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What is the biggest diameter tyre to fit 6 inch wide steel wheels

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68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#910402
I have 165 x 15 tyres all round but would like to fit larger diameter tyres to the rear as My semi auto beetle has the 4.375 to 1 differential and I'm doing around 3600rpm at 100 KMH
I know many tyre sizes are now disappearing but hopefully there is one that will lower My revs at speed..
at a reasonable price..
My wheels are 6 inches wide chromed steel

cheers

LEE



- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

waveman1500 Also rides a Honda

1,346 posts · joined Dec 2009 ·

#910409
3600rpm at 100km/h doesn't sound that bad. There's a reason that these cars have short gearing, it's because they have the aerodynamics of a brick and are somewhat underpowered.

In response to your question, Nankang do the CX668 in a 165/80R15, which is about as tall as you're likely to get without going to 4wd or truck tyres. You could also go to a 205/65R15, which is actually 2.5mm taller than the 165/80R15 and has a bit more meat to it.
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PHAT BUG Dave says Bini's a fool

1,698 posts · joined May 2003 ·

#910410
I just swapped my 165/80r15s for 185/80r15s on the back of my bug and I'm very happy with the results. Both in performance and looks..........



Dia has increased from 645mm to 677mm.

New tyres are Hancooks.

PHAT BUG Dave says Bini's a fool

1,698 posts · joined May 2003 ·

#910411
As for the biggest dia I had 787.4mm on 6in rims on my old bug.

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#910423
215/65/r15 about 26 inch cheap tooooo
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car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲

sander288 "Bolt-on Master"

1,404 posts · joined Aug 2008 ·

#910426
You could also use the 205/70/15 tyre and get a bit of a cal-look stance happening

http://www.michelin.com.au/Home/Products-Services/pattern-detail/PassengerCar/ENERGYXM2

Michelin does tyres in this size in the cheaper XM2 range

http://www.csp-shop.com/cshop/technik/getriebeberechnung5.php

Use the gear ratio calculator above so you can get a real idea of what your revs will be to see if it's worth it though

Cheers

Shaun
BMW R65 LS
1967 1300 Deluxe
Swing-axles FTW ❗

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#910432
remember, greater rev's = greater cooling (ie: fan rpm speed). i wouldn't aim any less than 3000rpm, but i'm no expert. Would be my gut feeling if i was in your shoes.

And as the ad says for the 1500 series, "its top speed is its cruising speed", and the top speed would involve revving its nuts till it can't go any more lol.
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68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#910443
ALL air cooled VW cars had the top speed as the cruising speed

as most other makes needed an overdrive to acheive this and most didn't have it..
although many English cars did offer this as an option in later years.. MG with overdrive etc..

in the 50's and 60's not many car makers had the cruising speed as the top speed... lol

When You see all those Baja beetles with huge rear wheels and tyres their engines are working much harder

the 1300 & 1500 semi auto beetles had 4.375 to 1 which is the 1200 manual beetle diff size. Later 1600 semi autos had 4.125 to 1 ratio - similar things happened with manual beetles with the 3.88 to 1 diff ratio instead of 4.125...

VW doesn't say anything about driving at 80 klms an hour everywhere apart from You get better economy..

I don't think it will make any difference, ..
if I go too big a tyre then I'll be in a lower gear revving the engine more going up hills...

LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

tweety Wolfsburg Wizard

460 posts · joined Feb 2011 ·

#910482
A good tyre calculator site

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php

When I had my 1916 in Tweety trike with VW type 3 auto I went from 295/50/r15 to 275/60/r15. 8% larger diameter. Really showed up when towing our camper trailer in that it didnt like hills and got hotter sometimes overheating...and the camper weighed 300 kgms.

Went back to the 295's
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1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#910488
Hi Lee

As you have a 4 vent engine lid maybe you should aim for a tyre that would give a final drive equal to a 1600 Superbug semi auto.

Steve

Uber Kafer Wolfsburg Wizard

414 posts · joined Nov 2009 ·

#910505
2 aspects to the solution to this problem that have not been addressed in these answers so far.

One is that the original rolling diameter of the stock tyre size needs to be respected and preserved with regards to braking balance and suspension.
The other is that the solution to balancing engine rpm vs top speed, if the maximum tyre diameter is observed, is found with modifying the diff ratio.

If you are concerned about your top speed revs, and, if you think your engine and semi auto trans can handle it, get a taller diff Lee.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#910520
tweety wrote:A good tyre calculator site

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php

When I had my 1916 in Tweety trike with VW type 3 auto I went from 295/50/r15 to 275/60/r15. 8% larger diameter. Really showed up when towing our camper trailer in that it didnt like hills and got hotter sometimes overheating...and the camper weighed 300 kgms.

Went back to the 295's
HI
Firsty You went to 295/50-15 which is 4.8% difference from 165/80-15 the standard tyre....
then to 275/60-15 which You say is 8% larger diameter
so if You add those together its 12.8% ?

Lee

that may have been the cause..??
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#910521
Uber Kafer wrote:2 aspects to the solution to this problem that have not been addressed in these answers so far.

One is that the original rolling diameter of the stock tyre size needs to be respected and preserved with regards to braking balance and suspension.
The other is that the solution to balancing engine rpm vs top speed, if the maximum tyre diameter is observed, is found with modifying the diff ratio.

If you are concerned about your top speed revs, and, if you think your engine and semi auto trans can handle it, get a taller diff Lee.
Most autosticks sold in Australia all had the 4.375 diff ratio
I haven't found a higher one as yet...
so I thought I'd try a larger tyre..

My Son has a couple of 215/80-15 484revs klm
so I'll give them a go up a few big hills and see how I go...
165/80-15 are 439 revs a klm

LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

vlad01 Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,270 posts · joined Jun 2010 ·

#910820
68AutoBug wrote:ALL air cooled VW cars had the top speed as the cruising speed

as most other makes needed an overdrive to acheive this and most didn't have it..
although many English cars did offer this as an option in later years.. MG with overdrive etc..

in the 50's and 60's not many car makers had the cruising speed as the top speed... lol

When You see all those Baja beetles with huge rear wheels and tyres their engines are working much harder

the 1300 & 1500 semi auto beetles had 4.375 to 1 which is the 1200 manual beetle diff size. Later 1600 semi autos had 4.125 to 1 ratio - similar things happened with manual beetles with the 3.88 to 1 diff ratio instead of 4.125...

VW doesn't say anything about driving at 80 klms an hour everywhere apart from You get better economy..

I don't think it will make any difference, ..
if I go too big a tyre then I'll be in a lower gear revving the engine more going up hills...

LEE
so you are saying ALL air cooled VWs had a top speed of 110km/h? or we all cruise at 80-90mph? 😂

71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE