stillsteamn
Active Member
A really good article. Also a dedicated wheel size tool you can buy for $400.
How to Measure for Offset, Big Rims and Tires
How to Measure for Offset, Big Rims and Tires
Figuring out what size wheels fit your car
- Thread starter stillsteamn
- Start date
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It is a good article, and does cover a lot of things that people get wrong as far as understanding offset, backspace, and even the overall width of the wheel. And they cover all the big hang ups, hub bore diameter etc.
There are a bunch of different tools out there to measure for tire size, ranging from super simple all the way up to as complex as the one they used. You can see the range of tools here from summit Wheel and Tire Fitment Tools at Summit Racing
Obviously the cheaper tools aren't quite as exact, and the expensive ones like the one used in the article can pretty much check everything. If you've never checked for tire clearance before or have a new bodystyle then one of those really expensive tools can be very handy to get it right the first time, and as the article states even the $400 tool is usually cheaper than buying the wrong wheels. That said, a yardstick, a carpenter's square and a tape measure can get you really close if you have an idea of what you're doing and are willing to do a little trial and error.
The other thing that helps a lot is having a wheel or two with known measurements to check against. I can understand a large shop doing custom builds having a $400 tool for measuring tires. You'd be dealing with different bodystyles, you wouldn't necessarily be familiar with what other people have managed to fit or have time to research it, and you might not have any rollers laying around to throw on the car to get an idea. For someone at home the combination of having a spare wheel to compare with, dealing with one or two bodystyles, and having the time to do a little internet searching can be a lot easier on the budget that having a $400 tool you'll use once.
There are a bunch of different tools out there to measure for tire size, ranging from super simple all the way up to as complex as the one they used. You can see the range of tools here from summit Wheel and Tire Fitment Tools at Summit Racing
Obviously the cheaper tools aren't quite as exact, and the expensive ones like the one used in the article can pretty much check everything. If you've never checked for tire clearance before or have a new bodystyle then one of those really expensive tools can be very handy to get it right the first time, and as the article states even the $400 tool is usually cheaper than buying the wrong wheels. That said, a yardstick, a carpenter's square and a tape measure can get you really close if you have an idea of what you're doing and are willing to do a little trial and error.
The other thing that helps a lot is having a wheel or two with known measurements to check against. I can understand a large shop doing custom builds having a $400 tool for measuring tires. You'd be dealing with different bodystyles, you wouldn't necessarily be familiar with what other people have managed to fit or have time to research it, and you might not have any rollers laying around to throw on the car to get an idea. For someone at home the combination of having a spare wheel to compare with, dealing with one or two bodystyles, and having the time to do a little internet searching can be a lot easier on the budget that having a $400 tool you'll use once.
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