TheSamba.com :: View topic - What wheels fit

Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:34 am

I know there is an ultimate thread running and some day I will consume enough coffee and aspirin to try to weed through it. Let me ask something simple before I go there ...

Do all 1980-91 Vanagons use the same bolt pattern and offset. If not, do they differ by year, syncro and non-syncro, and/or anything else?

Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:11 am

YES, Well let me see. All buses from 71-91 use the same bolt pattern. 5x112. As for offset, offhand I do not know what the steel wheels are but the alloys are 30et. And same goes for the syncro.

Sat Jul 28, 2007 6:37 am

2wd has a much larger front spindle/grease cap than the syncro. Requires the center of some wheels to be modified to fit.

Alloy wheels require longer bolts/studs than steelies.

Sat Jul 28, 2007 7:04 am

......and the Syncro can handle a higher offset wheel better than a 2wd due to it's differing uprights and control arms.

Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:53 pm

Hello everyone

I know that the subject of alternate choices for Vanagon wheels has been beaten to death, however, even after reading 99% of the posts on the subject there is an issue that has never, hmm or almost not been clearly established.
Most of the lucky chaps who have adapted other wheels than stock to their Vanagons do not state whether they were upgrading from stock steel or alloy wheels which leads to my question as Hiram6 has said

hiram6 wrote: Alloy wheels require longer bolts/studs than steelies.

Very clear. but should one then believe that Vanagon which are factory equipped with alloy wheels have longer bolts/studs originally and those factory equipped with steel wheels have shorter bolts/studs ?

Which leads to the second question/assumption. Should Vanagon originally fitted with factory alloys need longer blots/studs or can they keep their original bolts/studs when changing to other alloy wheels, such as but not limited to Mercedes, Audi, etc...

My questions basically apply to 15" wheels, not being interested in the 16, 17 or whatever larger wheels.

Thanks for all and any informative response

Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:38 pm

All 2wd and Syncro Vanagons came with the same stud lengths in the rear. The Syncro's all came with studs in the front however, 2wd's used bolts. The bolts and nuts for the steel wheels have a ball seat. The bolts and nuts for the factory alloy wheels have a conical (tapered). The factory alloys themselves are thinner than most other alloys where the shank passes through the wheel. This is what allows them to be used with the short rear studs. Most alloy wheels are thick enough in this area that they require longer studs and bolts.

There are a few wheels out there that can be installed using the stock, short wheels studs but these wheels have a somewhat high offset. This is okay on a Syncro and the rear of a 2wd but the front of the 2wd would need a spacer in order to clear the suspension components. This means longer wheel bolts obviously. What's a little less obvious is that if you add spacers to the front and not the rear (adding spacers to the rear would necessitate longer studs), the front track width will be greater than the rear. Not that it is the end of the world but it's not the best for handling or for looks.

Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:28 am

i just put some 16s from a 2007 jetta on my westy. gotta enlargethe center holes for 2wd but they fit with spacers, look sweet too. anything with 5x112 will fit, just might need some modifications here or there.

Tue May 22, 2012 5:41 pm

I am new to your website and would like direction to where i might find this info as i am sure that others are having a hard time finding tires this side with a load rating of >102.
thanks for your patience and directions to this info!
New Member

Wed May 23, 2012 12:02 am

Probably Nokian will have a 16 in that 225 /60 that will meet your 102 goals.

If not, I can't imagine anyone else that would.

If you want that 102 or better, you might have to be willing to flex a little on your tire size.

Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:27 am

Ive got a pair of mercedes c class steel rims for my syncro and im planning on putting 29,5x9,5 15 maxxis buckshot on there but someone told me the rims themselves were weaker in the construction and might crack?
I was also planning on widening them (the rims) and was figuring it isnt very fun to put alot of time and work in a set of rims that is less than perfect?

Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:43 pm

Help! Will stock Eurovan 15's fit straight across to a 2wd 84 vanagon? If spacers needed how thick? I cant get to try one on first.

Tue Oct 02, 2012 12:05 am

kwikarl wrote: Help! Will stock Eurovan 15's fit straight across to a 2wd 84 vanagon? If spacers needed how thick? I cant get to try one on first.

No, centre bore is too small, as with other VAG rims.

