Is 8 inch to big to go on a swing axle, 67 bug?
Was looking to some 15" wheels to put some bigger rubber on, and thought about some performance alloys superlites.
The 8 inch only come in +4 offset, and I wanted to run 225/50/15 tyres
Do you reckon that this would stick way to far out...?
I used this wheel calculator and it said 2.6 inches out.
see link below
http://www.rimsntires.com/rt_specs.jspBMW R65 LS
1967 1300 Deluxe
Swing-axles FTW
❗
i have 17x8 on an irs bug, 2" wider guards & they fit nicely... +6 offset, so yours should sit comfortably inside if you have the same width guards & original wheel fitment, cant advise on swinger setups sorry
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
There is absolutely no way that an 8" rim would fit with standard bodywork, but if you have widened guards then it would look awesome!
...my 2" wider guards can fit 10's under them... why cant you fit 8s with 2inches less guard? offset has to change to something higher though, +45 ~55ish wheels may be difficult to find though🥲
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
I'm just saying that there's not much clearance around my 14x6" rims. If someone has put 8" wide rims on a stock Beetle then I will stand corrected, but my belief would be that 6" is about as wide as you can go with the stock bodywork, maybe 7" with the perfect offset. Oh, and with 17" wheels you will be running much smaller sidewalls, which helps narrow the tyre considerably.
My daughter's 69 swinger bug is shod with 7.5in boots and there is a heap of room left..but then again..it has the glass body kit too.
Fixer upperer of daughter's '69 Bug "Oscar"
Cheers
Gazza
some fiberglass rear guards mights be alright... had kind of hoped that standard guards would be enough, but the weight saving would be nice 🙂 👍
BMW R65 LS
1967 1300 Deluxe
Swing-axles FTW
❗
I got some fiberglass rears if you want sander, they are both in stages of sanding and filling but they seem to scrub up okay.
Hi
I don't want to be wet blanket, but that size wheel would not be legal on your car, unless it was engineered and weighed in at over 1000 ks.
Your better concentrating on good quality wheels & tyres about 6 inches wide rather than extra width, wider wheels are heavier and will slow down acceleration and making braking harder, this will make the car slower unless you have the power and braking performance to match.
Where using Federal 595 RS-R tyres on my sons bug, they are street legal performance tyre, they are not as sticky as a slick or R spec tyre but do work well when angry and are good in the wet and not noisy.
Steve
I used to have a pic some where of Bondys white 73 bug with 8" fatties under stock gaurds. they were lipped though and just tucked by MMs
595's are a nice tire! Have you had experiance with the 535 Steve? I think its a new line... #offtopicmuch!
Yes, 1303Steve is right, the legal maximum tyre width for a Beetle is 195mm without an engineering certificate, which limits you to about 6". Funnily enough the regulations are based around tyre size and not wheel size, so I guess that technically you could stretch some 195s onto a pair of 8" rims! I don't think that Mr. Plod would see it that way though.
Generally, I have to agree that 6" is enough tyre for a bug, in terms of handling. My old swing-axle bug with 6" rims had plenty of grip considering how cheap the tyres were. The better tyre you put on, the more grip you get. Also, in my rather subjective and untested opinion, 14x6"s with about a 70-series tyre seem to work well with the swing-axle because they're approximately round, which helps lessen the effect of the camber change in the swing-axle rear end. Mine always seemed to communicate clearly when it was going to let go, and I never lost control of it except for one spin at a hillclimb pushing super-hard. Conventional wisdom states that the wider your tyres, the less warning you get before they break traction, and the worse they will be in the wet. Just some food for thought!
here tis
VIP look vw style 😂
In NSW its 15%x15% wider and taller and given that the optional Lbug sports rim was 15x5.5" that makes my 17x7 legal enough that the engineer wasnt fussed
Makes me wonder how many of these bogans in VN commodores which had only 14"s originally get busted for running 20s
I really wish that the NCOP for light vehicle modification worked better, so we wouldn't have these differences between states! I was going off the rule of 30% wider, but based on the factory rims, not the 5.5" sports rim. I don't believe that they came on swing-axle cars, so arguably weren't factory fitted, etc. These sort of arguments go on and on. But I'm pretty sure that the 5.5" L-bug rim wouldn't be accepted as a stock wheel for earlier models, because I know for a fact that VT and VX Commodores are treated as different cars for the factory wheel fitment rule. How do I know this? My mate across the road who drives Commodores. And it may please you to know that he's been pulled over about 10 times for big wheels on Commodores and had a defect notice at least 3 times. So, in general, they do get what they deserve! He's a glutton for punishment though, as soon as the defect sticker comes off the big wheels go back on! 🙅
Hi
Pre 1972 cars like Sanders the size is worked out on the actual finished weight of the car. See chart.
