Offset ET35 vs ET45: what's the difference?

[Slav4ikMD]

Sorry for a very naive question and I am sure this has been discussed in the past. I am looking to order a set of rims for the winter set up (probably 18' titanium style Alzor rims) - do I get ET35 or ET45? I looked through the old posts and they talk about spacers and all that stuff and I honestly don't know what this means.

Which ones should I get for them to fit in the car, not need any extra bells and whistles and look ok? Or either is fine and it's just a matter of how it will look? Can someone explain the difference to me in very simple terms?

Thanks!

P.S. BTW if anyone knows of where I can get 18' titanium wheels that are better than Alzors, let me know. I really like the darker and shinier look and can't find them anywhere. Hartmann's are out of stock, Aspect wheels are out of stock as well. Alzors look fine, but I don't love that light grey less aggressive look...

[Artem-RT]

Sorry for a very naive question and I am sure this has been discussed in the past. I am looking to order a set of rims for the winter set up (probably 18' titanium style Alzor rims) - do I get ET35 or ET45? I looked through the old posts and they talk about spacers and all that stuff and I honestly don't know what this means.

Which ones should I get for them to fit in the car, not need any extra bells and whistles and look ok? Or either is fine and it's just a matter of how it will look? Can someone explain the difference to me in very simple terms?

Thanks!

P.S. BTW if anyone knows of where I can get 18' titanium wheels that are better than Alzors, let me know. I really like the darker and shinier look and can't find them anywhere. Hartmann's are out of stock, Aspect wheels are out of stock as well. Alzors look fine, but I don't love that light grey less aggressive look...

ET is your wheel offset (measurement from the inside edge of your wheel hub to the center of the rim) sooo basically ET will dictate how far in or how far out your wheel will sit. If you dont care about the looks just go with ET45 (B8 stock wheel are ET43)

[SteveYem]

Well right off the bat, et35 sits 10mm farther outboard than et45 for a given width.
As a reference, the stock 18" wheels are 18x8 ET47, so the 18x8 ET45 sits 2mm farther out than the stock 18" wheel.
ET35 will give you a more aggressive stance before adding spacers. Think of it this way: ET35 = ET45 + 10mm spacer

Here is a picture of the 18x8 Alzors on my wife's GTI. They are a matte finish and closer to dark gray than light gray to my eye. Get some brake dust on them and they will darken up nicely:

[Slav4ikMD]

I guess I am not sure spacers are.... So if I get ET35's, I need to add spacers? Is that something that would automatically get done when the tire is mounted?

Is there a way to make wheels look darker and give them a more polished/shiny look?

[SteveYem]

I guess I am not sure spacers are.... So if I get ET35's, I need to add spacers? Is that something that would automatically get done when the tire is mounted?

Is there a way to make wheels look darker and give them a more polished/shiny look?

A spacer is a flat circular disc that fits between the wheel and the wheel hub. It acts to push the wheel farther out from the wheel hub.
You don't "need" spacers for either the ET45 or ET35 options. Whether or not you want them is up to you. The ET35 wheels will sit 12mm farther outboard than the stock 18" wheels. If that's acceptable to you, then you would not get spacers.

EDIT: So that we can establish a good point of reference, which wheels do you currently have? Stock 18", Stock 19", other?
EDIT2: I didn't fully address your questions. No, spacers would not be added automatically. They are a special item that you would buy separately and either install yourself (requires removing the wheel to install), or give to your tire shop to install for you when they reinstall the wheels.

I don't know of any way to make the Alzor wheels have a gloss finish.

[Joker S4]

I guess I am not sure spacers are.... So if I get ET35's, I need to add spacers?

It's hard to tell if you are being completely serious here. Prepare yourself. Spacers are often put on before the wheel, this isn't automatic. They are bought from various vendors. Paint your wheels, or just don't clean them. That will make them dark. I'm not sure where you are going with this.

[Slav4ikMD]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. It's probably because I honestly don't know what I am talking about! LOL

I now have the 19' stock peelers with summer tires. Getting 18' wheels for the winter set up.

I am just really trying to keep things simple, don't necessary want to have to buy any extra stuff and wanted a quick and dirty answer re which ones to order 35 or 45. A more aggressive look would be nice, but not at the expense of having to add extra stuff. Hope what I am saying makes sense.

