On May 9, 2010, at 11:27 AM, Jake de Villiers wrote:

> Its not a guessing game.  Turn over the Passat wheel and read the load
> limit.  I was considering a set until I read "Max load 1290 lbs"
>
> That's not enough for ANY Vanagon - we have no trouble getting Dixie
> up to
> 4500 LBS for a trip.

Hmmmm,

4 x 1290 = 5160# > 4500#???

Yeah, I know the tires need to be rated higher!

YMMV,

Mr. BZ-tires, wheels, oil, batteries, antifreeze, happy Mum's Day!

>
> On Sun, May 9, 2010 at 10:15 AM, Jeff Davis <panoptagon@telus.net>
> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27