Backspacing and offsets. It all seems very confusing. It’s all very confusing. You do grasshopper, you care. Have you ever tried shopping for wheels? If you don’t know what backspacing is and how it affects wheel fitment, it’s difficult to purchase wheels. Wheelfire.com wants it to be simple to buy wheels. We want you to be able to measure backspacing.
WHAT IS BACKSPACING?
Let’s first measure it. Backspacing is the distance between the hub mounting surface and the inner lip of the wheel. You need to refresh your knowledge about the parts of a wheel. Backspacing can be measured in inches.
In effect, more backspacing moves your wheel in, and less backspacing the wheel out. This is not the same as offset. We clear that confusion up over at The Difference Between Offset and Backspacing.
How to measure backspacing can help you evaluate the fit of a potential wheel to your vehicle. When fitting wheels to an off-road truck, backspacing is particularly important. Because the suspension is lifted, the truck can adjust the amount of backspacing it allows. You can also change the wheel width by changing the backspacing. If you do it wrong, you could damage your wheel, suspension, or even cause a blowout. Let’s find out how to properly measure backspacing and avoid these problems.
MEASURING BACKSPACING
A wheel 17” x9” is required. This model’s intelligence shows that it can be used in many bolt patterns. There are 6 lug models, 5 lug models. You count the bolts on your truck to find that there are 5. This narrows down the options to just two bolt patterns: a 5×127 or 5×139.7. The 5×127 is required. This narrows down the options to either a wheel with 4.53′ or 5.47′ backspace. Which do you prefer?
You can create a visual reference by placing a straight line across the lip of your wheel. Next, grab your measuring tape and place it on the wheel mounting surface. Measure up to the inside lip. You’re done! Let’s get it down on paper before you forget all this knowledge.
You can choose the 4.53′ if you have enough clearance and room in your wheel well for the suspension. You should check if the 5.47’s will push the wheel enough.
CONSIDER OFFSET WITH BACKSPACING
Before you settle on a wheel that meets all your backspacing requirements check the offset. Although offset and backspacing have different names, they can be used together. Just like peanut butter and jelly are not the same thing, they can be combined on bread to make great snacks. Although they aren’t offset, backspacing and truck dimensions will determine whether a wheel fits your truck.
The offset is measured in millimeters (backspacing, in inches) and measures the distance between the centerline and the mounting plate. (Remember, the mounting surface to the rim is backspacing.
Negative offset pulls the wheel towards the suspension. The Mambas that have the 4.53′” backspace have a positive offset. Models with the 5.47′ backspace have a positive offset.
This post was written by a wheel and tire expert at Tennessee Tire. https://tennesseetiresandwheels.com/ is Clarksville Tennessee and Fort Campbell Kentucky’s leading tire and custom wheel shop. We proudly offer Southern Hospitality combined with the lowest prices in town! Come see us, call us, or message us for a quote today. You won’t be sorry you did.
