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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Wheel Offest

Posted by: STL914 May 28 2007, 08:18 PM

Calling all wheel gurus!

What is the deepest wheel back spacing that can be used on a 914 without encountering any interference issues?

Posted by: BahnBrenner914 May 28 2007, 10:37 PM

I dont know the offset, but what size tires and wheels your planning needs to be known. I know with stock wheels, you can still fit 205's (?) and they almost (or do... hmmm) rub. So just an FYI to give the wheel/tire gurus a head's up on your tire/wheel ideas.

Posted by: Gint May 29 2007, 09:10 AM

Go read my superlight wheel thread. There is some very good info in there. Teach a man to fish sort of stuff.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=69869&

Posted by: Aaron Cox May 29 2007, 09:18 AM

but... it also depends on camber...... alot of negative camber gets you into the inner fender in the rear.... but will clear the outer lip.

Posted by: J P Stein May 29 2007, 10:07 AM

The most backset I could use up front was 5 3/8 in but....
A couple things pop up.

I had to use a 1/8 inch spacer on a 5 1/2 backspace wheel
to clear the brake caliper. Not all wheels are designed the same on the inner face.
Mine were basicly flat rather than concave like Fuch. My wheels & tires were the same
width.....the wheel rim is actually a touch wider. I had to remove the dust covers on the front shocks and I was running -.5 camber.

In back, 5 inches backspace was the most...again with -.5 camber & the same tires.

The wheels are 10 inches wide as were the tires....slicks, actually.

In most wheel tire set-ups, the tire is the widest thing and thus the clearance required is not to the wheel, but the tire. With 7 inch wheel and a 205 cross section tire, the tire will bulge about a half inch past the wheel both inside & out....more with an R spec tire. Like Aaron says, camber also enters into the equation. -2 camber works out to about 3/8 inch on a 24 inch dia tire and that's at static ride height.
As the suspension compresses, the negative camber at both ends of the car increases about .5 deg (SWAG) per inch of wheel travel. I run wheel/ combinations thru the entire range of suspension travel (lock to lock up front see pic) and check clearances inside & out. I like at least 3/8 clearance inside (more is better) as tires deflect under hard cornering.

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