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Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:36 pm

I am thinking about getting a set of the 8 spoke wheels for my '70 beetle vert, so i was wondering which is the best tire for them? the car is the stock height right now but i might lower the front slightly, like 2 or 3 inches. What tire will work for stock height and lowered 2-3 inches?

Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:48 pm

i've been seeing lowered people go with 135, and 145r15.
stock height with some room for a little drop, is 165/15. ask someone who sells drop kits how low you can go.
I just bought 4 new Kumho tires from tirerack for about 180 shipped! 165/80/15 front, 195/65/15 rear 8)

Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:13 pm

So i need 165/80/15 front and rear?

Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:19 pm

check this out: http://www.oldbug.com/redsup.htm
lowered on 8 spokes.
Front: 145 R15
rear: 165 R15

^^not mine

heres also a good link to suspension/wheel/tire setups:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2...mp;start=0

Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:02 pm

rustfree1967bug wrote: So i need 165/80/15 front and rear?
if you want the OEM size.

Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:03 pm

195/60-15 with the front lowered 3".

Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:10 pm

Whats the best and cheapest way to lower the front about 2 inches?

Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:14 pm

Dropped spindles!!!

Kelly

Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:57 am

rustfree1967bug wrote: Whats the best and cheapest way to lower the front about 2 inches?
Buy adjusters and weld them in yourself.

Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:49 am

I would like to leave the stock beam original. Would dropped spindles be good?

Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:37 am

rustfree1967bug wrote: I would like to leave the stock beam original. Would dropped spindles be good?

yes.

Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:26 am

So are these good? http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D4165%2DFG

So can i just put these on, I don't need anything else?

Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:10 pm

Don't know how old your front bushings/ball joints are, but while you are installing your spindles, you might want to make everything fresh :wink: !!

Take care,

Kelly (Cohibra45)

Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:30 am

I have 135/15 on the front with dropped spindles and adjusters on a 2inch narrowed beam, so that the tires don't touch the fender

And on the back 185/70/15, stock height...

Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:36 pm

So how much lower is the front end from stock? im guessing 3 inches? So the rear is stock height? If i just use 2 1/2 drop spindles with the stock beam, what size tires do i need? And will i have any rubbing issues? Also iv'e heard if you lower more than 2 inches you need to do other things to make it handle right. What is that about? How does your car handle how it is? Does it scrape going out of driveways or any thing like that?

Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:20 pm

I don't know how much lower it's from stock

Here's a pic when i got it:

And then a picture only with dropped spindles...

The back is stock on that pick, i've lowered it one spline since then but it's too low and going back up, also because I've an engine with a deep sump coming..

I have no problem going out of driveways. My garage driveway is quite steep and it's no problem at all...

And my car handles just fine, i've done about 10000km since it's been lowered and sitting on 135/185 and it's all good, as long as i'm being reasonnable... :wink:

Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:42 pm

Ok so with only droped spindles i'll need 135/85/15 on the front right? will the tires rub the fendes though with the stock beam? Did you have to add any shims or anything with just the dropped spindles? Yours looks pretty good with the stock rear height and the front dropped 2 1/2. What brand of spindles did you use? And are they just a bolt them on and its done kind of thing?

Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:29 pm

Well you don't need 135, it fits and i think it looks well. Glenn's got 195/60-15 and it fits too, it looks different, now that's up to you.

With the droppend spindles (i got cb ones) i'd fit caster shims

http://www.csp-shop.de/cgi-bin/shop2/shop_main.cgi?func=start&wkid=6848086323

and new eccentrics, they help for the handling

http://www.csp-shop.de/shop2/frame_nachladen.php?f...a&pn=0

And the spindles are a "bolt them it's done"kind of thing, but you have to be really careful with the disk/drum bearing when you tighten them, or you could lose a wheel, and that's not good...

Maybe you have a shop near you where the guys can help you with the mounting of the new spindles...

Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:59 pm

What do you mean a whell could fall off?

Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:15 pm

Well you don't want to tighten it too much because that would wear out the bearing out but you don't want to under tighten it, because obviously it wouldn't be tightened enough...