Its best to keep tyres the as close as you can to the original rolling diameter, ie 24 inches or 609 mm, more if you can. This gives more contact patch.
Steve
Steve, what state is that for and where did the chart come from? I haven't seen a clear and simple chart like that before.
Hi
That's from NSW RTA it can be viewed here
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi09_rev4.pdf
I just cut that section out of the document.
Steve
Not to metion the horsepower sapper really big tyres are.
Hmmm..the Engineers Cert says I can use 225/65/15 on the rear and 205/65/15 on the front.
Fixer upperer of daughter's '69 Bug "Oscar"
Cheers
Gazza
I think though if you get an engineers cert, you can do what he reccomends, however standard legislation dictates as above.
It's really to provide a guide for everyone, and if you don't won't that then obviously go to an engineer.
am I right>?
BMW R65 LS
1967 1300 Deluxe
Swing-axles FTW
❗
Pretty much I dare say...you can go as far as the engineer's cert says you can...over and above that and then you are in no man's land..especially when it comes to insurance companies.
I've also read that going too wide can overload the axles and create problems too.
I took the "Oscar" over a weigh bridge and he came in at a neat 765kg...what does a normal Beetle weigh? Considering the boot, bonnet, guards, running boards and bumpers are all f/glass.
Fixer upperer of daughter's '69 Bug "Oscar"
Cheers
Gazza
I think my rego slip says 710kg... but that seems a bit light?
1303 steve, your federal tyres what sought of dough are you going to have to fork out for that?
BMW R65 LS
1967 1300 Deluxe
Swing-axles FTW
❗
Hi
On Davids (my son) car we run 215/45x17s, they were about $230 each, if you went to 15s they would be cheaper.
Beetles are always kind to tyres so if you lay out a bit of money for good tyres they are not going to wear out in a year
We used Toyo Proxies that were on the car before at a track day at Marulan then afterwards we switched to the Federals, the improvement was dramatic when we went back to Marulan again.
Talk to Bob Jane for prices on the these tyres or Richard at V Force 02 943 1247
These tyres were used on the bug in the 10K challenge, read about it here
http://members.iinet.net.au/~clubvw1/Motor%20Magazine%2010K.htm
Steve
After a bit of experimentation my tyre of choice is the Sumitomo HTR-200 in 195/70R14. They're only $105 each, give excellent grip and are generally about the most sporting tyre I can find in a 14" 70-series. I'd definitely recommend them to anyone.
Just like My Mate Dave's bug , Check out the wheels on his. Sorry its a bad photo but you can see the back wheel and clearance.
These are stock gaurds.
From Dylan
Here is a photo of what my 8" looks like :-)
People seem to be forgetting about wheel track. Sure you might be able to go 2" wider, but if you put this extra 2" just towards the outer edge on each wheel you have altered your maximum wheel track which I think from memory is only allowed to be up to 1.25" different than original. Would be better to put 1" inner and 1" outer and then you haven't altered your wheel track at all.
Obviously if an engineer certifies any modification, it will be legal. And I believe for NSW the tyre diameter can not be more than 10mm larger than original, not 15% sorry. I have 18" rims with the 7" front and 8" rear and low profile tyres and have still kept within the maximum diameter.
So yes, an 8" wheel and tyre combo will fit under a standard guard, you just need to work out your offsets.
My 2c worth 😎
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.Theres Plenty of room there for them wheels ayye Kev , Very true what you said , if you get the right balance in your offsets for clearance you can fit them.
From Dylan
presicely what ive worked out with 10s kev, adds 2" outer and 2"inside, tight squeeze but 0 increase in track
fronts are a totally different headache to be legit though, wider wheel with no turning circle is no good, not allowed to reduce turning circle by adjusting stops or hitting bodywork, or, lower offset to add it all on the outside & keep max angle available... well that track is 75mm wider 🙁
oh kev, hows your car going?
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
Hi
25 mm is the allowed increase in track, so 12.5mm per side
The NSW RTA site say this "The outside diameter of the wheel and tyre combination must be no more than 15mm over the largest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle and not more than 15mm below the smallest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle." This is the case for minor wheel changes.
If you get your wheels passed by an engineer this what the NSW RTA say "Wheels that exceed the diameter and width limits for minor wheel changes must be assessed by a signatory. If the signatory finds that the wheels are safe for your vehicle, you will be issued with an engineering certificate."
As can be seen in the maximum wheels sizes (in a previous post) for post 73 model cars its much more attractive to use a pre 73 car or chassis
Steve
