How to Measure for Offset on Trailer Wheel

Published 10/06/2017

Question:

I see that you have wheel offset. I am not sure how to measure this. I am use to wheel backspacking- measured from back mounting surface of the wheel to the outer edge. usually anywhere from 3.5inch to 6inch for a normal wheel. I lost my spare wheel/tire. So I am trying to match a new wheel to one of the existing that I have on my fifth wheel.

asked by: Scott

Expert Reply:

Wheel offset is very similar to backspacing and refers to the location of a wheel's rim in relation to the wheel's center. Most trailer wheels have a 0 offset, but to determine if the wheels on your trailer have one, you will first want to remove the wheel from the trailer. Once removed, you can measure from the mounting surface of the wheel (where it mounts to the hub) to the inside and outside beads. The difference between these two measurements is the offset.

The HWT Aluminum Hi-Spec Series 03 Mod Wheel # TAM22657 that you were looking at has a negative 8 millimeter offset. This means that the mounting surface on the wheel actually moves 8 millimeters towards the trailer, essentially moving the tire away from the trailer. Also note that this wheel has a 8 on 6-1/2 inch bolt pattern. I have attached an article that explains how to measure your bolt pattern to ensure you are picking out a compatible wheel.

I have attached a short video demonstration on this wheel along with a link that will take you to our available selection of trailer wheels that you can look through.

expert reply by: Chris R