[John@Roc-Euro]

You need the ET35s. You could do the 45s, but they'll be pretty sunk - in to the wheel well.

The reference to spacers (which are car, bolt pattern, and hub size specific) is that IF you have a wheel with a HIGHER offset than you need.. then you can get spacers to adjust the offset number DOWN only. They are in fixed increments, and small spacers have issues at times.

Your car is capable of a range of offsets; generally speaking for an 8.5" wide wheel, you can easily run a 35mm offset. An 8" wide wheel with a 35 offset will sit 1/4" more inboard. A 9" wide wheel with a 35 offset will sit 1/4" farther out. This is essentially, all you'd need to 'worry' about.

Winter wheels are better when narrower, or slightly tucked in, as they will not throw salt/snow/ice/crap down the side of your car. Put this on them either way when you get them. That will help keep them clean.

[Maitre Absolut]

At this point google is your friend. Search wheel offset and find out how it interacts with rim width, spacers, etc...

[mr shickadance]

here, read: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...nt-With-Wheels

[SteveYem]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. It's probably because I honestly don't know what I am talking about! LOL

I now have the 19' stock peelers with summer tires. Getting 18' wheels for the winter set up.

I am just really trying to keep things simple, don't necessary want to have to buy any extra stuff and wanted a quick and dirty answer re which ones to order 35 or 45. A more aggressive look would be nice, but not at the expense of having to add extra stuff. Hope what I am saying makes sense.

OK. The 19" stock peelers are 8.5" wide with ET43. We will use that as our starting point. The 18x8 +45 option will sit approx. 8.4mm farther inboard than the stock peelers. Meanwhile the 18x8 +35 option will sit approx. 1.7mm farther outboard than the stock peelers. If you want them to sit out farther, you need to add spacers between the wheels and the wheel hubs. Anyone, feel free to double check my math on this.

[Slav4ikMD]

Ok, now I got it. Thanks guys! Sounds like 35's will do.

So what paint does one typically use, if I wanted to add a darker shade to wheels?

[John@Roc-Euro]

The type that adheres.






... plastidip is easy. Do it off the car. Don't paint the area where the bolts go through.

[b6onboost]

If you want a permanent color that will stand up to winter abuse have them powdercoated.

If you want an inexpensive DIY just plasti-dip them a darker grey or titanium color.

[MVR 155]

I have the Alzor wheels that I ordered from ECS for my winter setup..... I actually went with the ET45 as to purposely keep them a bit more inside the wheel well to avoid any additional salt/sand and shit from the road kicking up on my paint over the winter. I know it's not the best looking setup in terms of stance but it does offer a bit of additional protection. Bottom line is that either wheel ET will work perfectly fine for your intended setup.

As far as paint goes...... I would honestly just leave them alone, if you plan on a do-it-yourself paint job you are not going to end up with a finish that will withstand the winter elements. How do I know this? It's because your asking about what kind of paint to use. Professional refinish or powder coating are really the only thing that will stand up to the elements. This type of work will jack up the total money you have invested to the point that you could probably just buy a nice set of summer wheels and use your peelers for winter tires.

[Slav4ikMD]

Wait, now I am again confused. So far I thought that 45's are essentially wider than 35's, which makes them look more "out" - or is it the other way around?

I know I am slow...

But either way, sounds like it doesn't matter a whole lot...

Man, I wish those Hartmann's were available, they just look so much nicer.

Definitely keeping peelers for the summer, I like how they look. And already bought 18' tires, so now just need 18' wheels.

[SteveYem]

Wait, now I am again confused. So far I thought that 45's are essentially wider than 35's, which makes them look more "out" - or is it the other way around?

I know I am slow...

But either way, sounds like it doesn't matter a whole lot...

Man, I wish those Hartmann's were available, they just look so much nicer.

Definitely keeping peelers for the summer, I like how they look. And already bought 18' tires, so now just need 18' wheels.

You have it reversed. For a given wheel width, the lower the offset (et), the farther out the outer rim of the wheel sits.
Using this specific case when comparing 18x8 et45 versus 18x8 et35, the 18x8 et35 sits 10mm (45 - 35 = 10) farther outboard than the 18x8 et45.

