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Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:09 pm

HI

I want to push our wheels and tires as far outboard as possible. I have an 87 Westy that need 3 of 4 fenders replaced. My thought was to run fender flares and push the wheels out for handing and because we like the look...This would include new 15" or 16" rims.

What's the farthest that I can go?

Mon Dec 08, 2014 5:12 am

You will find a lot of good info in the "What Wheels fit" thread.

However et30 is the standard on vans With alloy Wheels. And the safest thing is to stay Close to that. But even et23 is considered relatively troublefree as far as handling and body contact is concerned. The steel Wheels are et39, so you could say anything between 39 and 23 is safe as long as the Wheel Width isnt too wide, and the van has Stock height.

In fact these vans Accept pretty low et's and although I know it is not recommended by a lot of Tire gurus here on the Samba, even et11 is possible, and has actually gotten a TÜV-approval on these vans here in Europe. That is for the 8x16 et11 Ronal/Mercedes/AMG Penta Wheel. It will need some bodywork, fender flares in the front, and possibly a longer sliding door hinge, but it is actually legal in one of the strictest countries in the world regarding non-original wheels (Germany) However, since it requires some modifications, it is not for everyone to run such a setup.

I also know that someone is running et0 Wheels, but I cannot comment on that as I have never tried. I have however driven many years With the 8x16 et11 on a Caravelle Coach (same height as Carat/Bluestar) without problems. I now have a 55mm lowered Van, and I am currently running Ronal penta 7x16 et23 in the front and 9x16 et13 in the rear. Also With TÜV approval.

Mon Dec 08, 2014 7:50 am

Thank you OddN
This info is helpful. I did see earlier, just moments before reading your post, about the guy running ET-0.
I have an 85 Westfalia that is 2WD and I just want to improve handling and reduce "wind sway" especially at freeway speed. I do not want to run fender flares on that one.
But I have a 1987 2wd that is a different story. This one needs new quarter panels and is really a hybrid of sorts. I bought it with a Westy interior installed into a tin top van. Pretty dented up AND a massive 4'x4' hole in the roof where he wanted to do a pop-top conversion. He pretty much did a disasterous job. So I figured rather than part it out, I'd make it more of a Baja vehicle. Soooo, back to the wheels... I want to run them wide. Your info is helpful.
Any other thoughts would be appreciated. THANKS!!

Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:22 am

Contact Chris at T3.

He'll have all the answers you need.

http://t3technique.com/

Mon Dec 08, 2014 4:28 pm

What ET you can run changes with what tire and wheel combo you have.
7.5" is about as wide as you should go on rim width. That will let you run an ET of 20-25 pretty comfortably with a 215 tire.

That's based on my very recent experience fitting new tires on my van.

Tue Dec 09, 2014 12:02 pm

Be careful of going too wide in the rear. Or you might have to add this type of side doors:
:shock: :D
Consider your sliding door clearance with your rear wheels