Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:44:48 -0700
Reply-To: David Vickery <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Vickery <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Wheel alternatives...
In-Reply-To: <2163811a0909122024u6c127367he7e511d0ca45b56e@mail.gmail.com>
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I finally got around to fitting MB wheels on my syncro. I used the OEM MB 8 hole, 15x 6.5 or 7, ET 37 from a 90's C class car. I finally got them to be direct bolt on to my or any van. The hubs are the right size but the thickness of the alloy required a lot of machining to get them to direct bolt on. I learned a lot in the process and had checked into wheel adapters and longer studs before deciding to ream out the holes to the same thickness as the OEM VW alloy wheel.
Initially I thought it would be more expensive to get wheel adapters, so I went with wheels that had about the right ET 37 vs. stock 30. I wouldn't do it that way again.
I also had bought the longer studs that were intended for a 911 and I bought longer lugs too when I had a 2wd van. That was expensive too and was more involved that I wanted to get into so I resold them. Plus they aren't really bolt on when you do that, they only bolt on to a modified van. I wouldn't do it that way again either.
If I had to do it over again, I would find wheels with a large offset like ET60 and I would just buy adapters to bolt on before bolting on the wheels. That would be the easiest way to go, and in the end the cheapest if you figure in any cost for your time and tools or other parts you will have to buy. The drill bits to ream out the holes cost almost $100 by themselves. Plus someone mis-informed me and I had to buy a second countersink bit.
You can adapt the larger ET wheels easily and the bolt pattern options are plentiful from places that sell adapters. You can also get a 25mm thick 5/112 to 5/112 "adapter" that just corrects the offset and is a direct bolt on with MB wheels. The link below is $52/adapter but I think I saw them a little cheaper somewhere else.
http://adaptitusa.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=165
Sounds like the link posted from thesamba has all the correct info. But this was my experience after going through it. And I didn't know about the samba link when I started.
BTW, I did all the machining by hand drill, and it worked out fine. I later found a wheel shop in Denver that machines them for $20/wheel. Oh well.
Dave in Denver
--- On Sat, 9/12/09, Angus Gordon <birdworks@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> From: Angus Gordon <birdworks@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Wheel alternatives...
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 9:24 PM
> > Venango wheels have a bolt
> patter of 5 x 120 ....
>
>
>
> So, Venango wheels won't fit on a Vanagon (5 x 112)
> either...
>
>
> Angus
>