[Chris.L]

Hi guys!

Car: LWB NT Sierra w/ WT diffs on NT spring spacing. 2" BL and 1" Suspension lift

What would be the best offset 7" rim to suit a 31x10.5r15 tyre.

Looking for best clearance offset to suit rather than a "stance" offset. Only looking to bump stop space and fold the inner lip rather than a guard chop.

Thanks in advance.

[alien]

hitting the leaves would be the biggest issue, however you're NT spaced so not as bad. I reckon a standard 15x7 -13 would be fine.

[jdk81]

15x7 +3 should also fit.

[Gwagensteve]

^like. The least offset the better.

[alien]

Eh, my rims are 15x7 -38mm and they're fine. Offset shmoffset. =)

[jdk81]

I think you can get away with more + offset than +3.
+3 will get it pretty close to being covered by wt flares.

[shiv]

Alien, do you go through wheel bears with that much offset? im currently running -35

[alien]

My current rear wheel bearings went in with my floater conversion maybe 3 years ago? Front's were done around the same time. They've been tightened/adjusted a few times since, but still perfectly fine.

I think the rumour of offset killing bearings is more related to people not installing and maintaining them correctly.

[Derzky]

Offset killing bearings is a problem that patrols and cruisers have when they combine huge tyres with massive offset, the 3 tonne+ of car that is resting on the bearings stresses them to wear unevenly. (To failure)
The bearing is designed to carry weight evenly distributed across the width of the bearing, so any changes to offset will alter the weight distribution and cause uneven pressure/wear.
With the weight of your zook (sweet F-A) causing uneven pressure on your bearing. It will take a very long time to cause any real damage to your wheel bearings.

Thats what I was told anyway.

[greyghost]

i disagree

i used to have to adjust the wheel bearings every three or four months, at a minimum, when i ran massive offset.
the reality was i probably should have been replacing them more often than i was, as well.
the only cure.... less offset

[alien]

Mine have needed a nip up (usually only 1 side) maybe every 9 months to a year.

[Gwagensteve]

I think it's a sliding scale.

All of these factors reduce wheel bearing life:
Increasing offset
Increased wheel and tyre weight
Increased vehicle weight
Increased tyre diameter
Increased rim width
Increased offroad use

Most of us deal with terrible wheelbearing life to be honest. I reckon many sierras at 15 or even 20 years of age (when they were subsequently sold to someone who has added bigger tyres/more offset) have never had their bearings touched.

I do mine more or less annually too. I don't even have much rim offset in the scheme of things, but a 48kg wheel/tyre combo and a fat pig of a car there will do that.

Steve.