it's simple, it just goes around
Jul. 18th, 2019 06:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eorI have been trying to figure out what to do as far as wheel and tire combination on the new van. It currently has 14" VW stock rims and 215x70R14 tires. The tires aren't rated for the weight of the vehicle and are probably too wide fo the rims. That combination also precludes larger brakes.
The appropriate rim and tire is a religious war in the vanagon community. There is a camp of people who will not go with anything that isn't rated the way Volkswagen originally spec'd the vans. There is a camp of people who say tire technology has evolved in 30 years and if you use a larger rim then you can use a lesser rated tire. Vendors don't document what they are selling. They cherry pick stats and ignore deficiencies. It doesn't help at all that tire vendors have discountinued many of the tires they used to offer in vanagon appropriate sizes.
So I spent a couple of weeks struggling to bring all the pieces together so I could make an informed decision.
What I wanted was a tire that was rated for the vehicle even when the vehicle is heavily loaded that could be coupled with a rim so that the combination would be recommended by the tire manufacturer and so that I could have a high degree of confidence that big brake kits would fit within the rims and that the rims and tires would clear the stock suspension and the outside edge of the tire wouldn't stick out too far (a very squishy value). I also wanted to stay pretty close to stock tire diameter, but was willing to go with a slightly taller tire if necessary (4% rev/mile change would be alright).
Now for all the pieces:
The load range of tires basically specifies how much weight the tire can carry. On all Vanagons, VW specified a rating between Load Range C (load rating 102) and Load Range D (load rating 107). The vanagon is both heavy and tall and that plays hell on tire sidewalls. Load Range C and above are light truck tires. Passenger car tires run with a load rating in the 90's. Even the few XL (extra load) passenger tires out there usually only get up to 99 and those only come in certain sizes. The tires that are currently on the van have a load rating of 96H, which puts them at a max weight of 1,500lbs. The original in spec tires had max weight over 1,800lbs, so that doesn't give one a warm feeling.
The ET of rims is the offset of the face of the rim from the center. A positive ET means the face sits further out than center (meaning the inner edge of the rim is further toward the center of the vehicle when mounted). A negative ET means the rim face sits further inward so the outer edge of the wheel sits further out. 2WD vanagons came with stock wheels with ET30. Sticking close to that number is generally considered a good thing.
Because the suspension parts run diagonally to the hub, larger diameter rims can run a little further in without hitting suspension components, but you have to watch because the tires may hit further up if you choose a large rim and wide tire.
By changing the ET to a lower number you push more wheel outside, but also allow a wider wheel overall to not hit things. Until you go too far and start having the outside of the tire rub on the body.
15×6 – ET30 through ET35
15×6.5 – ET30 through ET35
15×7 – ET30 205s ok
16×6 – ET30 through ET35
16×7 – ET30 through ET35
16×7.5 – ET28 through ET30 205s ok
17×7 – ET30 through ET42
17×7.5 – ET30 through ET36
17×8 – ET30
Depending on the size of the rims, some sizes of tire are appropriate. Choose too narrow a tire for the rim and the bead could slip off, not a desirable outcome. Choose too wide a tire for the rim and you could end up doing in the sidewall, also not desireable but probably survivable. Tire manufacturers give recommended rim sizes in ranges that are usually equal to or narrower than the "Best" column below. There are exceptions, some of the 215 tires that are spec'd for 6" rims below.
Size Span Best
5.5" rims 165mm-195mm 175-185
6" rims 175mm-205mm 185-195
6.5" rims 185mm-215mm 195-205
7" rims 195mm-225mm 205-215
7.5" rims 205mm-235mm 215-225
Rims that are available at different vendors and my notes: I'm comparing to the current setup which has 215 width tires and 6" wide rims with ET30.
