Thoughts on wheel offsets

[Aaron angeles]

In reading the sun visors warning of overturning I was reminded of horror stories long ago of Ford explorers being notorious for flipping over.

One move that caught my attention in the design of bronco sport (as compared to the Ford escape) is the locating of the center of gravity lower to the ground through a stepped profile- the upper half of the body reads as a smaller utility 'cap' attached to a bulkier base.

Adding weight to this base seems unsupportable with a small engine, so the next best thing seemed explorable- a wider track width through 2 in spacers, 4 in overall.

The handling feels different, it feels a lot more solid and a lot less springy/bouncing up top especially at speed on turns. What does this mean for sloped inclines? Who knows. Aesthetically it definitely reinforces the stepped profile.

Image: See black bronco sport on left hand side compared to a stock outer Banks on the right side

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[Osco]

I always thought Ford Explorers tipped over because of under inflated tires and more importantly inept drivers taking turns and lane changes in ways only suitable for lower profile cars.
Had several friends that never had a problem.
The wide offset looks cool but I wouldn’t want it.
All kinds of stuff thrown up on the sides of the vehicle, dirt, mud and rocks picked up by my tires.
Fender Flairs might keep that In check.

 

[RiotfunK]

That’s a big spacer to run. It’ll add more stress on wheel bearings, components etc. It’ll also add more leverage and soften up the ride since adding more force by moving it outward making it easier to compress spring. Think breaker bar vs ratchet.
I wouldn’t wheel it, probs rub on the flares. Spacers aren’t really meant for that anyway. But street driving you’ll be fine.

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