ok. i was pretty sure that for front wheel drive cars, the higher the offset, the closer it is to the fender of the car. meaning its more flush with the body of the car. and for rear wheel drive cars its the opposite. am i right? cause i've been lookin at weird offsets for cars and im confused.

would a rear wheel drive rim stick further out on a fwd car?

 

The offset of a wheel is what locates the tire and wheel assembly in relation to the suspension. More specifically, it is the measured distance between the hub mounting surface and the center line of the rim. Below is an explanation of the various types of offsets which are pictured in the above graphic.

Positive Offset
A positive offset occurs when the hub mounting surface is on the street side (the side you see) of the center line of the rim. Most factory rims will have this type of offset.

Zero Offset
When the hub mounting surface is centered within the rim, it is known as a zero offset.

Negative Offset
If the hub mounting surface is on the brake side of the center line of the rim, it is considered a negative offset or "deep dish".

 

Probably the best explanation about offset I've ever seen. :goodjob:

 

:werd:

 

that seriously is the best explanation i've seen. yer the fricken man westcoast.

i've been emailed back with jumbles of explanation but they didnt seem too clear.

so the lower the offset number such as +33 then it'll be closer to the street side of the car. and here i was thinkin +44 for my civic.

thanks again.

 

I can not take credit for it, unfortunately. I knew that the question had been posed in the Civic section a while back so I found it and grabbed the content. I've added this to the online resources sticky in the Civic section.

Glad it helped you man.