Stock maxima wheels have a 40mm offset, what happens when i put a 35mm offset rim, will it stock out more tords the outside or the inside, what if the rim is wider? Im lost on this one.

 

Offset calculator (in the sticky)
http://toy4two.home.mindspring.com/offset.html

offset is the distance from where the rim bolts up to the hub/rotor to the center of the tire. So a 18x8in rim with 40mm offset has a 40mm distance from the center of the rim (4" mark) to the bolt up place.

so therefore offset is in relation to rim width also. You can't just compare a 35mm offset to 40mm offset. You'll need a comparison say between a stock 17x7 40mm offset (although i think its 45mm stock) to a 18x8 40mm offset

someone correct me if i'm wrong

 

Wheel diameter has nothing to do with offset. 18" wheel with 40mm offset will be the same as 17" wheel with 40 mm offset. If the center of the outside of the wheel and the backside of the wheel where the bolt holes are were in a straight line you would have zero offset (meaning you if you could measure from the backside of the rim to and the front side there would be no difference). With a 40 mm offset you are 40 mm off the center line moved back toward the inside of the car. I know this may not make sense but I can't explain what I'm trying to say.

 

Tirerack has a good description of how offset works. *Clicky*. Basically, for a positive offset (which all Maximas have), as the offset number goes UP in value, the rim will be pushed farther towards the body of the car (in the Tirerack diagram, the BACK of the rim will be closer to the strut housing). As people above have said, the width of the wheel comes into play. If you have a 7" rim with a 0 offset, then the rim will protrude 3.5" on either side of the hub, whereas if the rim were 8" wide with a 0 offset, then it would protrude 4" in either direction. This has consequences because the distance between the hub and the suspension system is fixed (at least on my car), so as the wheel width INCREASES, the offset must DECREASE a little, otherwise the lip of the rim will get closer and closer to my strut housing. For my 18" SSRs, they have a +45mm offset stock. This is too much -- they hit my strut. So, I have a 6mm spacer on my hub, which effectively REDUCES the offset by 6mm, as it "pushes" the rim more towards the front (street side in the Tirerack diagram). I hope this gives you a clearer understanding of offset.

 

I think i got it, the tirerack link helped, so the higher the offset number the more towrds the outiside the rim will sit. correct?

 

No. The higher the offset, the more towards the body of the car the rim will sit.

 

damm cause the rims im looking at have a 42 offset, willi need spacers?

 

Not as long as the new wheel AND tire aren't significantly wider than stock. 2mm is nothing. It'd probably help if you posted your plans.

 

i got these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEBWN%3AIT

Not sure what i want for tires but i think i can fit 245/35/19 rubber on um without rubbing with my 1.5 drop ,right?

 

You should be able to get away w/ 245/35 or 40/19s