Quick answer: A staggered setup uses wider wheels on the rear axle than on the front, for example 18x8.5 at the front and 18x9.5 at the rear. It gives a deeper, more aggressive look at the back and room for a wider rear tyre, but you can no longer rotate tyres front to rear. SpeedWorks makes staggered sets in SW02, SW05, SW06, SW12, SW15 and SW17.
Here is how staggered setups work, what you give up, and the staggered builds our customers actually run.
What "staggered" means
A square setup uses the same size and offset on all four corners. A staggered setup uses a wider wheel, and usually a wider tyre, on the rear. Our staggered sets keep the same diameter front and rear and change the width, and often the offset too.
Owners choose staggered for two main reasons:
- Looks. A wider rear wheel has a deeper lip and sits further out, which fills the rear guards. On a deep-lip design like SW17 the difference is obvious.
- Rear tyre width. On a rear-wheel-drive car, a wider rear wheel lets you run a wider rear tyre.
The trade-off: tyre rotation
The main practical limitation is rotation. With a square setup you can move tyres between the front and rear to even out wear. With a staggered setup you cannot, because the front and rear wheels and tyres are different sizes.
- Front to rear: not possible on a staggered set.
- Side to side: possible on the same axle if the tyres are not directional and the wheels are the same size and offset left and right. Directional tyres would need to be removed from the wheel and remounted to swap sides.
- Replacing tyres: front and rear tyres wear at their own rates, so expect to replace them as separate pairs rather than as a set of four.
- Spare: a single spare can only match one axle. Check what you will carry before you commit.
On all-wheel-drive cars, front and rear tyre sizes need to be chosen carefully so the overall diameters stay closely matched. If your car is all-wheel drive, talk to us before ordering a staggered set.
SpeedWorks wheels that come staggered
| Wheel | Front | Rear | Stud pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW02 | 19x8.5 +30 | 19x9.5 +25 | 5x120 | Flow-formed, Hyper Black & Machine Lip. From $250 per wheel. |
| SW05 | 18x8.5 +35 | 18x9.5 +35 | 5x100 & 5x114.3 | Cast, Hyper Black & Machine Lip. From $225 per wheel. |
| SW06 | 18x8.5 +35 | 18x9.5 +25 | 5x114.3 | Cast, Gloss Black & Machine Lip. From $225 per wheel. |
| SW15 | 18x8.5 +35 | 18x9.5 +22 | 5x114.3 | Flow-formed, Hyper Black 6-spoke. From $250 per wheel. |
| SW17 | 18x9.5 +22 | 18x10.5 +22 | 5x114.3 | Cast retro 5-spoke, deep lip, Gloss Black & Machine Lip. From $275 per wheel. |
| SW12 | 18x8.5 +30 | 18x9.5 +22 | 5x114.3 | Cast 10-spoke, Hyper Black & Machine Lip. From $250 per wheel. |
Wheels are priced per wheel and shipped in sets of four, so a staggered set is two front and two rear wheels.
Real staggered builds
These are customer cars from our gallery.
| Car | Wheel | Front | Rear | Stud pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Silvia S15 | SW06 | 18x8.5 +35 | 18x9.5 +25 | 5x114.3 |
| Nissan 350Z Roadster | SW17 | 18x9.5 +22 | 18x10.5 +22 | 5x114.3 |
| Toyota Cressida MX83 | SW17 | 18x9.5 +22 | 18x10.5 +22 | 5x114.3 |
| BMW 330Ci E46 | SW02 | 19x8.5 +30 | 19x9.5 +25 | 5x120 |
| BMW M3 E46 | SW02 | 19x8.5 +30 | 19x9.5 +25 | 5x120 |
| BMW 3 Series E92 coupe | SW02 | 19x8.5 +30 | 19x9.5 +25 | 5x120 |
How much further out the rear sits
Using half the rim width minus the offset, measured from the hub face:
- SW06 on the S15: the rear outer lip sits about 23 mm further out than the front (about 96 mm versus 73 mm).
- SW02 on the E46 and E92 BMWs: the rear sits about 18 mm further out than the front (about 96 mm versus 78 mm).
- SW17 on the 350Z Roadster and Cressida: both ends are +22, so the extra inch at the rear splits evenly, about 13 mm further out and 13 mm further in.
You can check any combination against your current wheels with our wheel offset calculator. Our wheel offset guide explains the maths.
Wider, lower-offset rear wheels may need guard work or a lowered ride height depending on the car, so ask us before ordering.
Staggered or square?
Staggered suits rear-wheel-drive cars where the look matters and you are happy to replace tyres in pairs. A square setup suits owners who want to rotate tyres and keep running costs simple. Plenty of our rear-wheel-drive customers run square 18x9.5 +22 on all four corners, such as the S14, S15, R34 and JZX100 Chaser builds on SW12 and SW10.
Frequently asked questions
Can you rotate tyres on a staggered setup?
Not front to rear. You can swap side to side on the same axle if the tyres are non-directional and the left and right wheels are the same size and offset.
Which SpeedWorks wheels come staggered?
SW02 (5x120), SW05, SW06, SW12, SW15 and SW17.
Is staggered worth it on a front-wheel-drive car?
Usually a square setup makes more sense, because the front tyres do the driving and wear fastest, and you lose the ability to rotate them to the rear. Ask us if you are considering it.
Do I have to buy four wheels?
Wheels are priced per wheel and shipped in sets of four. For a staggered setup that means two front-size and two rear-size wheels.