If you want easy 15" steels, then Merc is (AIUI) the way to go. I've been doing a lot of looking into this, but the one potential gotcha seems to be that most older Mercs use M12 studs/bolts, whilst we use M14. Lots of people over on 80-90 have said they're using older Merc steels without any mod - but nobody's really confirmed for sure that our M14 studs/bolts will pass through the undrilled Merc M12-intended holes. Can anybody here confirm that for me?

chmielex wrote: Ive got a pair of mercedes c class steel rims for my syncro and im planning on putting 29,5x9,5 15 maxxis buckshot on there but someone told me the rims themselves were weaker in the construction and might crack?

Steels don't tend to crack, they bend. Alloys crack. But a quick google suggests GVW for a W202 C-class is about 1900kg, vs our 2500kg. I seem to recall finding that for a W201 190 it's higher - about 2250kg. That sounds close enough for me, but if you're looking mid-90s onwards, then I'd probably look at W210 E-class rather than C-class. With Mercedes, my gut says "the older the better" - it's well known and documented that the W210 era was where the rot set in (quite literally...) with de-contenting and down-speccing the engineering.

Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:11 am

kwikarl wrote: If you want easy 15" steels, then Merc is (AIUI) the way to go. I've been doing a lot of looking into this, but the one potential gotcha seems to be that most older Mercs use M12 studs/bolts, whilst we use M14. Lots of people over on 80-90 have said they're using older Merc steels without any mod - but nobody's really confirmed for sure that our M14 studs/bolts will pass through the undrilled Merc M12-intended holes. Can anybody here confirm that for me?

I just picked up a set of 15 x 6 MBenz steel wheels so that I can have a spare that fits over my Audi brakes up front AND goes in the clamshell.

Trial fit one the other day and it slipped right on.

Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:13 am

Jake de Villiers wrote: I just picked up a set of 15 x 6 MBenz steel wheels so that I can have a spare that fits over my Audi brakes up front AND goes in the clamshell.

That sounds perfect. If you look at the part number on the wheel, what're the first three digits? They're the W-code model number of the car they're off.

What size tyres do you have on 'em, btw?

Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:31 am

AdrianC wrote:

No, centre bore is too small, as with other VAG rims.

Agreed! The Eurovan wheels also have higher offsets, so you will definitely need spacers and new wheel hardware.

AdrianC wrote: If you want easy 15" steels, then Merc is (AIUI) the way to go. I've been doing a lot of looking into this, but the one potential gotcha seems to be that most older Mercs use M12 studs/bolts, whilst we use M14. Lots of people over on 80-90 have said they're using older Merc steels without any mod - but nobody's really confirmed for sure that our M14 studs/bolts will pass through the undrilled Merc M12-intended holes. Can anybody here confirm that for me?

I have helped many, many people install Mercedes steel wheels onto their Vanagons and every one of the steel wheels that were designed for 12mm wheel hardware (202, 203, 124, 208, etc.) have fit over the 14mm wheel hardware just fine (alloy wheels are a completely different story though). The stock Vanagon steel wheel lugs don't fit those wheels very well though, so small ball seat lugs are highly recommended.

Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:58 am

Christopher Schimke wrote: I have helped many, many people install Mercedes steel wheels onto their Vanagons and every one of the steel wheels that were designed for 12mm wheel hardware (202, 203, 124, 208, etc.) have fit over the 14mm wheel hardware just fine

Why didn't I just drop you a PM? <grin> I'll take that as utterly authoritative. Thank you very much.

Standard nuts & bolts?

Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:01 pm

AdrianC wrote: Jake de Villiers wrote: I just picked up a set of 15 x 6 MBenz steel wheels so that I can have a spare that fits over my Audi brakes up front AND goes in the clamshell.

That sounds perfect. If you look at the part number on the wheel, what're the first three digits? They're the W-code model number of the car they're off.

What size tyres do you have on 'em, btw?

The wheel's part number is: 124 400 0602 ET49

I'm looking for a 195/75-15 or 205/65-15 to match the circumference of the 225/55-16s mounted on the road wheels.

Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:35 am

Would 15" wheels off a 2000 MK4 fit a 87' vanagon? Any help would be great.

Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:14 am

Far_West wrote: Would 15" wheels off a 2000 MK4 fit a 87' vanagon?

The Mk4s use 5x100; so, no, they are not direct fits.

Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:40 pm

Hi All,
would oem wheels (alloys) from 1999 audi A4, 15x7 with an ET39 fit an 86 2wd vanagon without needing any mods to the wheels? thanks!

Ps, this is an awesome site!