Joined: 23 May 2006 Posts: 2527 Location: Mudway, Kent
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:39 am Post subject:
Can't help you I'm afraid.
But I love steels on buses, feck alloys.
Vans are meant for builders, fire crews, airports, 'bulances.... camping
Turning the wheels at low speed? Tried spinach? or Vauxhal Corsa C power steering? _________________ The advice you receive on here is worth the paper it's written on.
Your experiences are worth shed loads to others, including the f'ups - live and learn.
Wouldn't YOU rather learn by someone else's mistakes? So would they.
'78 Bay, 2 litre 091 box, EJ20 NA & the ashtray's on the 'right' side.
I don't lean forward for hills any more
Bugger, missed out on "Live fast, die young"
I use a 17" steel Merc space saver as my spare. I run 16" alloys ( sorry Elusive ) and big disks all round so needed something to clear the calipers as a spare, cost £10 on ebay.I,m fairly sure you can find them in 15",16" and 17", only problem is that you will only get one at a time, not that common and will have to do some research as to which model will have the right width and offset for you, but at least the PCD is correct. Ditch the space saver tyre, and fit a proper tyre.
I sure someone on here has already done this, collecting a set over time, but I can't remember who, anybody help with the relevant thread?
Neil. _________________ 66 Camper with 2.2 Subaru
63 Triumph TR4 with Rover V8
Last edited by Neil-C on Mon Jun 06, 2011 2:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
As said, look for merc wheels....... or sharan/galaxy/alabarathing(seat one) they run the 5x 112 pcd and came with 15" steels as standard _________________ '76 bay going superfly TDI
have fitted 16 inch Vito steels to 71 with 175R16 fronts and 205 rears, the offset isn't perfect, needed 3mm spacers at rear so used same at front, and had to adjust the steering stops at the front a little. The 205 fill the rear arch but can still be removed without deflating, the fronts needed the steering stops on the beam adjusting a little. The front rear difference got rid of the high front low rear and levelled the bus stance, and I can get under the engine without jacking. (it is still lawn mower) and the steering is lighter.
i run merc 15" steels on the back of my late bay, can be a bit of a pig to change the wheels - mostly due to the massive tyres i run tho! _________________ '79 Bay running citroen 1.9td and phat tyres!
Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Canvey Island, Essex, UK
Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:20 pm Post subject:
ronmidg wrote:
have fitted 16 inch Vito steels to 71 with 175R16 fronts and 205 rears, the offset isn't perfect, needed 3mm spacers at rear so used same at front, and had to adjust the steering stops at the front a little. The 205 fill the rear arch but can still be removed without deflating, the fronts needed the steering stops on the beam adjusting a little. The front rear difference got rid of the high front low rear and levelled the bus stance, and I can get under the engine without jacking. (it is still lawn mower) and the steering is lighter.
The factory-standard, 1971~79 VW Type 2's 5½J x 14 inch steel wheels have an offset of 39 mm. If I remember rightly, the Mercedes Vito wheels have an offset of 50 mm, which is far from ideal.
In the absence of spacers of at least 11 mm thickness (i.e. 11 mm = 50 - 39 mm), use of 50 mm offset wheels on a 1971~79 VW Type 2, would result in a reduction of 22 mm in the wheel-track dimension, which is known to be illegal in some countries; which might include Great Britain and at least some European countries. Wheel spacers are also illegal in some countries. Even if not illegal, I have vague memories of reading that it could invalidate one's motor insurance.
On the 1980~92 VW Transporter T3 (aka Type 25 or Vanagon), for which factory-fitted, 39 mm offset 5½J x 14 inch steel wheels were also the standard specification, there was the option of fitting 6J x 14 inch or 6J x 15 inch (South African option) alloy wheels with a 30 mm offset. I have been told that the 16 inch steel wheels for the 1985~92 VW Transporter Syncro, also had a 30 mm offset.
So far as inboard & outboard, rear wheel-arch clearances are concerned, a wheel offset of circa 35~36 mm would be optimal, based upon measurements of my own 1973 VW Type 2.
In the future, I shall be retro-fitting to my 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan (awaiting transplantation of a circa 90 horsepower, 1911 cm³ VW Type 4 style air-cooled engine) a set of Mercedes C-Class 7J x 16 inch alloy wheels, with a 37 mm offset, to which I shall fit either 205/65 R16C or 215/65 R16C commercial-van tyres.
In principle, I one could also fit 195/65 R16C or 225/65 R16C tyres to this size of wheel, but 205/65 R16C or 215/65 R16C commercial-van tyres are said to be the optimal sizes for a 16 x 7 inch wheel, with regard to handling and ride comfort.
For a 1971~79 VW 1600 Type 2 with factory-standard 50 horsepower, 1584 cm³ VW Type 1 style air-cooled engine, 195/60 R16C or 205/60 R16C commercial-van tyres of smaller external circumference would be more appropriate.
There are a variety of Mercedes C-Class or E-Class 15 or 16 inch steel or alloy wheels, which would be more suitable regarding rim-width and offset than the Mercedes Vito wheels, for the 1971~79 VW Type 2s.
Use of 16 inch wheels, now offer the greatest choice with regard to 60-Series and 65-Series commercial-van tyres of external circumferences most appropriate to the engine-gearing and speedometer calibration of the 1971~79 VW Type 2s. _________________ Nigel A. Skeet
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