Subaru Forester wheel spacers are devices that are installed between the wheel and the hub of a vehicle to increase the distance between them. They are commonly used for aesthetic or performance purposes, such as enhancing the appearance of the vehicle, increasing stability and handling, or accommodating larger brakes or suspension components.
But what is offset and how does Subaru Forester wheel spacer affect it? In this post, we will define what offset is, why it matters, and how Subaru Forester wheel spacer can modify it.
Offset is the distance between the centerline of the wheel and the mounting surface of the hub. It is measured in millimeters and can be positive, negative, or zero.
Positive offset means that the mounting surface of the hub is closer to the outside (or face) of the wheel. This means that the wheel is positioned inwards towards the vehicle. Most modern vehicles have positive offset wheels to accommodate larger brakes and suspension components.
Negative offset means that the mounting surface of the hub is closer to the inside (or back) of the wheel. This means that the wheel is positioned outwards away from the vehicle. This gives the vehicle a more aggressive look and a wider track. Some off-road vehicles have negative offset wheels to increase traction and stability on rough terrain.
Zero offset means that the mounting surface of the hub is exactly at the centerline of the wheel. This means that the wheel is aligned with the vehicle. Zero offset wheels are rare and usually found on older vehicles or custom applications.
Which Subaru Forester wheel spacers are suitable?
Choosing a suitable Subaru Forester wheel spacer depends on your goals and preferences. You need to consider how much you want to change your offset and how it will affect your clearance, scrub radius, load transfer, and overall fitment.
If you want to improve your appearance or performance without compromising your safety or functionality, you need to choose a Subaru Forester wheel spacer that provides enough clearance for your brakes and suspension components, maintains or improves your steering feel and response, does not adversely affect your handling and stability, and does not cause any rubbing or interference issues with your fenders or body panels.
To do this, you need to measure your current offset and clearance, determine how much you want to change them, and select a Subaru Forester wheel spacer that matches your desired specifications. You also need to make sure that your Subaru Forester wheel spacer is compatible with your bolt pattern, hub bore size, lug nuts or bolts, and center cap design.
In this case, we add BONOSS Subaru Forester wheel spacers for Subaru Forester with modified lager wheels. After swapping to a lager wheel, the thickness of the wheel increases 30mm, then we need a 15mm wheel spacer to maintain the original offset.
BONOSS Subaru Forester hub-centric wheel spacers are forged aluminum alloy made from aerospace grade 6061-T6 or 7075-T6. The supplimantary wheel studs are ISO grade 12.9 and the wheel nuts are ISO grade 10. Undergone a great many professional processes, they are stable, reliable and fully verified by SGS and TUV. While the safety issues are constantly concerned by poeple, if running BONOSS Subaru Forester hub-centric wheel spacers, you never worry that the car vibrates or the wheel spacers and wheel studs break. Besides, compared to other spacers, BONOSS Subaru Forester wheel spacers are more cost-effective while exhibiting excellent performance.
BONOSS wheel spacers are famous for the active cooling structures. They are heat dissipation grooves behind the spacers which can boost the cooling efficiency and reduce brake thermal decay. This design has been patented globally. In light of customers’ demands, there are disassembly grooves designed to easily dismount the spacers. Next time you are troubled by glued hub and spacer, you can fix it with just a screwdriver. You cannot discover another spacer full-functional like this.
Why does offset matter?
Offset matters because it affects how the wheel fits on the vehicle and how it interacts with other components. Offset affects three main aspects: clearance, scrub radius, and load transfer.
Clearance is the amount of space between the wheel and other parts of the vehicle, such as brakes, suspension, fenders, and body panels. If the offset is too high or too low, it can cause interference or rubbing issues with these parts, which can damage them or affect their performance. Therefore, it is important to choose an offset that provides enough clearance for your vehicle.
Scrub radius is the distance between the center of the tire contact patch and the steering axis. It affects how much steering effort is required and how much feedback is transmitted to the driver. If the offset is too high or too low, it can change the scrub radius and alter the steering feel and response. Therefore, it is important to choose an offset that matches your vehicle’s original scrub radius or adjust your alignment accordingly.
Load transfer is the distribution of weight and force among the wheels during acceleration, braking, and cornering. It affects how much grip and traction each wheel has and how stable and balanced the vehicle is. If the offset is too high or too low, it can change the load transfer and affect the handling and performance of your vehicle. Therefore, it is important to choose an offset that does not compromise your vehicle’s dynamics or safety.
How does Subaru Forester wheel spacer affect offset?
Subaru Forester wheel spacers affect offset by effectively reducing it. When you install a wheel spacer between the wheel and the hub, you move the wheel further away from the hub and closer to the edge of the fender. This means that you decrease the distance between the centerline of the wheel and the mounting surface of the hub, which is equivalent to reducing the offset.
For example, if you have a wheel with a positive offset of 40 mm and you install a 10 mm spacer behind it, you effectively reduce the offset to 30 mm. This means that your wheel will protrude 10 mm more than before.
The amount of offset reduction depends on how thick your spacer is. The thicker your spacer, the more you reduce your offset. For example, if you install a 20 mm spacer behind a 40 mm offset wheel, you reduce your offset to 20 mm.
We hope this post has helped you understand how Subaru Forester wheel spacers affect offset and how to choose a suitable spacer for your vehicle. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading!
