[Dean]

ET = einpress tief

Rim Markings
Wheels are made with markings, usually on the rim, the meanings of some of which are fairly obvious, some less so. Consider a wheel marked "15x7J ET38." We should all know that 15 is the diameter, in inches, of the surface the tire's bead rests on, while 7 is the width, or the distance between the flanges that support the bead as air pressure forces it outward along the axis of the spindle. The J is not obvious, but is simple once you know: It simply refers to the shape of that flange, easier to understand if you imagine a steel wheel on which the lip is rolled over like a J. "ET" may or may not be present. It is an abbreviation of einpress tief, German that translates literally as "pushed in depth," or offset. The 38 is the offset measured in mm.