[BDNY7]

I have the Alzor wheels that I ordered from ECS for my winter setup..... I actually went with the ET45 as to purposely keep them a bit more inside the wheel well to avoid any additional salt/sand and shit from the road kicking up on my paint over the winter. I know it's not the best looking setup in terms of stance but it does offer a bit of additional protection. Bottom line is that either wheel ET will work perfectly fine for your intended setup..

+1 I went with Alzor in ET 45 as well because I don't care about my "stance" for winter and prefer them to be tucked in more. My main goal for winter is function and then worry about looks and stance for summer.

Edit: Here is a pic of my car with the ET 45

[Slav4ikMD]

Ok got it! Thanks, you guys rock.

Nice car, those look good on white.

I was just a little concerned with Alzors as my car is Dakote grey and it's more on the "shiny" side, so I didn't want for the wheels to cheapen the look, but seems like it should be fine.

Which center caps do you use with Alzors?

[MVR 155]

I just used the caps that came with them, it has the "Alzor" logo on it (which is a really thick sticker on a plastic center piece). I'll probably order some Audi logo stickers that are similar and apply those so it looks a bit more factory.

[emnahum]

I was on an online chat with the ECS folks earlier today and just went through all this. I also was confused about the offset issue.

I just ordered a set of Alzors for winter, 18x8 ET 35. The rep said that anything over 43 and the calipers would rub. Is that anyone's experience?

Some earlier threads I looked at said the Alzors were pressure cast. The rep said they are *all* gravity cast (not as good).

The center caps are not inter-operable with the Audi caps, so as MVR says, the sticker approach is the way to go.

[AWDLover]

I ordered these stickers from ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/4PCS-Wheel-C...item35dd27f6d0

Super cheap and look ok enough for winter wheels.

[SteveYem]

I was on an online chat with the ECS folks earlier today and just went through all this. I also was confused about the offset issue.

I just ordered a set of Alzors for winter, 18x8 ET 35. The rep said that anything over 43 and the calipers would rub. Is that anyone's experience?

Some earlier threads I looked at said the Alzors were pressure cast. The rep said they are *all* gravity cast (not as good).

The center caps are not inter-operable with the Audi caps, so as MVR says, the sticker approach is the way to go.

Regarding the offset, that may be true in the case of these particular wheels, but is not always true in general. For instance, the stock 18x8" S4 wheels are +47 offset. It depends on the geometry of the spokes versus the caliper.

At the $400 price point, I would expect nothing other than gravity cast. But at that price level if you destroy a wheel you can buy a second set and then have 3 spares ready to go. (Or maybe they sell individual wheels, but I don't see it on their website). My wife hit a generous pothole and put a nasty bend in one of her Alzor 18" rotor reps, and we have a little vibration now at 65+ mph but it still holds air. I'm actually pretty happy with that outcome.

[jl87]

18x8 45et alzors here also, no rubs or issues.

[Race Shooter]

I was on an online chat with the ECS folks earlier today and just went through all this. I also was confused about the offset issue.

I just ordered a set of Alzors for winter, 18x8 ET 35. The rep said that anything over 43 and the calipers would rub. Is that anyone's experience?

Some earlier threads I looked at said the Alzors were pressure cast. The rep said they are *all* gravity cast (not as good).

The center caps are not inter-operable with the Audi caps, so as MVR says, the sticker approach is the way to go.

Funny, when I got mine, I had a rep suggest the 45s to me saying that 35s might rub if I'm lowered, even on OE. I definitely didnt want that so went with 45. After thinking about it more and running numbers, the 35s wouldnt be significantly further out than stock peelers, so I should have gone that route, but its no biggie. Tucked in will keep more crap off the side of the car.

[mr shickadance]

here.

[mr shickadance]

more

[SteveYem]

Funny, when I got mine, I had a rep suggest the 45s to me saying that 35s might rub if I'm lowered, even on OE. I definitely didnt want that so went with 45. After thinking about it more and running numbers, the 35s wouldnt be significantly further out than stock peelers, so I should have gone that route, but its no biggie. Tucked in will keep more crap off the side of the car.

I think he was being overly conservative. The stock peelers are +43 offset, so we're talking about moving the centerline of the tire 8mm farther out. Last winter I ran the stock peelers with 255/35/19 Dunlop Wintersport 3D and 10mm spacers in the rear, so +33 net offset. No rubbing at all, under any circumstance in my experience.

