Is it possible to widen the track of my car?

Is it possible to widen the track of my car?

Author
Discussion

caelite

4,274 posts

112 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
You don't want higher offset, you want lower, there are plenty of wheels about at around a 0 or even - 10,there are also some manufacturers which will make a wheel spec of your choice to order (Team Dynamics being one).

As mentioned you will need to adjust your suspension geometry to compensate.

Gloriaaaa

Original Poster:

57 posts

94 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
caelite said:
You don't want higher offset, you want lower, there are plenty of wheels about at around a 0 or even - 10,there are also some manufacturers which will make a wheel spec of your choice to order (Team Dynamics being one).

As mentioned you will need to adjust your suspension geometry to compensate.
Yeah I understand this, it's just that I can't find any alloys I like which aren't higher offset or ridiculously expensive (£2000+ for a set and I'm hoping to spend 800 max 1000 for a set) 4x108 is a limiting pcd. frown

PhillipM

6,520 posts

189 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
I'm making some wide track wishbones and rear links, but I suspect if suitable wheels are outside the budget, these will be too.

GreenV8S

30,195 posts

284 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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Gloriaaaa said:
4x108 is a limiting pcd
That's an extremely common Ford stud pattern and I wouldn't have thought that would be a limiting factor.

Suggest you try driving your car with your proposed outset wheels on before you spend any significant cash, because moving the wheels that far is likely to make driving pretty unpleasant. Usually you'd be concerned about getting the steering axis / contact patch alignment right to within a few millimeters and you're going to completely ruin that geometry.

Gloriaaaa

Original Poster:

57 posts

94 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
GreenV8S said:
That's an extremely common Ford stud pattern and I wouldn't have thought that would be a limiting factor.

Suggest you try driving your car with your proposed outset wheels on before you spend any significant cash, because moving the wheels that far is likely to make driving pretty unpleasant. Usually you'd be concerned about getting the steering axis / contact patch alignment right to within a few millimeters and you're going to completely ruin that geometry.
Yeah it's common on fords but all of their wheels have higher offsets.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
One thing nobody's mentioned yet... The offset is deliberately set so that the wheel's forces are passed through the centre of the wheel bearing. If you space out or use different offset wheels, you're changing that, and putting different forces through the bearing. That'll shorten the bearing's life, possibly drastically.

And all for cosmetics.

Gloriaaaa

Original Poster:

57 posts

94 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
And the higher offset is meaning the wheel would need to be 8+ inches wide and I can't find any that wide.

Gloriaaaa

Original Poster:

57 posts

94 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
One thing nobody's mentioned yet... The offset is deliberately set so that the wheel's forces are passed through the centre of the wheel bearing. If you space out or use different offset wheels, you're changing that, and putting different forces through the bearing. That'll shorten the bearing's life, possibly drastically.

And all for cosmetics.
From what I gathered the closer to original offset you are the less it will impact the bearings? Am I wrong in thinking identical offset on a wider wheel would make no difference?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
Gloriaaaa said:
From what I gathered the closer to original offset you are the less it will impact the bearings? Am I wrong in thinking identical offset on a wider wheel would make no difference?
No, you're absolutely right. A 1" wider wheel with the same offset will have 1/2" more on the inside, 1/2" more on the outside.

Do you have enough space on the inside to get the outside face to where you want it, without fouling - especially on full lock?

PhillipM

6,520 posts

189 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
Doubtful - the standard wheels are very close to the inner arches at full lock already - in fact if the arch plastics warp a little they rub as standard.

Gloriaaaa

Original Poster:

57 posts

94 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
No, you're absolutely right. A 1" wider wheel with the same offset will have 1/2" more on the inside, 1/2" more on the outside.

Do you have enough space on the inside to get the outside face to where you want it, without fouling - especially on full lock?
I haven't actually looked closely yet but a guy online fitted 9" wide wheels on the same car so I suspect so.

Gloriaaaa

Original Poster:

57 posts

94 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
PhillipM said:
Doubtful - the standard wheels are very close to the inner arches at full lock already - in fact if the arch plastics warp a little they rub as standard.
How have people managed to fit wider wheels before then? I can't imagine that many people have done massive amounts of work to get them to fit.

PhillipM

6,520 posts

189 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
They'll have just run them with the massive offset or wheel spacers - let face it, most of them don't care about handling or ride issues, or that the wheel bearings are shagged 10k later - they're more "Cor, they lookz wikkid bruv!"

helix402

7,859 posts

182 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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Just put the wheels on backwards bro.

tapkaJohnD

1,941 posts

204 months

Sunday 3rd September 2017
quotequote all
No, I didn't know the advert, but I knew where to find it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqqZ28m8uCo

Ah, those were the days, when the addictive narcotic of your choice could be advertised on TV!

John