wheel offsets

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My OE wheels are 15 X 6 et46. I am looking at a new set of wheels for winter tires but the closest sizes I can get are 15 x 6 et38 or 15 x 6.5 et40. I know the wheel manufacturers say these wheels will fit but what affect will the difference offsets have? From www.wheel-size.com it shows that the scrub radius goes from zero to positive. Will the different scrub radius cause the tires to wear differently? Will it affect the suspension or steering at all? Could it affect mpg? Or Is it such a little difference it won't really change anything?

Any help is appreciated.
 
My winters on the Focus are off by a similar amount, with less positive offset and it is noticeable. Torque steer is amplified a bit in 1st and 2nd gear, and I read it actually softens the effective spring rate significantly which I think I can feel as well. Hwy stability is still excellent though, and tires don't care about offset either for wear. Haven't had any wheel bearing problems yet and don't really expect to, but I also autocross which isn't easy on bearings either.
Also my tires are just set out enough to throw more dirt on the side of the car, but the car does look a bit more planted as the tires are a half inch farther apart.
Get the ET40 though, you might as well minimize the difference.
 
Not that I would recommend it on a modern car, but my 1981 Camaro street legal stock car drives great with 15 x 10 inch wheels with a minus 2 inch offset, with a 4 inch wider track drives great.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
Not that I would recommend it on a modern car, but my 1981 Camaro street legal stock car drives great with 15 x 10 inch wheels with a minus 2 inch offset, with a 4 inch wider track drives great.



That's cool. I like the look of the wider sidewalls. I'm sure the ride is excellent. I won't do that on my FWD hybrid though. I'm just trying to fit wheels without messing anything up. I always get good advice here on BITOG and I appreciate it.
 
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