GS4Will

to all fellow wheel gurus and lovers, please advice me on which offset would be a more ideal set up:

19x9, +39 or +45 ...same lip depth
19x10, +39 or +45

18x8.5, +38/87 mm or +45/80 mm lip
18x9, +38/93mm or +45/86 mm
18x10, +38/106 mm or +45/99 mm

TIA for any input and advice...

Wheel Kinetics

As always, this question has just as much to do with the tires you're going to run. That said, here's my 0.02 (assuming a GS)

+45 (less would be better, +39 is too little for a 245)
+45

+38 with a 235
+45, +38 is too little
+45

tinygs

Well, just MHO........

19x9(assuming for front, but would prefer 8.5") +45
19x10(rear) +45 for SURE! Even more so if using 275 or larger....

18x8.5 +38(assuming front, up to 245mm tire)
18x9 +45(assuming front, but would prefer 8.5")
18x10 +45

Manaray

Here's what I think...

19x9 +45 (with a 245...255 MIGHT work...but I doubt it)
19x10 +45 (MIGHT be able to do a 285)

18x8.5 +38 with a 245
18x9 +38
18x10 +45

Remember, I run a 20x8.5 +38 and a 20x9.5 +37 with NO RUBBING...and my wheels (with 245/35-20 and 275/30-20) are RIGHT to the edge of the wheel well...so based on those, you can see why I'm recommending those...

SoCalSC4

19x9 +45... I dunno... that put the top of the tire right next to the suspension upright.
I'd go +37 in a heartbeat.
Just did these on my brother's '94 GS300, and the fit is perfect- no rubbing, even when turning. We'll have pics up in a day or two.

His car (granted, the 'earlier' '94 GS3):
19x9 +37 245/35zr19
19x10 +37 275/30zr19

Removed the rear fender arch trim- NO rubbing with four people in the car & Eibachs.

GS4Will

thanks guys, really appreciate your input...

Ag02M5

Hey Will.

From research and a little experience, I came up with what the majority said without reading.

Might have some 19" tires on the way so rims are soon to follow...hopefully be in touch...won't bother you until I am sending $$.

Late.

GS4Will

hey Ryan,

no bother at all... ....so what do you think? which offset?

Wheel Kinetics

Speaking from experience, I've run a 18x10 +48 and it worked great.

tinygs

Ill second that.... A liitle bit from "eying it", and a little bit from experience.
I used the stock 17" SupraTT wheels for 6 months. Both the front and rear are +50 offset, granted they are only 17's but I had a world of room on both sides(shock and fender) and they looked good........
I still dont understand why no one (especially you SoCal!! heehee) has tried (or heard of using) a 19x10" +50 w/295 tire on the 98-02 GS300/400/430.
Manaray being the exception, most all of the CL members who have gone with STAGGERED (9.5" rear or wider) 19" or 20" wheels have gone +41 or higher, some are even using +45. This represents only a 5mm difference in what Im suggesting. This would back the 295mm tire away from the fender, but still not push the wheel too far to the shock side.... I cant justify, with only 300hp, why a 295 would serve a purpose other than looks, but it would look cool! Has anyone tried 10-10.5" wheel with +50???????

Manaray

I think it *MIGHT* have to do with the bore depth...I remember talking to SoCal about it sticking through the center of the wheel if the wheel is set in too deep...

SoCalSC4

19x10 +50? Hmmm, a bit less aggressive than I'd like to run. Typically, I would use a 18/19/20x10 +46 for 'conservative' guys.

You could go 19x10.5 +52 and have the same frontspacing as the 19x10 +46 (the additional width would all go inboard).

I've just built 19x9 +35 and 19x10 +35 for my SC4: I like my wheels "European" style, flush with the fender, but not sticking out.

The cap thing that Manaray mentioned really only applies to HRE wheels- to get the 3.0" rear lip on my 546Rs, HRE had to mill a bunch of material off of the wheels' backpad (referred to as 'low disk'). This pushes the wheel center closer to the hub, allowing for a deeper lip (the net effect brings the wheel back flush with the fender).

If we shaved off much more material, the center cap would not fit over the rear axle stub. With a 2.5" rear wheel lip, the wheel center cross-section can be thicker, so the wheel can effectively pulled in more (higher offset). Does this make sense to anyone except me & Manaray?

tinygs

It makes absolute sense, which begs a question Ive been wondering since I got semi educated in wheel fitment.
Im currently using a 19x10"+41 and have a 4"(102mm) reverse lip. Why does HRE(and others who only go three inch max lip currently) run into issues trying to go beyond 3"?? Why not just scoot the wheel face over enough in the rim to expose 4 inches of lip, and then make sure the back pad is at the desired thickness to get whatever offset is necessary??? Is there more to it than Im realizing??
Also, was your reference to the 19x10.5"+52 for a 98-02 GS or another model??? Thanks in adavance, Tiny

SoCalSC4

I sort of explained this in my above post... the HREs are an open-lug wheel: there is no cap covering the lug nut area (unlike many Japanese wheel designs).

This, combined with the "bowl" shape of the HRE wheel center (the profile dishes inward near the lug holes), means the center piece can only be moved in 'so far,' or the axles will stick out past the face of the wheel.

If you put an HRE and a Lowenhart (for example) side-by-side, you'd be able to see this more clearly. The cover-lug wheels effectively "cheat" by using the area behind the cover plate to hide the axle.

HRE prefers the 'open lug' style, as our background is performance-oriented: race cars can't be hassled by cover plates that slow down tire changes, add weight, and may potentially rattle or become a projectile at high speeds.

The 19x10.5 +51 was suggested for the newer GS. On an early GS3 or SC3/4, I would build 19x10.5 +41 or 19x11 +48 as these cars can take a bit more 'aggressive' wheel set-up.

tinygs

Right, I understand. I am using an open face (lugs exposed) 19x10" with 4" lip. I guess I was just wondering why the HRE didnt offer bigger lips? Does reverse lip allow the manufacturer to build a larger lip than the standard style lip? HRE is probably the ONLY wheel co. who doesnt make one design I DISlike, I am really anxious to see them offer the 540R soon with HUGE lips.......still to pricey for me though...