Club 80-90 Forums

Afternoon All..

having done my research (here) and felt pretty confident that some 16inch 5 spokes from an Audi A6 would look good and probably fit the T3, lo and behold a set came up on fleabay for small $$. Rather than see them slip by I went for it. This post is to ask the assembled experience of 8090 to view pics here please..

http://picasaweb.google.com/VHFamily/WiresAndWheels#

and offer any experience / opinion on the design of these wheels with a view to whether they can in fact safely have the bores drilled to the required 66.6. I know the ET and PCD are fine etc..

.. Before I contact West.Club.Joker and hopefully make a trip to Rochdale

Thanks all..

Audi A6

T25 van

bit of a difference in weight?

What are you fitting them on...a panel van or a Camper

Hoping to fit them on my Camper. Autohomes Kameo. This one in fact..

http://picasaweb.google.com/VHFamily/ElVan#

As long as you are aware that an Audi A6 weighs 1660 kg

a fully loaded camper weighs over 2000 kg your new wheels may cope with that ... or they may not


in my opinion

kevtherev wrote:As long as you are aware that an Audi A6 weighs 1660 kg

a fully loaded camper weighs over 2000 kg..

Hmmm.. that is quite a difference. I had also seen several pics of nice Audi 5 spoke equipped vans, some tintops and some campers, some on 8090 and a couple on BrickYard, all quoting wheels as 'professionally fitted' BTW. That also helped me to click 'Bid' one too many times

What seems harder to find out about for alloys is that load rating. If the A6 is 1660Kg then it seems likely that some margin of safety is built onto / allowed for on any wheels specced for it. I'm assuming that this also allows for a more 'performance' related driving style and a higher driving speed = more stresses on the wheel that aren't just load related.

Safety first though. Natch.

Hi, Bunny, you're virtually a neighbour to me!
what about tyres? to get a low enough profile to keep the same rolling radius, and keep the speedo reading something like, don't think you'll be able to find anything up to the load rating required for a heavy van, mate.
T25's have commercial rated tyres, as you prob know, fitted as std, which can cope with the weight and side loads on cornering....as you say, there is usually a safety margin built in, but you may be pushing your luck a bit with a loaded up camper on low profile tyres.........others seem to get away with it, but i'm a cautious old git!

Howdy neigbour

Yep.. tyres as well. As you say, many folks seem to get there, but the road is long evidently, and difficult (and probably expensive)

This BTW is the picture that started all the fuss for me..

http://picasaweb.google.com/VHFamily/Wi ... 6589099170

Audi 5 spoke 16inch, apparently.

Perhaps I should just get dahn that 'alfords and stick on some of those ABS spoke-a-like trims

Thats me old van "Westfailure" ! Yep they are 16" Audis I had to machine the centres out at the front, I had Simons longer studs fitted at the rear. I put 10mm spacers all round, but had a "problem" with the grease caps projecting at the front and the castle nuts projecting at the rear. If I put a fair bit more on the spacers (maybe 20mm) I could have got some caps on, as it was I sprayed the grease caps silver at the front and put home made centre caps on at the back.
If you go ahead and machine the centres, go carefully and try to remove the absolute minimum of metal and consider the amount of spacing you might require, remember it is only the lip of the grease cap you need to clear. As I recall it seemed to be getting a bit thin on the inside.
Heres the fronts
[IMG:800:600]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/ ... Van040.jpg[/img]

and the rears
[IMG:600:800]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/ ... Van036.jpg[/img]

Heres what they look like before:

[IMG:400:300]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/ ... audi16.jpg[/img]

these are on my camper..

Mercedes ML.. no machining necessary. 10mm spacers and longer studs

Golf Mk1 centre cap.

[IMG:600:800]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c229/ ... agephp.jpg[/img]

Many thanks all for your input to this, spesh Stefvan for the 'inside info' on 'Westfailures' Audi wheels.

I think the comment about them looking a 'a bit thin' after machining and the malarky with caps has made up my mind. Back to fleabay with the Audi's and instead seek out a (similar-ish) set of Mercs. Just got to be sure about those wheel load ratings ! Shame though as I really like the look of the Audi's. All part of the fun I guess

Had the same dilema myself. After months off asking loads off questions on various websites and speaking to loads and loads off wheel suppliers i finally came to the conclusion that genuine t25 alloys were the only real safe option. If you have to have a wheel machined or drilled to make it fit then you can only be weakening it further, Somebody designed those wheels to be off a certain strengh and they only meet the load rating stated while they are in original condition. If you remove metal you remove strengh. I know there are a lot off people on here who will think i am talking crap and say theres are fine but i have been a mechanic a long time and i wouldn't do it on my own van.

Hi, Like you, l too was confident about the A6 16" 5 Spoke from Audi.
Now for safety reason l won't bore out the centre.
Am going to try the merc 16"x7 or 16"x8 with 10mm spacer, this will cover the Hub, for the tyres, have not yet decided, maybe 215/55/16 or 215/60/16 with extra load

CHUG A CHUG wrote:I am going to try the merc 16"x7 or 16"x8

That still gives quite a choice I hope. Apparently commercial Merc wheels (Vito) can also be had to fit, though they are also $$$$

Would love to hear about it when you find some that do the biz.

tyres, have not yet decided, maybe 215/55/16 or 215/60/16 with extra load

Apparently a 215/60/16 gives about a 6% speedo offset but also decreases the engine revs. There is a post from West.Club.Joker about this, search for Ultimate Wheel Post and I think it comes up there. As long as they can be had with a minimum 97 rating, natch.

A quick hit with Mr Google and.. VanStyle have some nice 5 spokers, commercially rated for the Vito. £800 with a new a set of low pro, but still, commercial Michelin boots. I'd better get saving

Hi Bunny

I have A6 alloys on our van, Autohomes Karisma, so not too different from yours from the sounds of it. A couple of [not great] piccys below
[IMG]http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x50/ ... DC0002.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x50/ ... DC0004.jpg[/img]

Had the centres bored out at little local engineering/back street unit, for about 8 quid each wheel for the fronts. Longer studs, 20mm spacers, and 205/55/16 tyres all round

Have been on the van for about 2 years now, no probs.

Not sure if this helps, but has been no probs for me

Joe