this is embarrassing, but i have never switched wheels except for my YJ, and those were mopars that bolted right on.

why does the whole backspacing/offset thing seem backwards to me? why doesn't adding spacers behind the wheel push the tires out instead of in?

i know i'm an idiot. i'm still figuring out left to loosen.

 

Actually, it is:

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...74&postcount=3

 

If you look at the original diagram that I posted...



...you can see that reducing the amount of back spacing will bring the mounting pad closer to the axle. This in turn pushes the entire wheel outward. Can you see what I am talking about? Adding wheel spacers effectively do the same thing - reduce the amount of back spacing.

 

thanks for the quick reply.

well, let's forget the spacers for a minute and look at your offset. why is it when i look at your diagram, it looks to me as if the tires would be pushed out, not in?

to me, it looks as if the wheel were offset in the opposite direction, then the tire would be pulled in.

i like to think of myself as above average intelligence, but i'm just not getting this.

 

Looking at the diagram, the left side is the inside of your wheel - the side that attaches to your axle. If you reduce the amount of back spacing, the distance between the center line of your wheel and mounting pad will increase. This will effectively move the entire wheel towards the right - outward.

 

Ok I must be really stupid, because I do not see anywhere in that document where it describes the various stock wheel sizes

This part of this post.

I dont see it in their

 

My apologies, you are right and will try to add them in.

 

and so how does this bring the tire in?

what i am seeing would be the same as a puck for a body lift. you put the puck on and the body is father from the frame.....not closer.

or like putting washers on a tricycle before putting a rear wheel on.

i appreciate you trying to explain this to me, but i don't want to waste your time. one of my best friends works at a local auto parts store and i will have him give me a lesson on offset/backspacing.

sorry i don't get it.

 

It wouldn't. I would push the tire out. Less back spacing will give you more clearance between the inside sidewalls of your tires and the frame of your Jeep.

This is correct and I'm starting to think that you have gotten it all along and perhaps there was just a misunderstanding.

LOL!! Actually, I think you do get it.

 

wish i was at home, i could make a little gif animation to explain it. But yeah, wheel spacers are like pucks for a body lift. they push the wheel and tire out, away from the vehicle.

so take the stock backspacing of 6.25" and the wheel is 7.5" wide. so that means that the outside edge of the wheel is sitting 1.25" away from where it bolts to the axle (give or take a few mm ). now, you add a 1.5" wheel spacer, it will push that wheel out, away from the vehicle because its putting a bigger gap between where the wheel bolts to the rotor. so now the backspacing is 4.75 (6.25-1.5=4.75) and now that same 7.5" wide wheel is sitting 2.75" out, or 1.5" futher then before.

the wheel spacers push the wheels away from each other on the same axle is another way to put it.


dunno if any of this helped or not...