techbasics
101
Wheel OFFSET Demystifying wheel offset S
o you’ve just bought your new golf cart and you’re on a mission to make it look better, function better, and you’re wishing you had more money to do it all, right? Well, one of the first items most people put on their vehicles are tires and wheels. Why, you ask? Well, we all want more traction and a better-looking rig, and a set of tires and wheels is a great way to do it. But not all tires and wheels are created equal, and it’s important to know some of the basics so you can make an educated decision when buying a set. You’ve probably heard of wheel backspacing, wheel offset, different bolt patterns, 1-piece, 2-piece, 3-piece wheels, beadlocks, Measuring inner clearance
aluminum, steel, and all of a sudden you have no idea what to buy, right? There are too many options and too little information to make the right decision. So, what do you do? “Hey buddy, what did you end up getting? I don’t know, but they sure look purty, don’t they? I got them from such-and-such and I love ‘em.” And all of a sudden, you’re calling up suchand-such for the exact same thing, right? Well, if you’re like us, we like to research what our best options are, what’s going to look the best, what’s going to work the best for the type of terrains we ride, etc. before spending our hard-earned money. So, let’s jump in and figure out what all these terms mean. Measuring outer clearance
Stock 7” wheel After market 8” wheel
18 GOLFCARTING.COM
Inside or Brake Side
4+3 (positive offset)
0 (zero offset)
3+4 (negative offset)
1. Wheel Offset = Wheel Backspacing The way UTV wheels are labeled are as follows: 4+3 means there’s 4 inches from the inside to the mounting surface of the wheel and 3 inches on the outside of the wheel totaling a 7-inches-wide wheel. So, if you want to move your wheels further out from the center of your vehicle creating a wider stance, the first number needs to be lower than your stock wheels and vice versa. 2. Bolt Patterns Each manufacturer has their own bolt pattern, so make sure you tell the place you’re buying the wheels from which vehicle it’s for. Here’s the most common UTV bolt patterns: A. Yamaha – 4/100mm B. Polaris – 4/156mm C. Arctic Cat – 4/110mm D. Kawasaki – 4/137mm E. Golf Cart – 4 on 4
3 piece OMF Performance wheels
