offset and bearings

[mrpham]

Hello,

I've read a bit about how more negative offset wheels will do lots of damage to wheel bearings, but I've always wondered how much damage they do.

My front wheel bearings have lasted about 250,000kms running standard wheels and tyres, it's actually been 14years! I now have 31x12.5 tyres with -23mm offset 15x8 wheels.

I recently did a service on my car and also changed all the wheel bearings. Will my bearings last half as long now? Or should I expect to replace them every year?

The car is my daily driver, but I go wheeling about 2-3 times a month.


Cheers


Cheers.

[mkpatrol]

In the old days of Set A & Set B bearings (Holdens & Fords) it used to chop them out all the time because you were going from a 4 1/2 inch rim to 6-7 or 8. The only way you could do thai was to go out & way fron the axle which effecively doubled the load on the outer bearing wich was only 2 inches in diameter.

Many of todays 4WD's have massive bearings compared to these and can handle the load much better. They are usually specced in the higher models with wider wheels and are generally engneered to take it.

There are two ways you can come to your conclusion and thats to mathematically calculate the load using the dimensions of the rim to the axle or to drive it.

The thing is there are so many variables in how long a bearing lasts from quality of manufacture, use (mud, towing, sharp hits, preload, service history ect) to basically how you treat them & fitting larger wheels is part of that.

I know this is not really an answer but I dont think there really is one

[mrpham]

Thanks mkpatrol.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens