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Date:         Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:07:30 -0500
Reply-To:     rsf <feller@CARBONCOW.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         rsf <feller@CARBONCOW.COM>
Subject:      Re: Go Westy's 16" wheel offset ?
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Let me provide this link to to Ronal USA Vanagon recommendations...i see passat rims there!

http://www.ronalusa.com/cars/vw_vanagon.html

-----Original Message----- From: rsf [mailto:feller@carboncow.com] Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 10:07 AM To: 'Dennis Haynes'; 'vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM' Subject: RE: Go Westy's 16" wheel offset ?

I would guess that the failure rate on those vehicles mentioned is not different then the failure rate of the factory 14" alloy rims. I just cannot find comments in the board achieves to prove any different.

Plus neither the gowesty/van-café rims have load rating either so it's pure guessing that they are major differences between the rims. (of course the Rhein are vw recommednd is SA) You are just drawing conclusions that something is made considerably less durable only because it's used on a lighter vehicle. Fair assumption that designs are created at the lowest possible cost to fill the void but I'm pretty sure rim manufactures create to a higher standard (then door handle manufactures) so they can cross platform their product.

As the gowesty.com site says they have been selling their wheel & tire packages (note to no appropriate load rated tires) for years w/o any concerns. I know everyone enjoys discussing the forbidden topic of properly rated tires (and to far less or rims) but I just don't see the comments on the boards (or achieves) stating oh this horrible failure occurred to me and we know there are many using less then approved rated tires (and possibly rims?).

It's kind of funny that the owner of gowesty.com defends (rightfully) his rims (and tires) with real world experience and his engineering failure analysis experience to those who argue he doesn't sell the right rims and tires. Now many will assume his authority is correct and acceptable while others use other vehicle rims (such as me with passat and jetta rims) is now wrong. I don't know my logic terms very well but I think that is a inference error. For all any of us know there are certain model of rims on passats and jettas that are no stronger nor no weaker then other rims that others in the vw communitity deem safe. Since the rim manufactures don't offer rating on their rims in America (and I've tried to contact ronal as their USA website given no info to what they sell and ratings).

Look at ronal website for Vanagon rims. I would assume since they show applications of rims used they are willing to stand up in court and say they recommend those rims. I can see two in this photo alone that are the style (and I'd bet same casting) of rims used on passats. You could argue they don't want to give the rating due to legal reasons but the opposite is more likely to be true in the USA. Don't supply recommendations data and get sued just as often for just as much. Therefor I would infer that rim manufactures feel their products will work very fine on my vehicles sold in the usa.

Caution can be a good thing with safety but so can common sense. I glad there is no data on sever failures for Vanagon rim use (means few are getting hurt) to compare on the website...but with that fact there is no reason to act like the Vanagon is the heaviest vehicle ever made. Go weight a Lincoln Navigator and check out all the 1001 rim options that the aftermarket people run on them. There is no (known to me) system for rating rims to weight is the USA. We know the custom shops will put ANY rim that a customer wants on their Navigator regardless if it's a 22" rim with spokes that look like they could support beatle.

Dennis, is right that it "doesn't seem like a good idea" to everyone and that is why we buy things from dealers and over priced after market...while others of us have done the research and thinking to determine there is little evidence to support a premature failure trend and good logic to show that the manufacture doesn't think the vw is an anomaly of unique proportions.

Shawn

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dennis Haynes Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 8:59 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Go Westy's 16" wheel offset ?

Golf, Jetta, Passat, wheels regularly get bent and distorted when used on those cars. I can only imagine how they will hold up under a Vanagon. Maybe the larger Vanagon tires will absorb impacts better but I think the larger tires also increase loads placed on the wheels especially when cornering. Somehow, using a wheel designed for a less than 1,000 pound application with 23" tires on a 1,500 pound application and 26" or larger tires just doesn’t seem like a good thing.

You have been told.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of rsf Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 2:16 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Go Westy's 16" wheel offset ?

Plus I got to add...with $100+ shipping the gowesty/van-café rims are a $700 project to Ohio! Like I said I got $340 in my NEW 2006 jetta rim conversion...

Of course its just a matter of time before someone on the board tells me since I don't know the load rating of the jetta rims how could I possibly trust them on my westy...

Shawn

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of John Reddick Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 11:20 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Go Westy's 16" wheel offset ?

I believe it is ET23. By the time you go the cheap route and buy rims, take them to a machine shop to drill out the centers, buy spacers and longer studs, Gowesties prices are a bargain. The sliding door also works which it will not if you are off slightly.

John


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