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nomis
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2004
Posts: 390
Location: cornwall, UK
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 Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:29 am Post subject: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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I am currently running 31x10.5" bfg km2s on the rear of my baja, and I am very happy with them. I believe they are on 7" wide wheels.
I would like to change to some alloy wheels, both for a different look, and to get some weight off of the rotating mass.
Always loved the look on this car:
Surely the 5.5" wheels would be too narrow for a 10.5" wide tyre?
Does anyone have any experience of running large tyres on this sort of wheel?
Thanks. |
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nomis
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2004
Posts: 390
Location: cornwall, UK
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:31 am Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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P.S.
This is my current setup:
Like I said, I think that the rear wheels are 7" wide (between mounting surfaces). |
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jsturtlebuggy
Samba Member
Joined: August 24, 2005
Posts: 4496
Location: Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 3:08 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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I am using 33-10.50x15 BFG KM2 on 6.5 wide Flat 4 BRMs on my buggy.
I sure you can fit a 10.50 on the 5.5in rim it may crown more and not be that easy to mount.
In off road racing they use 35-12.50x15 tires on 7in beadlock wheel. The beadlock makes it easier to mount the tire.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960 |
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Brian
Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012
Posts: 8340
Location: Oceanside
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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I remember somewhere I think Dusty said that people use 10" tires on the stock 4" rims.
I did 31x10.5-15 on 8" wheels. Those KM2s do great in sand from what I've seen.
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Wash your hands
'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper
Only losers litter |
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SamT
Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2009
Posts: 1761
Location: Rule, Tx
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 5:37 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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| If you dont mind the rolled up desert tire look they will work. Ive seen tires mounted up on way narrow wheels that look like hell and others not bad. It will definetly wear the center of the tread, but most of us dont put enough miles on our buggys to matter. Being tall helps that some, short tires will definetly look horrible. |
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jsturtlebuggy
Samba Member
Joined: August 24, 2005
Posts: 4496
Location: Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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My BFG KM2 are pretty damn flat across the treads on the 6.5in wheel and so were the 12.50 BFG Baja T/A on a 7in beadlock.
And yes they do decent in the sand and on the street. This is at Sand Mountain outside of Fallon, NV at close to the end of a 7,000 mile trip from California across the states to the Outer Banks, North Carolina and back home. This is a several hundred feet above the valley floor.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960 |
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no1clyde
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2013
Posts: 365
Location: Elko Nv.
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:06 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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I am running 30-9.5s on 4.5 stock rims on all 4 wheels with no problems.
Ed |
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nomis
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2004
Posts: 390
Location: cornwall, UK
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| Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 5:34 am Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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Thanks for the feedback.
The 33s on the BRMs look really good, I will look out for a set of wheels & give my tyre fitter a challenge! |
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HILLAHOLIC
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2007
Posts: 110
Location: Elyria, Ohio
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 7:58 am Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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Look at the front tire on this chain drive. thats a 44" tire on a 3" wheel. He said it was a pita to mount but he got it done. |
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BAJAumBUG
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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My rear tires are 31's. I would prefer 30's or even 29's. not sure on the width of my rim though.
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EnjoyNukaCola
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2014
Posts: 491
Location: Santa Clarita
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 3:06 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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| BAJAumBUG wrote: |
My rear tires are 31's. I would prefer 30's or even 29's. not sure on the width of my rim though.
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Why would you prefer a smaller tire?
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"when i go to drive it i get to like 5-10 mph it is at high rpms and gets higher the faster i go when i shift up to second the rpms drop is this normal or what and this is my first vw please help" |
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BAJAumBUG
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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| EnjoyNukaCola wrote: |
| BAJAumBUG wrote: |
My rear tires are 31's. I would prefer 30's or even 29's. not sure on the width of my rim though.
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Why would you prefer a smaller tire? |
well the bug just feels a little under powered with the 31's. with the 1600 single barrel. ill be putting the 2 barrel on next week so it will prob feel much better. |
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EnjoyNukaCola
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2014
Posts: 491
Location: Santa Clarita
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 4:07 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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| BAJAumBUG wrote: |
| EnjoyNukaCola wrote: |
| BAJAumBUG wrote: |
My rear tires are 31's. I would prefer 30's or even 29's. not sure on the width of my rim though.
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Why would you prefer a smaller tire? |
well the bug just feels a little under powered with the 31's. with the 1600 single barrel. ill be putting the 2 barrel on next week so it will prob feel much better. |
It does have an 002 right? Check out the sticky on transmissions to check exactly what it is. Depending on your ring and pinion you could be limiting yourself to ~55mph if you drop down to a tire that size.
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"when i go to drive it i get to like 5-10 mph it is at high rpms and gets higher the faster i go when i shift up to second the rpms drop is this normal or what and this is my first vw please help" |
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BAJAumBUG
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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| EnjoyNukaCola wrote: |
| BAJAumBUG wrote: |
| EnjoyNukaCola wrote: |
| BAJAumBUG wrote: |
My rear tires are 31's. I would prefer 30's or even 29's. not sure on the width of my rim though.
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Why would you prefer a smaller tire? |
well the bug just feels a little under powered with the 31's. with the 1600 single barrel. ill be putting the 2 barrel on next week so it will prob feel much better. |
It does have an 002 right? Check out the sticky on transmissions to check exactly what it is. Depending on your ring and pinion you could be limiting yourself to ~55mph if you drop down to a tire that size. |
yes I just checked that trans STICKY. and it appears the trans is not an 002. it has only 2 ribs were the others have 3 or 5. I was told the trans was rebuilt before it was put in the car. the whole trans was painted green, clearly outside of the car. so maybe it was rebuilt. but the same person told me it was an 002 so im not sure how much about it he knew. he was the one that built the bug, that contacted me on IG.
My car does 65 in 4th gear at 2800rpm. with 31's. im not to familiar with the gear ratios.
but it has no prob spinning the tires in the dirt when i kinda dump the clutch.
and yea i said it feels underpowerd, but almost all my cars and trucks ive had were v8s so that prob why i feel that way |
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BAJAumBUG
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 5:13 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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| So i think its a late bug IRS axle |
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BAJAumBUG
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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didnt mean to HIJACK the thread  |
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nomis
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2004
Posts: 390
Location: cornwall, UK
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| Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:02 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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no worries on the hijack 
my bug also pulls just under 3000rpm at 60mph with the 31" tyres.
It has the gearbox from a 1300 engine 1303 beetle (not sure if that model was even sold in the US though). Slightly better gearing that one from a 1600 car...
I have solved the power problem by stepping up to a 1776  |
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dustymojave
Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007
Posts: 5802
Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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| Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2015 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: 31" tyres on a 5.5" wheel? |
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Hey Simon!!!
The 1303 was not sold in the US. We had Standard (which in Europe are called "Deluxe") or "Super Beetles", both of which came with a 1500cc engine '67 through 70 and IRS from '69. The differential in all of those 1968 through 1972 was 4.12:1, then from 73 on was 3.88:1. Earlier swingaxle cars had 4.37:1 diff. 1300 cc was a 1966 year model only engine here.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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