The subtlety is the geometry of the tire. The 255 on 8.5" wheel gives theoretically more "stretch" than 245 on 8.0", so one could try to argue that there is more forgiveness in the 255/35/19 peeler scenario, but I'll bet its negligible.

Then again, I have a set of 255/35/19 Michelin PSS that I was running at +35 stretched on a 9.5" wide wheel and it was rubbing in the rear.

[Race Shooter]

Yeah, thats fine, I'd rather him be more conservative, especially when I said I definitely didnt want to deal with a rub.

I just mainly posted cause one ECS rep said that the 45 wouldnt fit the car, yet I had mine specifically suggesting it.

[ccssid]

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator

or

https://jrowny.com/page/offset-calculator/

[SteveYem]

Yeah, thats fine, I'd rather him be more conservative, especially when I said I definitely didnt want to deal with a rub.

I just mainly posted cause one ECS rep said that the 45 wouldnt fit the car, yet I had mine specifically suggesting it.

Thinking more about it, you make a good point regarding the amount of crap that gets flung up on the side of the car from the tires. I bought the +35 18x8 Alzors and now I'm thinking about buying some clear plastidip to cover the lower sides of the rear bumper which is where I noticed the paint on my previous car getting chewed up.

[emnahum]

Regarding the offset, that may be true in the case of these particular wheels, but is not always true in general. For instance, the stock 18x8" S4 wheels are +47 offset. It depends on the geometry of the spokes versus the caliper.

I'm guessing he meant my particular wheels.

At the $400 price point, I would expect nothing other than gravity cast. But at that price level if you destroy a wheel you can buy a second set and then have 3 spares ready to go. (Or maybe they sell individual wheels, but I don't see it on their website). My wife hit a generous pothole and put a nasty bend in one of her Alzor 18" rotor reps, and we have a little vibration now at 65+ mph but it still holds air. I'm actually pretty happy with that outcome.

I also asked if they sold individual wheels and he said no. But at that price, as you say, it's not so bad to have spares. Or perhaps AZ'ers in the same area can split an order. Sounds like there's a lot of 18" Alzors on AZ.

[SteveYem]

I wanted to sanity check myself regarding my choice to get the Alzors in et35 rather than et45. I found a picture of my old B8 where I was running the stock 19" peelers with 255/35 winter tires, with 10mm rear and 5mm front spacers. So ignoring the difference in wheel width, I just wanted to remind myself where my tires sat last winter so I could envision where the new tires will sit on the et35 18" wheels.

The net offsets (including the aforementioned spacers) in this photo are et33 rear ( et43 wheel - 10mm spacer) and et38 front ( et43 wheel - 5mm spacer):



My new winter wheels are et35 so relative to the above photo the centerline of the rear tire will be 2mm farther inboard, and the centerline of the front tire will be 3mm farther outboard. However the tread width on the new tires is 245 versus 255 on the ones pictured above, so technically that helps to limit the amount of "exposed" tread beyond the fender wells which will kick all the road crap up onto the side of the car (although I think the difference is likely negligible).

In hindsight, I should have ordered the et45 and then have the option to play with the stance using spacers, but since the set of et35 were already delivered and shipping is expensive I think I'll give them a try.

[SteveYem]

This morning I got my 18x8 +35 wheels with 245/40R18 winter tires installed. In my opinion, the fitment is a good balance between stance and functionality as far as keeping most of the tire tucked into the wheel well. I'm actually happy I chose the +35 despite my prior apprehension.

[Maitre Absolut]

Yeah, thats fine, I'd rather him be more conservative, especially when I said I definitely didnt want to deal with a rub.

I just mainly posted cause one ECS rep said that the 45 wouldnt fit the car, yet I had mine specifically suggesting it.

Like others already mentionned

from stock et43 / 8.5" to et35 / 8" = 8mm - (0.5* 1/2inch = 6.35mm) = 1.65mm (further out)

from stock et43 / 8.5" to et45 / 8" = -2mm - (0.5* 1/2inch = 6.35mm) = -8.35mm (further in)

The ECS rep was suggesting that pushing the wheel in by 8.35mm might cause the calipers to rub