Date:         Mon, 7 Dec 1998 12:41:36 -0500
Reply-To:     Michael Sullivan <sullivan@OPENMARKET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Sullivan <sullivan@OPENMARKET.COM>
Subject:      Re: Synchro Wheels and Winch Bumpers
Comments: To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii"

At 11:15 AM 12/6/98 -0600, Pat Rabun wrote:

>2. Can 16" rims be used on a U.S. spec. synchro without problems.


It's not the RIM that is the problem, rather the TIRE. It seems that anything larger than approx. 28.7" will rub on the rear trailing arm and also rub on the inside front fender flare (towards the rear) when you hit big dips. The former can be fixed by purchasing the special 16" rear trailing arm. The former can be "fixed" by cutting your fender flare sheet metal (yuch!).


This "fact" limits the tire choices drastically. For example, I was originally thinking it would be way cool to have 225/70x16 BFG tires on my Syncro (which are approx. 29.29" in diameter). But after talking with several list members I'm beginning to believe that 28.7" is the practical limit for US Syncros due to the clearance problems mentioned above.


This means that you have a choice of:

   215/70x16 to acheive 28.7" or

   225/75x15 to achieve 28.3" or

   215/80x15 to achieve 28.5"


Cheers,



<bold>Michael J. Sullivan

</bold><italic>Director of Catalog Design

Open Market, Inc.

</italic>

*********************************************

     phone: 781.359.7624

      work: http://www.openmarket.com

 scan tips: http://www.hsdesign.com/scanning

   vanagon: http://www.hsdesign.com/vanagon

*********************************************