Author |
Message |
SyncroGhia Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2009 Posts: 2458 Location: Highnam, UK
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:42 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
SteveVanB wrote: |
I think have a line on some nicely priced wheels from a porsche cayenne. Specs are 19x9 et60. anyone run these or know if its possible? Obviously ill need adapters. The seller may toss in a set of 25mm adapters if the price is right. |
19 x 9s will fit at the back but they're a bit wide for the front. You'll end up with tyre sitting outside of the arch. I've had 8.5s on the front and that was pushing it.
Tyres shouldn't be a problem, I've got 235/35R19s on my front wheels (8.5s) and they're fine. You could probably go up to 245/35R19s or go up a profile size if you're worried about the ride. You are going to feel the bumps though.
MG _________________ T3 Syncro 16 S6 Westfalia Limey SOLD
T3 Syncro 6x6 SOLD
T3 RS6 Bluestar
T3 Tristar Syncro 16 SOLD
T3 Tristar Syncro RHD SOLD |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SteveVanB Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2008 Posts: 1645 Location: This side of Daytona
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 5:51 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
SyncroGhia wrote: |
SteveVanB wrote: |
I think have a line on some nicely priced wheels from a porsche cayenne. Specs are 19x9 et60. anyone run these or know if its possible? Obviously ill need adapters. The seller may toss in a set of 25mm adapters if the price is right. |
19 x 9s will fit at the back but they're a bit wide for the front. You'll end up with tyre sitting outside of the arch. I've had 8.5s on the front and that was pushing it.
Tyres shouldn't be a problem, I've got 235/35R19s on my front wheels (8.5s) and they're fine. You could probably go up to 245/35R19s or go up a profile size if you're worried about the ride. You are going to feel the bumps though.
MG |
Thank you! I think ill pass on em. Im not desperate but i am constantly on the hunt for some cool wheels. _________________ 91 CARAT |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Bedogi Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2014 Posts: 4 Location: United States
|
Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 4:18 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
Found some 1995 Merc C class 280 stock rims on CL. I believe these are 15x6.5 inch alloys. My understanding is that I would need to drill out the holes for the bolts, but otherwise they should fit ok.
I have read in another thread that these might not be stout enough for our substantially heavier vans. Can anyone comment on this?
Sorry to be that guy asking for more wheel help, but I could not find clarity on this using the search.
thanks! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5375 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:04 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
Quote: |
Found some 1995 Merc C class 280 stock rims on CL. I believe these are 15x6.5 inch alloys. My understanding is that I would need to drill out the holes for the bolts, but otherwise they should fit ok. |
The main problem in running those wheels without spacers is that you would have to run 205 or narrower tires and even then there is a chance that the front will not have enough clearance. Each and every van is a little bit different dimensionally and it's impossible to tell for sure without actually trying it.
Regardless, you would need new front lug bolts, new rear wheel studs and new rear lug nuts. You would also have to drill the lug holes to 37/64"
Quote: |
I have read in another thread that these might not be stout enough for our substantially heavier vans. Can anyone comment on this? |
Not true! Those wheels are plenty strong. In fact, they are much, much stronger than the cheap aftermarket wheels being offered for Vanagons. _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
|
Back to top |
|
|
HackAl Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2016 Posts: 338 Location: Bergen County, NJ
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5375 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
All of them are good quality wheels and all of them will require pretty much the same thing - Machine the center bores to 66.56mm, spacers front and rear, new front lug bolts, new rear studs and new rear lug nuts. It really comes down to which one you like the looks of the best. Be aware that you will not be able to fit the center caps on B, C and D. Fitting center caps on A can be done, but it takes a little bit of custom work to accomplish it on the front. _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bobbyblack Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015 Posts: 4332 Location: United States, Iowa
|
Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
I knew I wanted to get 15" or better rims immediately on delivery of my '87. No brainer. But I went with a set of j7X16 Merc's, and dig their looks. Im glad I have them, and the spacers and proper hardware from ChrisToph3r. But I always did like the EMPI 5 spoke look more tho, in 18" rims like here
VVVV
screenshots of the specimen:
but would not imagine finding C load rated tire in a 25" range:
215/45R18 = 25.6x8.5R18
225/40R18 = 25.1x8.9R18
or 26" range:
215/50R18 = 26.5X8.5R18
225/45R18 = 26x8.9R18
I guess I thought 16" rims and 99H XL rated was a hard enough trade off. [OK, so there ARE some C or better rated, near-original width and diameter stock rubber but I gotta use my kidneys a few more years]
Getting too far away from the sweet spot engineered into the geometry of the suspension and it won't matter your gearing ratios or torque.
Just keep your hat on a while, and keep your eyes open for Merc 98/99/00 era CLK rims which were forged units that are a (nearly?) exact fit on the Vanagon, and are WAY strong. You would be amazed at the number of CL ads I missed by 20 or 30 minutes. They show up once in a while on the forum classifieds too. Some folks say these rims are way better looking on the Vanagon than the Merc they came new on.
Good luck tho! _________________ '87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
|
Back to top |
|
|
HackAl Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2016 Posts: 338 Location: Bergen County, NJ
|
Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
Cool. Thank you. I will look into all of that. Are there any rims don't require any machining? If so, I would take a look for those.
Any thoughts on these?
http://www.van-cafe.com/european-look-alloy-16-x-7.5 _________________ 91 Westy.
