What is the functional or performance gain using different wheel offsets?

Tacoma.

I’m looking at different options in to upgrade my tires and wheels, moving to 32 inch tires and considering wheels with negative offset. These look great but I’m wondering if there is a functional or performance benefit of having these versus stock wheels. Would I need to consider any additional Upgrades if I was to change offset and running 32” tires?

 

The short version is that you will very quickly run into rubbing if you go negative offset. You need about 0 offset to keep 285s from rubbing your UCA. I did a CMC, pinch weld flattend, and significant plastic trimming to fit 285/70/17 with -10 offset and no lift. 265/75/17 might work on stock wheels but if you go more negative it will get tighter. From memory I think you are good to 0 offset with the narrower pro wheels on 265/75/17 but there are 1000 threads you can search of you want a hard answer

 

Thanks, my question was less about the rubbing but more related to why I would want to have a negative offset on my wheels.

 

Since the wheels would be further out , you get more articulation of the suspension

 

the suspension is the same

 

It looks cooler

 

There is no why.

 

False. There is a “why”, just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it less true.

For 32” tires most people choose a negative offset for appearance alone. Some people choose it for the functional benefit of running wider tires without rubbing on the suspension. That brings up debating why you’d want to run wider tires but I’m not getting into that because OP didn’t ask.

Less common is when you decide to go long travel and/or mount 35”+ tires that only come in very wide widths. But the “why” is still the same: either for fitting tires or to achieve a certain look.

 

Looks, width and clearance.

Looks for people that like it.

Width for folks that run tight trails. The added width will help keep the trail out of the fenders to an extent of course. Its a common occurrence where I wheel where the trial will head down into a 6 to 12 foot canyon type section where you can put your hand out the window and touch a dirt/rock wall.

Clearance in the rear if you flex so much your inner side wall hits the shock body. Mostly on vehicles with rear extended travel.
For the front it will push the wheel out so any hitting/rubbing in the front upper will be more towards the outer area of the wheel well where its easier to hammer up. They cause more fitment issues up front and effect the scrub radius usually causing more rubbing on the rear of the wheel well. So something to be prepared for.

All this is minimal as long as you stay with the common offsets like -10 to -38. The more offset the more work needed to make them function correctly.

 

The panty dropper quotient?

 

I don’t know. Would be cool to know.

not seeing any actual answers in the replies.

what effects it has or if it’s needed? Idk.
It sticks further out. Closer to hit a wall.
First to rub a wall than the body which might be good.

I know this. Two companies make wheels with improved bead grip structure for airing down. Method and Icon. Both probably only come in offsets that stick wider out.

wider means more rubbing.

maybe stock rubs one way and wider rubs in another way (towards cab mount etc)

and tire compatibility. Bigger tires don’t fit thin wheels. Wider wheels come with farther out offset.

 

In this case, there is no why and there is zero functional benefit of different offset wheels....
Besides looks.

 

Only if you get a set of Volk te37 a 5t upgrade. One of the lightest wheels for the Tacoma.https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/volk-racing-te-37-on-my-tacoma.447333/page-276#post-29369652. All others it’s almost insignificant performance gain if any .

 

Cosmetic
Functional

Cosmetic - it looks cool, others think it looks cool, you just like how it looks, or… the wheel you like only comes with ‘x’ offset.

Functional - to keep the tires from rubbing on the truck, to keep the trail from hitting your truck.

If you are putting bigger, wider tires on the truck, eventually the tires start rubbing on things they shouldn’t. Spacers are one solution, or part of the solution.

Wider tires / more offset means everything sticks out further. If you’re out on the trails, maybe this gives you a little more protection. I’m not a ‘trail’ guy, so guys like ClassyTacos can give better advice.

Tires don’t give you more ‘articulation’, but they can give you more ground clearance. (Changes to the suspension geometry give you more articulation / range of motion.)


Or maybe… maybe there is no ‘why’. And one day, for no particular reason, you got wheels with more offset.

 

You didn’t catch what I was doing up there

You got it


If you don’t know why, there is no why. There I said it.

 

So the plan would be to run stock 265/75/16 on stock suspension. If I run these on a zero offset with no lift would I get rubbing or should I stick to +25 offset as per stock rims?

 

I have the duratrac 265/75/16 on stock off road wheels stock height no lift mud laps on , no rubbing whatsoever even on off cambered trails. I then tried putting 1.25 inch wheel spacers that’s equivalent to -12 mm offset. It rubs even with the front mudflaps off only on reverse full lock . So I think with zero offset it will be ok

 

This isnt true either. For performance reasons you want to keep the smallest scrub radius possible which means the closest to positive offset that you can do without rubbing the UCA in our case.

 

You shouldn't have any rubbing with 265/75/16 on a 0 offset wheel unless you're running a really aggressive mud terrain. Here's a picture of that exact size and offset with stock suspension. I haven't done any trimming and have had zero rubbing even off roading.

 

If you get Method bead grip there isn’t a choice. The closest to stock 17 comes in a wider stance no matter what.

exacerbated if you delete flares

just saw a video of a taco wheeling next to a wall. Was interesting to see his tires stuck farther out so they rubbed the wall and prevented body damage.

thats the theory. I’ve wheeled close to walls but haven’t rubbed against them yet.

I think they still clear under compression even if shock travel upgraded, especially if any trimming is done which is common if not recommended/required when running associated bigger tires

tested my rear compression flexing at angle and with slight fender cut my methods and 35’s cleared the fender

also, bigger tires tend to hit the tub
Maybe wider lessens that