Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
Tire sizes on lowered thing??
Forum Index -> Thing/Type 181 Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
181freak
Samba Member


Joined: February 20, 2004
Posts: 475
Location: York, PA
181freak is offline 

PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:44 pm    Post subject: Tire sizes on lowered thing?? Reply with quote

Hey all!! I am currently working on lowering my 73.. I bought a new bug adjustable beam, dropped spindles.. and new BRM's.. so my question is...

what size tires on the front of the car as well as the back.. my car is going to be pretty low.. so all the help would be great!! i was thinking smart car tires.. but need some help..

also looking fro the best exhaust to run so it wont scrape.. and i have a 1915.. so s and s wont work... from what im told

Thanks!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
181freak
Samba Member


Joined: February 20, 2004
Posts: 475
Location: York, PA
181freak is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

anyone have ideas?? som ehelp please!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
pjmacua
Samba Member


Joined: May 22, 2003
Posts: 199
Location: Cantal, France
pjmacua is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 3:16 am    Post subject: Tire sizes on lowered thing?? Reply with quote

Hello

What is the width of your rims?
4.5, 5.5?

Regards
Pierre-J MACUA
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
nobrakes
Samba Member


Joined: March 23, 2004
Posts: 309
Location: Houston
nobrakes is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am intrested to know also, I am thinking of dropping mine and using 5-1/2" Empi 5 spokes.
_________________
If your not workin or cleanin your not looking hard enough.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
nthang
Sambassador


Joined: February 05, 2003
Posts: 158
Location: Up Stream
nthang is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 7:13 pm    Post subject: KG Reply with quote

I can tell you that installing KG spindles will drop the front end 2.5 inches right off the bat. I should be careful here, you guys might think that I know something technical about Things. I'm really just a hack with a wild imagination. Smile
_________________
NTHANG, LLC
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
181freak
Samba Member


Joined: February 20, 2004
Posts: 475
Location: York, PA
181freak is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

15 x 5.5 BRMS..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
nobrakes
Samba Member


Joined: March 23, 2004
Posts: 309
Location: Houston
nobrakes is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 5:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nthang, when you used the KG spindles did you use the arms also ? ball joints are different right ?
_________________
If your not workin or cleanin your not looking hard enough.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
nthang
Sambassador


Joined: February 05, 2003
Posts: 158
Location: Up Stream
nthang is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm guilty of allowing a (reputable???) shop install front disc brakes on my thing without specifying exactly how to do this proceedure. Well, that said, this shop did a weird one on my front end. They took my thing trailing arms and turned them upside down and changed sides....they turned the left arm over and plugged it into the right beam ends. To make that "mod", they had to put a smaller ball joint in (the top or bottom, I cannot recall).

This worked mechanically just fine; drove okay. But the front end was exactly 2.5 inches lower for their efforts. When I bitched about it, the manager said: "You didn't say anything about height. You said to install front discs and that is the way that we do it".

I put my Thing spindles back on and that took a bunch of hours to do. But I will always remember the 2.5" drop from KG spindles. Sorry for the lengthy report, here.
_________________
NTHANG, LLC
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
flamed74vwthing
Samba Member


Joined: November 27, 2003
Posts: 21
Location: memphis
flamed74vwthing is offline 

PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 1:04 pm    Post subject: tire sizes Reply with quote

I run a lowered bug beam with (stock) ghia spindels and disk brakes
and I sit about 9" from stock
I run a 17' wheel with 215/40/17
the tire is about 7 1/2 " wide
if your using 15" tire you should be able to put a good size tire on with out rubbing.
the 17s work great the bug beam sits lower than a thing beam and rides like a stock bug.
no need to change spindels ,no need to butcher or mickey mouse a beam together (reputable shop) trying to kill someone.
its really easyer than it looks just change to a bug beam
as for the rear mine sets 2 clicks lower than stock and I havent had any trouble with a merged header I could also get a 18" rim back there with no trouble
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
T3SYNCRO
Samba Member


Joined: September 25, 2003
Posts: 14
Location: Mesa
T3SYNCRO is offline 

PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey 181Freak I have some 145's I'll give you a good deal on! Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address Classifieds Feedback
fries
Samba Member


Joined: August 20, 2004
Posts: 2

fries is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After being lowered, the original tires didn't fit no more...
So I borrowed 15x5,5 BRM's to put under my thing.

The tires on the front rims where low profile continental tires
they use as rear tires for smart cars.

With my adjustable puma front axle as low as possible,
the rubbed a little...

But it looked nice!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
TopDawg
Samba Member


Joined: September 30, 2000
Posts: 2
Location: Phoenix, AZ
TopDawg is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2004 11:33 pm    Post subject: Thing Tire size Reply with quote

Hi All I'm running Cookie Cutters 205 70 r15 in the rear and 135's up front if you want the back lower go with 195's because the rear tire will buzz the fenders
you can take a look at mine in the thing forsale section...Robert
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=100078
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Bryan67
Samba Member


Joined: January 01, 2003
Posts: 2933
Location: Fresno, Ca.
Bryan67 is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why won`t an S&S header fit your 1915? Engine size does`nt matter.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
cubist
Samba Member


Joined: March 11, 2004
Posts: 42
Location: The Fens - UK
cubist is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Trekker runs a '67 balljoint beam, slimmed by 2", further dropped by 2.5" CB spindles with fake 5" Empis on Smart Eco-Contis. Rubs a bit but drives XLNT Wink


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Thing/Type 181 All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.