VW Camper Family

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Have any of you swapped your 14in VW wheels for a set of Mercedes or Audi 15in wheels? Did you have any clearence issues? I dont want to get huge tires, just some with a more aggressive tread pattern and a tougher sidewall. I havent been able to find any in a 14in size.

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I'm running a set of Gowesty 15's on my 71 Westy.
I bought a set of five AUDI 5000Quatro 15inch aluminum reams at the junk yard for $25 each.... Instead of using spacers, I had a machine shop cut about a 1/4 inch to match the offset and are perfect. The machine shop cost $10 per ream. I put a set of BFG tires...my 86 syncro runs like a dream!
I'm currently running 18 " aftermarket wheels on my 87 westy. I only had to shave about a 1/4 " off the strut braces. It handles like a passenger car now, instead of a weeble woble...LOL !!!
I'm running 16" passat rims on my 73

I just picked up a set Mercedes 15's off CL.  The holes are a smidge small , 12mm and the bus is 14mm, so I am reaming them out.  I'll also need to get longer studs, no big deal.

 

 

BFG makes the AT tire in 14 now. Its got a stiff sidewall and agressive pattern. 15" wheels do give you more options tho.

Go Westy has a rim that looks  just like the Mercedes rim in a 15". They also have the stock looking bus rims built into a 15".  The Mercedes style rim has the correct off set and run $500 for a set.  The stock style rims are $400 a set.  For an agressive tread pattern and it fit baywindows with a 15" you can run a 215/70/15.  The Yokohama Geolander AT tire looks really nice and its a "D" rated tire.

 

I have  the BFG All Terrains 14" now but I will eventually go to a 15" because of more options.

I got a set of five rims ; 1989 Audi Quantro syncro at the junk yard for $25 each. I had a machine shop cut off about a 1/4 inch for the off set and the reams fit perfectly in my 86 syncro, no spacers needed, put some BF goodrich 15 and man ! no better deal. Cool reams at a great price. No need to spend big bucks......just a thought.  TeCo

On both of my multivans (90 and 91) i've installed 16" Ronal Wheels.  Picked up the wheels off of craigslist for a song.  Purchased spacers from ronalusa (not the nicest folks i've ever met) and studs from empi.  The lower profile tires that you may run with these give a bit stiffer ride because of less sidewall flex.  Handling is good.

If you're interested..i've a spreadsheet available on my site that allows you to enter the size of tire that you'd like to install on your vanagon and compare it against the stock rolling diameter.

Find it at: http://www.weidefamily.net/vanagon/Files/Wheel_Info.xls

 

All the best,

Brent

Finally got all 20 wheel studs replaced and the rims mounted up. Kind of a pain in the arse...but I think it looks good.

[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oWzElXYqQKk/Tev_QdYT6zI/AAAAAAAA...[/img]


Aaron Quinn said:

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