Date:         Wed, 17 Feb 1999 14:38:17 +0000
Reply-To:     hseaver@HARMON.BML.USOUTHAL.EDU
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Harmon Seaver <hseaver@HARMON.BML.USOUTHAL.EDU>
Organization: Biomedical Library
Subject:      Re: Wheels & Offset
Comments: To: type2@type2.com
Comments: cc: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

    While looking in some catalogs for after-market rims, I found a nice
little chart showing rim sizes, hub holes size, etc. for all cars and
trucks. The best fit for buses are Mercedes. These years are a good fit,
with both bolt pattern and hub hole size being correct, but it said
nothing about offset, although someone else here has testified as to
offset being right, I believe:

190,220,260,280,300, & C-Class          '84-'98         15x7
420,560SEL,580SEL                       '86-'91         15x7
E-Class                                 '93-'98         15x6.5

  These charts also said that the 225 tire should have a 7" rim,
although a 6.5 would do, and that a 205 was best with a 6.5", but a 7"
would do also. Seems like I recall long ago reading somewhere that a
wider rim (that is, wider than what was required for a given tire size)
actually gives better sidewall support. Narrower, like trying to run
205's on a stock VW 5.5" rim gives bad sidewall support.
   Also, looking in this book, it was clear that non of the BMW rims
will work, nor the Jeep Cherokee that I was looking at yesterday.


--
Harmon Seaver, MLIS     Assistant Director for Systems
Biomedical Library      University of South Alabama     Mobile, AL 36688
hseaver@usaovid.usouthal.edu 334-461-1377 http://harmon.bml.usouthal.edu