering if I can get some factual info from the people that know!

Mu question is simply, what offset rims are people running on their own cars if they are 18" or 19" as I'm getting conflicting info from the stealer & so called wheel experts (who just happen to have a set in a 35mm offset! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif)

I ask because I'm replacing my 17" sport alloys with a set of the 18" S8 Avus alloy's with a 48mmET which I hope&think will be fine.

Thanks in advance

 

[Cupramax]

I think you'll find the S8 wheels will stick out too much and rub your arches. I'm pretty sure the latest A3 is ET42.

 

[h5djr]

According to the details of the wheels on the ETKA Parts Catalogue the spec for alloy wheels on the new A3 is:

17" - 7.5Jx17H2 ET52 5/112
18" - 7.5Jx18H2 ET54 5/112

 

[StephaneS]

yep ET54 on my 18''
here is a pic

 

[IanMcA3]

Dave & StephV6 Thanx a lot for prompt response.

So therefore a 6mm difference in the offset shouldn't be a big prob then?

And am I right in thinking that the 6mm difference will relate to the wheel sitting 6mm further in (i.e closer to suspension / hub) than if the offset was the correct 54mm.

Have a loook at this illustration & help my struggling little head!
http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse.com/Wheel_Fitment_Guide.cfm

Once again, I knew you guys would know!

 

[marriedblonde]

No it's the other way round. A wheel with a 54mm offset will sit closer to the hub than a wheel with a 48mm offset.

J.

 

[StephaneS]

marriedblonde's right
so et48 would mean 6mm outwards
but you should have plenty of space look mine again with standard et 54

 

[IanMcA3]

Thanx again Steph, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif just had a heart in mouth moment there thinking I had got it all wrong!

 

[marriedblonde]

I put ET30mm BBS rims on my R32 instead of 35mm and then stuck 5mm spacers on the back and didn't have any problems.

I would have thought the 48mm ffset wouldn't cause too much of a heart ache. You'll almost definately be fine with the rear arches, it'll be the fronts that catch if at all. But looking at Steph's pic above it looks like 6mm won't be an issue.

J.

 

[IanMcA3]

Marriedblonde, thanx.

But I'm confused with the offset issue a bit, some were saying the 48mm would stick out further than the 54mm recommended.

But I thought, and your last post confirmed this (I think) that a 48mm offset could be made into a 54mm offset (like U with a 30ET & a 5 mm spacer) with a 5/6mm spacer?

 

[marriedblonde]

No sorry, what I was trying to explain was that although my golf should ride on 35mm offset wheels I fitted BBS CH rims that only come in a 30mm offset which pushed them further out towards the arch I was still able to fit 5mm spacers on the back. Effectively making them a 25mm offset wheel without any problems.

So basically the lower the offset the further out away from the hub the wheel will sit.

J.

 

[richy]

the mkIV golf and the old Audi a3 have the same offset of around 35

whereas the new 8P Audi a3 has an offset of 45... checked this many times when getting mine...

 

[bravepilot]

[ QUOTE ]
StephV6 said:
marriedblonde's right
so et48 would mean 6mm outwards
but you should have plenty of space look mine again with standard et 54


[/ QUOTE ]

SteveV6, I like your parking... so close to the curb... You pass your driving test, well done! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[StephaneS]

[ QUOTE ]
BravePilot said:
[ QUOTE ]
StephV6 said:
marriedblonde's right
so et48 would mean 6mm outwards
but you should have plenty of space look mine again with standard et 54


[/ QUOTE ]

SteveV6, I like your parking... so close to the curb... You pass your driving test, well done! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
thanks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
but I dont do that anymore
fu(kep my alloys a couple of time before but now that I've got the new wheels I dont park that close!

 

[Karcsi]

I was going to ask how you got out of that parking space without kerbing the alloys!

I agree with Richy. I have only seen ET45 mentioned everywhere in relation to the new A3. For the old A3 it always says ET35.

The amount wheels stick out - it also depends on the width of the wheel doesn't it?

Also, can you fit 235 width tyres on a 7.5J wheel? Any reasons not to? Would it not make the tyres wider (natch) and protect the rims better as the tyres would bulge out more?

Another q: What about HW (is that right) tyres? Tyres with stronger sidewalls? The only reason I'd rather not get 18/19s wheels (love the MTM Bimotos, but they don't come in 18s) is the very low profile tyres you need to use. Would hard wall tyres reduce the risk of damage from potholes etc?

 

[johnmv55]

The "ET" of a wheel is the distance from the wheel centre line to it's mounting flange, as with everything else it gets a bit confusing as we measure wheels in inches and offsets in mm, diameters of tyres in inches, widths in mm.
The "ET" does take a bit of sketching out to see if you are going the right way. It also depends on the width as well, a 17 x 8 et35 will stick out 0.5 inch more than a 17 x 7 et35

Or, have a look here http://www.turner-auto-design.com/wheeltech.htm