On semi-hijack thread mode...

Alloy wheels...How many of you have bent or broken them?  I broke 3 over the
years on my diesel 4x4 pickup...factory ford alloys...usually in very remote
situations like the back country of Baja or once in Canyonlands.  I decided
steel from then on, and have bent a couple of them, but been able to hammer
them back into shape enough to hold a tire and get me home.  I used a big
rock on the beach, to 'true' a truck alloy rim once, near Scammon's Lagoon
on the Baja west coast...

  On my Van, I have the 14" steel stock wheels.  I have 8 rims and I found
that two of them have 'kinks' in em.  Granted, I do lots of back road
driving over some pretty gnarly roads, but I don't recall any dramatic bump
encounters, so  these were probably already bent by a previous owner...I
don't think I abuse the van quite like I do my pickup...hauling butt down
the Baja, towing a heavy cargo trailer and a fully loaded 10" cab over
Alaskan camper...so maybe I could use alloys and get away with it on the
Vanagon...

  Just curious about how durable the alloy rims are on a Vanagon, about how
many of us encounter wheel problems from striking boulders or potholes.

  Don Hanson

On Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 6:05 PM, Chris S <szpejankowski@gmail.com> wrote:

> Just FYI, 225 width tires will not clear the upper ball joint on a 2wd with
> 16x7 wheels unless the ET is less than 32 or you use a spacer. Even then
> it's dependent on tire section width which varies by manufacturer despite
> the listed tire size  ( eg. 225).
>
> A set of forged CLK wheels can be had for about $200 and they substantially
> lighter then steel wheels.
>
> Chris.
>
> Wysłane z iPhone'a
>
> Dnia Mar 18, 2011 o godz. 14:58 Jake de Villiers <
> crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> napisał(a):
>
>  Cost included the best deal is steel Mercedes wheels in 16 x 7 part
>> #2034000302 with either 225/60-16s or 225/55-16s depending on your R&P.
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 8:42 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com
>> >wrote:
>>
>>  Cost aside arguably the best wheel/tire combination  is Derek Drew's
>>> CV-900
>>> wheels with 225/60-16XL tires.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
>>> Sent from my Windows Phone
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Jamie Auch
>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 6:12 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: BRMs for Vanagons?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  Has anyone used these on a Vanagon.  My brain is going a hundred miles
>>>> per hour trying to figure out the best soultion for tires and wheels
>>>> for my '89!
>>>>
>>>> -Jamie Auch
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jake
>>
>> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX - 'The Grey Van'
>> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Subie - 'Dixie'
>>
>> Crescent Beach, BC
>>
>> www.thebassspa.com
>> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>>
>