17" wheels and offsets...

[audidudi@delphi.com (Jeffrey J. Goggin)]

     If you are confident that your wheels will fit a lowered car, then we
>     should talk about getting some for mine or at least defining what you
>     have.  I still need to call some OEM connections I have to see what
>     might be available or possible for such a good customer as
>     Chrysler...heehee:-). I really prefer 16" though given the roads here
>     in Michigan and the already harsh nature of my set-up.

Obviously, I can't guarantee they'll fit YOUR car -- as you know, no two
cars are made exactly alike! -- and I have no idea if they will clear the
early-style rear control arms on your '86 but everything fits perfectly on
my '89 200q.  Like I said to you privately, I checked clearances by stroking
the shocks & struts through their full range of travel and they didn't hit
anywhere so I don't see how there can be any problems regardless what static
ride height you choose.  I can say that 16" wheels with the same offsets
(insets?) WON'T work because I "pushed the envelope" with my 17s and there
are a couple of places where they will definitely hit: on the rear springs,
for instance, and possibly the rear lower control arms toward the front...

>     And yes I went asking numerous people here at Chrysler who deal in
>     wheels and some who have worked at places like Lotus and everyone
>     agrees with the definition I posted for you.  The Brits say "inset"
>     and "outset" to define positive and negative offset.  The same guy who
>     told me this also said that the Germans use the same terminology BUT
>     it means the opposite to them which has caused some confusion in the
>     past...sounds like this is what happened to you perhaps??

I don't know ... the authors of the half-dozen refernce books I checked are
all Americans and have all worked in Detroit so who knows?

>     but I believe that for continuity's sake we should adopt the system
most commonly accepted in the US >     which is the definition stated in my
previous post.

Hmmm ... *I* think we should stick with whatever Audi uses since these cars
are the focus of the discussion on this mailing list.  But that's just my
opinion and you know what they say about opinions...
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    / |      _| o    | \       _| o     Jeffrey Goggin
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