Wow some strong feelings on the subject. There definitely seems to be
2 camps.     Without real  data on the load tolerances on these wheels
it's a guessing game.   Though I still haven't heard of any Westy rim
failure horror stories.

On 9-May-10, at 8:08 AM, Bob Stevens wrote:

> It's already been said by someone here (Dennis, I think) .... why
> would
> someone
> consciously put a wheel (rim) on a vehicle that weighs between 3600
> and 5800
> pounds, that was designed by engineers to accommodate a 3100 lb.
> curb-weight
> vehicle?
>
> Just my own opinion .... that doesn't even begin to take into
> consideration
> the
> side-loading the vanagon endures by environmental considerations,
> which get
> directly translated to rim and tire stresses (cross winds, driving
> down
> mountain
> passes through curves and turns "at speed"). The Passat by its design
> nature,
> cannot begin to endure those same loads.
>
> Sometimes economy and safety are not bed-fellows to be combined.
>
> bob