Date:         Wed, 14 Sep 2005 17:01:42 -0400
Reply-To:     Daniel Stevens <dosteven@SYR.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Daniel Stevens <dosteven@SYR.EDU>
Subject:      Re: steel wheel modification
Comments: cc: Aaron.Pearson@GXT.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Aaron, et al.

I mounted a set of Mazda MPV 114.3x5 rims on the back of my camper last winter.
they had BN snows on them in the JY and I did a slight hillbilly math.

112 radius vs 114.5  = 2.5mm (not CM) differance.  figure ½ radius for Diam differance of 1.25mm (again not CM)

I drilled the lug holes to 9/16"  torqued them down tight.. checked regularly.. never loosened.. never wobbled.. ran great all winter.

YMMV, it's definately NOT the rim designed for the van.

on your idea, yes I met a gentleman with a beautiful camper on Quebec last wkend. had 15in bus centered rims.. looked great..

most race motor heads do this sort of thing regularly.. goto a local dirt track and chat with some greasemonkeys.. 

either is possible.. reworking and welding is the safest..  but not only way..

dan.

From:    Aaron Pearson <Aaron.Pearson@GXT.COM>
Subject:

i have a set of 15x6 steel wheels in my garagae from a jeep wrangler
that i no longer own.  the bolt pattern is 5x114.3, so they won't fit on
my 5x112 van.  is it possible to knock out the centers of my van's steel
wheels, and mate them with the jeep wheels?

Lucas at GoWesty makes mention of something like this:
"I took a set of original 14" VW Bus wheels, cut the welds and knocked
out the centers, bought some 15x7" Pontiac "drop-center" rally wheels
did the same. I threw away the VW outers, threw away the Pontiac
centers, and installed the VW centers in the Pontiac outers, thus
creating a 15x7" wheel for my VW camper."

http://www.gowesty.com/wheelstiresinfo.html 

he makes it sound easy.  i wonder if this is a cost effective way to get
bigger wheels, considering i have both sets already.  any idea wht kind
of shop would do this for me?  thanks!

aaron
'87 syncro gl