Personally, I do not think it is safe to use any Passat or Audi Wheel on a
Vanagon. Wheels are also designed and rated for a particular use. Note
Vanagon wheels are stamped "LT.". We talk a lot about tire capacities, well,
wheels have limits too.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Lilley <vwvanman@EXCITE.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, April 16, 1999 6:51 AM
Subject: Warning about machining steel pasat rims cracking!

>To those who are thinking about or have the pasat steel rims:
>
>I just got back from a local machinist that would NOT machine the rims.  He
>told me that he "Would not touch the rims to machine it because it would be
>unsafe."
>
> He told me that if the center flange is machined away, allowing it to fit
>on the vanagon hub, that the rim to flex and crack.
>
>He raced cars in the past. He used rims with machined out centers and they
>suffered from cracking.  He took them to an engineer and was told that the
>center prevented the flexing and with it removed allow the rim to flex and
>fail.
>
>I now also wonder about the alloy rims that are machined out to be made to
>fit, are they as safe also?
>
>Well, for me, I have decided to use ONLY rims designed for  the vanagon's
>weight, bolt pattern and off set.
>
>  While a rim can be made to fit, is it as structurally sound and safe?
>
>Robert
>
>
>
>
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