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Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 13:10:02 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: wheel pattern, offset, sizes?(realism)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

After years of following this thread, I finally admitted to myself in a private internal therapy that I really liked the look of the Ronal R8 multispoke alloys (Audi 5000 turbo) . I also internally admitted that the various 5 spoke, 6 spoke, Vanagon alloys and the SA alloys had a more negative appearance that a hubcap.

Tongue in cheek, I embarked on the Audi alloy search, acquire and machine expedition.

First issue, procurement. The local yards wanted $30 to $35 per wheel. This includes the core (!) charge but not tax. Grumble. All such wheels need stripping, polishing and repainting.

Second issue (and the point of this note): Machining. LA is a big place and machine shops abound. After calls to an interminable number ranging from the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys through to Long Beach and Santa Ana, (includes shops that speak English and Spanish as well as Spanish only) I developed a list of prices for the center hole machining which ranged from a high of $65 per wheel through an average of $35 per wheel to a low of $15 per wheel. When I would routinely announce that I understood the price should be around $10 per wheel I was greeted with guffaws, scatological humor or a sudden disconnect.

So: $10 per wheel ... Ha! Let the uninitiated prepare for a minimum of $15. Or maybe $10 per wheel somewhere in the USA plus $10 per wheel shipping each way (total of $30 per wheel - as explained to me by one of my less-than-amused vendors).

How much to machine the center out? The OD of the grease cap is 2.620 +/- 0.010 inches on my '82 2WD. This corresponds to 66.675 mm. I requested 2 - 11/16 inch diameter or 68 mm. bore.

Then there is the issue of the center caps. The grease cap is unappealing as is the rear axle nut. I have designed a set of cap adapters to mount the Audi caps. More on that if anyone is interested later.

Spacers: I am using commercial stamped 5 lug spacers that are 8 mm in thickness. Using them on all 4 wheels. Clearance on the 6Jx15 ET45 wheels seems fine thus far. Cost $6.99 per wheel at Pep Boys.

Front hub bolts: Got the Audi turbo bolts with the wheels.

Rear lugs: Bought two rear axle hubs ($21.60 with tax at local yard). Pressed out the lugs and pressed in replacements about 15 mm longer. Did this so I can always return to the stock configuration if disaster strikes.

Tires: My subliminal justification for this effort is that I really like the 27-8.50x14 BFG's I'm currently running. Unfortunately at the current pressures (46 rear, 40 front) there is a significant bow to the tread. Tire tread temperature measurements also show high temps in the center of the tread and much lower at the sides. I appear to be running with max loading on the center 65% of the tire. Wear pattern is consistent. Remember, the BFG specs say not to mount this tire on rims smaller that 6 inches. The spec makes a significant distinction between 5.5 and 6 inch rims. So I am considering two options: 1) a 15 inch tire with the same revs/mile rating as the BFGs (782 at 50 psi at 60 mph), or the 235/75x15 tires (rated at 745 revs per mile) to reduce the overall gearing. Note that the stock reinforced 185R14D tire is rated at 811 revs/mile. Haven't come to a conclusion yet.

Hope this helps someone,

Frank Grunthaner


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