TheSamba.com :: View topic - "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post.

Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:25 pm

@Chris -

I searched and couldn't find, though I imagine you've answered this before.

My question is would it be safe to use t3 Small Ball Seat lugs and nuts with a stock vanagon 14" steel spare... even if it was just 5-10 miles? Would the danger there being the lugs/nuts coming lose, or the small amount of metal on the wheel being grabbed?

I'm obviously trying to get out of carrying extra stuff around in the van. Thanks-

Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:09 pm

when I carry a stock steel spare.
I carry the 5 spare large ball lug nuts and 5 spare lug bolts. screwed together in the 5 holes in the spare rim.
use some anticorrosion agent of your choice.

kinda like this in this stolen internet image

Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:11 am

jwallis wrote:
My question is would it be safe to use t3 Small Ball Seat lugs and nuts with a stock vanagon 14" steel spare... even if it was just 5-10 miles? Would the danger there being the lugs/nuts coming lose, or the small amount of metal on the wheel being grabbed?

Dan is correct. You need to carry a set of large ball seat lugs that have a seat diameter equal or greater than stock to prevent them from pulling through the wheel.

Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:16 am

Thanks again Chris for all that you do for the community.

I guess that means I'll either have to carry 2 wrenches (or t3's handy dandy 2-in-1 job http://t3technique.com/accessories/miscellaneous-accessories,-shirts,-etc/lug-wrench.html) or most likely I'll start keeping my breaker bar in the van along with sockets, which are already there.

Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:27 pm

danfromsyr wrote: when I carry a stock steel spare.
I carry the 5 spare large ball lug nuts and 5 spare lug bolts. screwed together in the 5 holes in the spare rim.
use some anticorrosion agent of your choice.

kinda like this in this stolen internet image

That's clever. I just have mine all bagged together in the spare tray on top of the wheel. I did buy a special breaker bar with one short extension and dedicated deep sockets (stock and CLK) that I keep in the upper cabinet tray with the jack near the hatch. I have sometimes found the need for a little more leverage than the stock lug wrench or a 4-way (which does not fit both sets of lugs) can provide.

Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:46 pm

Houston we have a problem...

Tried to mount a General grabber AT2 tire on a mb steel rim.
215/75/15 and 6 inch Et31 rim

A little too stiff tire and weak rim?
The machine couldn't make it around the whole way.

I guess a more powerful machine wouldn't help if the tire does this to the rim anyway.

Anyone else here know their shit around a tire machine?

Fri Jul 17, 2020 1:33 pm

After about 1/3-1/2 way getting the tire on, did you make sure to push the bead of the part that's already "on" into the middle of the rim so there's a little more length to get the tire the rest of the way on?

Right at 7:10 on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsOUtR_lTeE

Sun Jul 19, 2020 3:56 pm

yeah this.. I have a tire'hammer' that I use to smack the tire down into the center to finish the 'stretch' on my machine.
and that tire will be 'ok' well in my opinion i've run worse bead bites..
hammer the rim back to shape with a ball pean and a dolly.

maybe some bead sealer if you think it'll leak but it'll be 'fine' that's the bottom edge.

well the lawyers say I can't give advice on tires... so your screwed it's puked and it's cheaper of a mistake than asking the lawyers was.. :lol:

jwallis wrote: After about 1/3-1/2 way getting the tire on, did you make sure to push the bead of the part that's already "on" into the middle of the rim so there's a little more length to get the tire the rest of the way on?

Right at 7:10 on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsOUtR_lTeE

Mon Jul 20, 2020 12:49 pm

hello!!!

will be running 15x6.5 Et38.... any suggestions on the spacer size I'd need to use? Will be using Michelin Ice, with no lift. Stock 87 AdventureWagen....

Any help will be awesome!

Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:43 am

18x8 ET47 fitted:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=740290

Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:49 pm

a2wolfsburggli wrote: 18x8 ET47 fitted:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=740290

Wow, there's a lot of light coming through those rims!

I finally got some 16x8s from a good guy who had an ad here on theSamba, and included t3 5mm spacers for the front plus small ball seat lugs and nuts. After this experience I would definitely do 16x7 or maybe 16x7.5 in the future. I put on 215/60 r16 Nokians ($550 = purchase, put on wheels and balanced, no "certificates" from Discount Tire). The wider rim doesn't add any value because I would put the same tires on any of these rims (16x8, 16x7.5, 16x7).

This site is awesome for wheel info:
https://www.originalwheels.com/mercedes-wheels/eclass2008rims.php

2008-2009 Mercedes-Benz E Class (211 Type)
Size: 16" x 8", 5 Lug, 112mm Bolt Pattern, ET 36mm Offset

I ground a little off the steering knuckle where it was very close to the wheel for a little more clearance. The front tire sticks out which looks ok to me, but it will sling more road crap up behind it onto the van.

I'm also thinking about going darker (see poor photoshop below), but it sounds like a lot of work and they good as they are. Would like to be a little more subtle.

Went from 197/75 r14 to 215/60 r16 (see next to each other shot)

I hope this info is useful to someone in the future. These wheels can probably be found near you on car-part.com

Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:59 pm

Thought I'd submit my wheels to the thread. Lorinser off Craigs list $400.00, bolt on no mods. Spacers studs bolts and nuts from T3, Thanks Chris.
I fixed the curbing and repainted the outer rim.

Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:58 am

Those look great!

Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:38 am

vino de vano wrote: Thought I'd submit my wheels to the thread. Lorinser off Craigs list $400.00, bolt on no mods. Spacers studs bolts and nuts from T3,

What size spacers did you use?

Thu Aug 06, 2020 1:01 pm

There 12 MM front, 20 MM rear. I would go with 15 MM on the rear, if I were to ever change it. Tire is touching bottom edge of slider at full open. It's ok but snug.

Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:53 am

Got a set of staggered wheels
Anyone here riding on 16x8, 16x9, ET-11?

Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:34 pm

Those look amazing. Rare find, perfect application.

vino de vano wrote: Thought I'd submit my wheels to the thread. Lorinser off Craigs list $400.00, bolt on no mods. Spacers studs bolts and nuts from T3, Thanks Chris.
I fixed the curbing and repainted the outer rim.

Sun Aug 16, 2020 10:59 pm

pechaaa wrote: Got a set of staggered wheels
Anyone here riding on 16x8, 16x9, ET-11?

Anyone :D :roll:

Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:34 am

I would suggest you go to page 1 and start learning what fits. Unfortunately you need a wheel with at least ET 30 or more.

Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:03 pm

vino de vano wrote: I would suggest you go to page 1 and start learning what fits. Unfortunately you need a wheel with at least ET 30 or more.

Done that previously.
Despite small ET, there are some using them...