Tips For Selecting New Wheels For Your Car
When you've made the decision to upgrade your car's wheels and tires, there are some things you need to consider. Especially if you're not particularly familiar with the details of choosing wheels, the process can be confusing, and you may inadvertently end up with a set of wheels that don't fit properly or tires that offer poor handling. Here are some tips to help you choose the right Cosmis racing wheel.
Understanding Offset
One of the things you need to consider in your wheel design is the offset of that wheel. Offset is represented by how far it is between the mounting point of the hub and the center of the wheel. The lower the offset, the more distance there is from the back of the wheel to the mounting point. A lower offset means that the tire sits further out away from the wheel hub and protrudes further out of the wheel well.
Offset directly affects the center of gravity by altering the stance of the car. The greater the offset, the closer your wheels are to the car, and the more narrow the stance of the car will be. This results in a higher center of gravity. A lower offset means that the car's stance is wider, which lowers the center of gravity.
Defining Backspacing
You also need to consider the backspacing of the wheel. Backspacing is the distance between the mounting point of the hub and the back of the wheel. The greater the backspacing, the more distance there is from the back of the wheel to the mounting point. A larger backspacing means that more of the tire sits under the car than what protrudes from the wheel well.
Like with offset, backspacing also affects the car's center of gravity. If you want to minimize body roll and instability, opt for smaller backspacing. That way, the car's wheel sits further out, widening the stance and lowering the center of gravity. For a race car, this can improve handling on the track, helping the car maneuver around corners more effectively.
Understanding Bolt Patterns
You cannot choose wheels of any kind until you understand your car's bolt pattern. Usually referred to as a statement such as 5x4.5, the bolt pattern refers to the layout of the lug bolts. Since the wheel will have to fit those lugs, it's important that you choose a wheel with the same bolt pattern.
In the bolt pattern statement, the first number refers to how many lugs there are in total. The second refers to how far apart those lugs are placed, and is measured in inches. However, it is measured differently in a 5-lug bolt pattern than any others. In a 5-lug pattern, you measure from the center of the lug to the center of the second lug from the one you started with. On any other bolt pattern, you measure from the center of the lug to the center of the lug that directly opposes it. In the example above, the wheel has 5 lugs, and the measurement from the center of one lug to the center of the second from it is 4.5 inches.
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