Date:         Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:10:33 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wheel alternatives...
In-Reply-To:  <96494.34007.qm@web82708.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  Dunno what kinda money everyone is talking when they describe making other
brand wheels fit and work properly on a Vanagon, but some of the
modifications (drilling, different studs, spacers, machine work) sounds
pretty pricey.  We might even be up into the custom wheel price range by the
time all is done, eh?
  Might be worthwhile to consider real custom wheels, like HRE, Knessis,
etc.  These can be made to any specs you want or need.  The ones I've used
(I had two sets of Knessis and a set of HRE for my racecar) were 3-peice
wheels with forged centers.  The off-set, width and diameter can be
configured to your specs by choosing different rim configurations. You can
just tell them what you want and choose the centers you like.  I built my
own when I modified my car to accept 12.5" wide tires at all four corners. I
had spare parts for when a rim might be damaged running over a 911 or a
Viper(grin).
  Might be a good way to go if you have a syncro and insist on using alloy
wheels off road or have problems with potholes in your locale.  You can send
a damaged wheel back and have the bent rim replaced at a reasonable cost.
  Just an idea, if indeed buying and adapting other wheels is as expensive
as it sounds.
  Don Hanson
On Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 12:31 PM, David Kao <dtkao0205@yahoo.com> wrote:

> In the archive there was a trip report to Baja California with
> 15" Audi 5000 rims fitted to a Vanagon. The author said the
> Audi rims were able to survive his journey but not the OEM VW
> alloy wheels. The VW OEM alloy wheels not only look thin and weak
> they will not take the beating if you tend to travel into forests,
> canyon roads and mountain peaks where the roads are often unpaved.
> The Audi 5000 rims apparently stood out much better. Those VW
> OEM 14" alloy wheels are for city driving.
>
> By grinding the center bore of the Audi rims it does make the bore
> larger. But VW OEM rims have that large bore in the first place.
> If that makes Audi rims unsafe the OEM alloy rims are unsafe too.
>
> David
>
>
>
> > But, removing
> > metal from wheels that were designed for a sedan in order
> > to make them
> > fit ............... .  Hmmmm.  Just wondering.
> >
> > Dave Mc
>