Ever consider temporarily trading your van? Join the list. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bobbyblack Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015 Posts: 4332 Location: United States, Iowa
|
Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 9:13 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
HackAI,
it might be good to at least take a look at the pix in this thread. or, read some if you have to. you may or may not be fond of these. Seems to be a pretty good following tho, and I am a fan too. I don't know what exactly they need, very minimal if anything [Like, maybe a drill bit to let the threads slip thru better?] but, they seem like cake.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight= _________________ '87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5375 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:32 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
You can mount most Mercedes wheels without the need to machine the center bore. Most will need the lug holes drilled out a little larger, but that's a really simple operation that can be performed at home. You will want to look for 15" up to 7" wide, 16" up to 7.5" wide, 17" or 18" up to 8" wide. Wider wheels fit on the rear, but the front is harder to fit so you will want to stick to those stated sizes, for at least the front. All will require new mounting hardware and most will require thin spacers, but what you get with a factory Mercedes wheel is incredible strength and quality at a very reasonable price.
Conversely, the aftermarket Mercedes wheels are not very strong (there are many, many cases of them bending and cracking) and they don't really have the ideal offset. Yeah, they may be an easy bolt-on, but you sacrifice strength, quality and optimum fitment.
It has always been my opinion that it's better to be patient and find a set of used factory Mercedes wheels that suit your price and appearance needs/wants than to run a poor quality wheel, even if it takes a little more effort to install the better quality wheels. _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected]
Last edited by Christopher Schimke on Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
HackAl Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2016 Posts: 338 Location: Bergen County, NJ
|
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:33 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
Someone near me is selling a set of the CLK's:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2029442
For what he's asking, I'd prefer to get the VC set with tires. Are the VC rims decent? They look like what GW is offering but less expensive.
Not crazy about the finish on the CLK but could live with it if the price was right. _________________ 91 Westy.
Ever consider temporarily trading your van? Join the list. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5375 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:39 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
HackAl wrote: |
Someone near me is selling a set of the CLK's:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2029442
For what he's asking, I'd prefer to get the VC set with tires. Are the VC rims decent? They look like what GW is offering but less expensive.
Not crazy about the finish on the CLK but could live with it if the price was right. |
Please see my post above for factory Mercedes versus aftermarket wheel quality and strength.
The CLK wheels in your link are some of the lightest and strongest Mercedes wheels offered and are a really good choice. However, they are getting harder and harder to find. I think the price on those is pretty steep though. If you look hard/long enough, you should be able to find those wheels for half to two thirds that price. _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
|
Back to top |
|
|
HackAl Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2016 Posts: 338 Location: Bergen County, NJ
|
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:50 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
Thanks. I had posted one minute after you and didn't see that when I wrote it.
Much appreciated. I made an offer on the rims. _________________ 91 Westy.
Ever consider temporarily trading your van? Join the list. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5375 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 9:07 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
HackAl wrote: |
Thanks. I had posted one minute after you and didn't see that when I wrote it.
Much appreciated. I made an offer on the rims. |
If you want to shoot me an email to the address in my signature, I can send you some additional info about mounting those particular wheels. That will help you make an informed decision before purchasing them. _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
|
Back to top |
|
|
barozaku Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2007 Posts: 26 Location: Berkley, MI, USA
|
Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:49 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
A friend notified me of these Mercedes rims for sale on Craigslist:
https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/wto/6060085990.html
https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/wto/6045920979.html
As you can see, they're listed twice, by the same seller, in both 15" and 16" with few additional details... I'm curious if anybody might have any additional info or experience with these style rims. I'm going to be looking for a set of 16" alloys for my DoKa Syncro project/restoration and would like to get something that will require as little modification as possible... _________________ '89 Transporter DoKa TriStar SYNCRO TDi |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Zeitgeist 13 Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009 Posts: 12103 Location: Port Manteau
|
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:15 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
This ad just arrived in my inbox, so no affiliation. These are aftermarket, and I suspect the rims are made in some unmentionable sweatshop location, but they look really nice and have the right offset for some vans. I suspect that 8" up front might be a challenge for some 2WD applications. This seems like a copy of a stock MB design, but finding them in sizes above 15" is difficult. Wish I had the funds
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-alzor-parts/17-style-803-wheels-set-of-four/803-1kt1/ _________________ Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005 Posts: 5375 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:32 am Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
Yeah, those are super cool. I would love to run a set of 8" on the front and 9" on the rear". _________________ "Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
|
Back to top |
|
|
otiswesty Samba Member
Joined: November 21, 2006 Posts: 1729 Location: Portland
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
otiswesty Samba Member
Joined: November 21, 2006 Posts: 1729 Location: Portland
|
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:38 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
I think I like those Mercedes AMG alloys because they remind me of my favorite Vanagon alloy. Which I also currently run on my Syncro Westy.
_________________ 1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab
Just a regular guy |
|
Back to top |
|
|
takeiteasy Samba Member
Joined: August 11, 2016 Posts: 169 Location: New York, NY
|
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:39 pm Post subject: Re: "What wheels fit?" The ultimate wheel post. |
|
|
I purchased asa type 8 15 (eurolook) recently. Can someone point me to correct mounting hardware I should use? Are van cafe and gowesty the only options for hardware purchase? _________________ '85 Weekender 1.9L
"With your past and your future precisely divided.
Am I at that moment? I haven't decided." |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|