ATV/UTV Wheel Offset Numbers Explained
March 25, 2023
How To Read Offset Ratings on ATV and UTV Wheels
What's up guys? Today, we have something new to talk about that we know you've been wondering about if you've been an ATV/UTV enthusiast for any amount of time, as it's one of the most commonly-asked questions in the industry: What Is Offset?
It makes sense, though, that you might be confused when you're looking at offset numbers for your wheels for the very first time. Whether you're looking on our website or the website of the wheel manufacturer, you're gonna see all sorts of numbers like +10, -12, 0, and so on. And if you're looking at that and thinking "What are you talking about?" we're gonna break it down in the simplest form to help you figure out the best offset for your wheels. Let's dive right in.
Table Of Contents
-Reading Offset Measurement Examples
-Understanding The Different Terms Used For ATV/UTV Wheel Offset
Reading Offset Measurement Examples
Our example wheel today is a 14x7 wheel with a 4+3 offset, the likes of which include favorites like the TIS 558, TIS 559, and Method MR411. These are all "four plus three" offset wheels, and we want to show you exactly what that means. If we're using a tape measure to figure out the size of the wheel itself, in this example it'd be 14 inches from top to bottom and exactly seven inches wide - easy to understand so far. So with the offset, where does the "four" come in and where does the "three" come in?
Four plus three means that the backspacing number is the first number, then the next number is an offset. So you're gonna want to take a tape measure and measure into the back face, where the wheel bolts onto the machine's hub. On this particular wheel setup, the distance between the inside lip of the wheel to the backside - where it mounts onto your machine's hub - will be exactly four inches. Coming to the front, the three inch offset means that the measurement from the face of the wheel to the mounting hub will be exactly three inches.
Understanding The Different Terms Used For ATV/UTV Wheel Offset
There are three terms to use when we're talking about the offset, the first of which is the 4+3 measurement we talked about above, including other popular ones like 5+2, 2+5, and so on. But what does it all mean exactly for positive offset, zero offset, and negative offset?
The example we ran through today talks about wheels with a positive offset - that means that if the offset on these wheels would've been a 3.5+3.5, they would've had a zero offset, meaning that the center of the wheel is dead center on your mount.
A positive offset means that there is more spacing on the backside, and a negative offset means that the front offset would be greater than the backspacing number. Negative offsets provide more of a dish to the wheel or more of a concave look, and that means that your mounting point is getting pushed to the inside of the wheel a bit further and making the wheel stick out further on your machine, widening its wheelbase.
Shop New ATV/UTV Wheels For Your Machine At Function Powersports
We hope you found our quick runthrough on wheel offsets helpful, and of course, if you have more questions our team is always happy to help you find the ATV/UTV wheels that best fit your build. If you're ready to buy and know what you want, head over to our wheel store at any time and you'll find the best of the best wheels that the powersports market has to offer. Free mounting and shipping are available with all new wheel and tire packages, so grab the setup that best fits your build today!
