Off-Set - Bit Like Off side, but more complicated
Just a thought my G460 has factory wheel arches and factory 15inch alloys but no spacers.........so are the axels wider on wide arch cars than on the standard cars?
..you get positive and negative wheel offset...
But generally they are positive so larger number means the wheel face sinks further into car body work.
Offset also affects steering feel as the centre of the tyre moves relative to the axis that the hub rotates around so less positive offset from factory settings creates heavier steering and more kick from stones etc (larger arm to push against) as you are putting the centre of the tyre further from the pivot of the hub.
There are wide and narrow axles for 463 but all 460 are narrow. UK spec'ed 463 with arches are wide axled but imports without arches may have narrow axles. The stock wheel offset is different between the wide and narrow axles.. and you need spacers to fit a larger offset 460 wheel to a wide 463 axle to get back to stock geometry
http://www.gwoa.co.uk/node/7615
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/g-class/1208322-any-ideas-2.html..
As stated, all W460 axles are narrow and for those with wheel arch extensions, the wheels had a different offset, with a more exposed rim on the outside.
Adding spacers should not be necessary with W460 wide wheels (No.5) on a 460, but off-course, these are 15" and you may therefore wish to fit W463 , 16" wheels for a greater choice of tyres. These wheels will generally require spacers, if fitting to a W460.
It is important, however, to compare wheels of approximately the same width, as otherwise you will also have to compensate for any with difference of the rim.
eg: the standard wide wheel on the 460 this one (No.5)
(7" wide) 7J x 15 H2 with et of 37 mm
If you wish to fit an Atik wheel from a 463 (No.8)
(7.5" wide) 7.5J x 16 H2 with et of 63 mm
The required spacer will be 63 - 37 = 26 mm, (can use a 25mm spacer)
But you may also wish to account for the wider rim (if significantly wider) and add 1/2 of the difference in rim width to ensure internal clearance in the wheel-arch and proper centering with the hub.
= 1/2 x 0.5" = 1/2 x 12.7 mm = 6.3mm
Total spacer thickness = 26 mm + 6.3 mm = 33 mm approx (can use a 30mm spacer)
The other complication here is that altering the wheel position with spacers is not the same as extending the axles (W463) as the rolling centre of the wheel will in each case be in a different position relative to the swivel joint of the front axle hubs. I suspect that the W460 was designed with narrow wheels in mind, which incidentally are also et 63. The wide, 15" wheel will have altered the steering characteristic with an et 37, but probably the only way to get them to fit with adequate clearances.
The further out they sit (lower et number) the more stress on the wheel bearings.
Thanks to you both
This has been a source of much head scratching as to me positive means the wheel goes out :-) and this explains why my alloys sat in - got the wrong ones - until I put 30mm spacers on.
the guy working on it says - after reading the service PDF I had already got that the 460 bearing appear to be adjustable - I was told doing this will ruin the hub assembly (short hub??) hence why I had to have them replaced what I last did the bearings 6 years ago..
The wheel bearings are adjustable, but only in order to obtain the correct pre-load. Not adjustable for different wheel offsets, if that is what you mean? Generally, once play has developed in the wheel bearings, it's best to replace them and to follow the correct installation and pre-load, tightening procedure.
Would either have a view on this?? He is going to take them apart (partially) and have a look when he is fitting a new viscous coupling. My concern is they must look adjustable as they last mechanics did just that twice before they ran out of play :-))
You can try to re-pack the bearings with grease and to re-set the lock-nut on the hub, but it may not last long.
Interestingly another view was as you move the wheels out - spacers or negative offset - he felt it advisable to increase rim width to try to reduce the creep of the wheel center point in relation to original spec to help with bearing wear?
Ideally, the wheel centre, should lie above the bearing centres, so as to minimise cantelever forces. It's best to stick to the 7" or 7.5" wide rims and not go much wider. Increasing the rim width, will extend the wheel edges both inwards and outwards, The spacer thickness, should increase also, by 1/2 of the additional increase in wheel width, to keep the centre-line but as I said, best to avoid very wide wheels, and spacers of more than 30mm can be unsafe and will require really long bolts.
Best Simon
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Thanks to you both
This has been a source of much head scratching as to me positive means the wheel goes out :-) and this explains why my alloys sat in - got the wrong ones - until I put 30mm spacers on.
the guy working on it says - after reading the service PDF I had already got that the 460 bearing appear to be adjustable - I was told doing this will ruin the hub assembly (short hub??) hence why I had to have them replaced what I last did the bearings 6 years ago..
Would either have a view on this?? He is going to take them apart (partially) and have a look when he is fitting a new viscous coupling. My concern is they must look adjustable as they last mechanics did just that twice before they ran out of play :-))
Interestingly another view was as you move the wheels out - spacers or negative offset - he felt it advisable to increase rim width to try to reduce the creep of the wheel center point in relation to original spec to help with bearing wear?
Best Simon