Bus Depot
15x5.5 Alloy, no mention of ET (should only be paired with narrow tires 195 or preferable lower)
15x5.5 EMPI style alloy, no mention of ET (should only be paired with narrow tires 195 or preferably lower)
Van Cafe:
15x6 ET30 Mefro Steel Wheel (won't work with GW BBK) (ideal ET) (15" tire, 205 is top of its range)
15x6.5 ET30 Rhein Alloy (won't work with GW BBK) (ideal ET, will work with about any 15" tire, 205 is ideal)
6.5-6=.5 /2 = .25 - .4 = -.15
Recommended tires 205/65/15,195/70/15,215/75/15
15x7 ET25 Carrot (2mm closer than ideal inside, 15" tire, 205 only because of the ET don't want it sticking out too far, but only 215 tires go to 7")
7.0-6=1 /2=.5 +.2 = .7-.4 = .3
15x7 ET30 SA Steel Wheels (ideal ET, should work with any 15" tire, 205 is ideal 215 is grey may be problem)
7.0-6=1 /2=.5 w/215 or .1 w/205
15x7 ET23 European Look alloy (go westy has as well, small car as well) (15" tire, 205 only because of the ET don't want it sticking out too far, but only 215 tires go to 7")
7.0-6=1 /2=.5+.25=.75 -.4 = .35
Recommended Tires 205/65/15,205/70/15
16x6 ET30 Mefro Steel Wheel (ideal ET) (should work with Nokian CLine 205/65/16, would be solid)
same with 215 -.4 with 205
16x7 ET30 SA Steel Wheels (go westy has as well) (ideal ET) (16" tire, 205 or 215 is ideal)
7.0-6=1/2=.5 further out, 215 tire same distance
16x7.5 ET25 Carrot (low ET, will stick out further)
16x7.5 ET23 Black European-look alloy rims (go westy has as well) (low ET, will stick out further) (16" 215 is the only width that might be a sure thing
will sit 1" outboard of 14x6 ET30 rims with 215 tires)
7.5-6=1.5/2=.75 +.25 wheel further out, tire .25 further out
Recommended tires 215/60/16XL,225/60/16XL
California Westys
15x7 ET25 (15" tire, 205 only because of the ET don't want it sticking out too far, but only 215 tires go to 7")
7.0-6=1 /2=.5+.2 = .7 wheel further out, tire .2 further out with 215's
Van-Again
16x7 ET32 Ultra Alpine Silver Wheel (larger hub bore, 2 sets of holes) (ideal ET)(16" tire, 215 is ideal)
no recommended tires
Small Car
16x7 ET35 Cup Wheels (ideal ET) (16" tire, 215 is ideal)
7-6=1 /2 =.5 -.2 = .3 wheel further out
16x7 ET35 Qube Wheels (ideal ET) (16" tire, 215 is ideal)
7-6=1 /2 =.5 -.2 = .3 wheel further out
The Original Tires were:
195/75/14 25.52" diameter 7.68" wide 5.76" sidewall 80.16" Revs/Mile 815.18 (although I've read 820 is the real answer that people use to measure other tires against)
Of note: The space for the spare between the rails under the van can hold a max diameter wheel of 27.6". There are various tricks to get wider wheels to fit, but there is nothing that can be done to make a taller wheel fit laying down in that space. Some vans it might be a smidge less than 27.6. 6" wide rims should fit, but 7" will take modifications and may not ever fit.
Along with load rating and appropriate rim size, the diameter of a tire is important. Not only does changing the diameter of your tire throw off your speedometer, but it changes how you vehicle handles things like standing starts, hills, and highway speed. A taller tire means less revolutions per mile, which means you use fewer engine RPMs to go 70mph on the highway. That means better gas mileage. Until you come to a hill, then you have a harder time climbing the hill because you're trying to turn that large wheel. Also, with larger tires, you have a hard time starting from a stop. So yay for gas mileage but boo for any kind of power. With the stock engine, a 5% change in revs/mi can be very hard to deal with. With a more powerful engine it isn't as debilitating. You definitely don't want to go the other way unless you're just pimping around town. Shorter tires mean a higher revving engine to get anywhere, which kills your gas mileage and the engine eventually.
In addition to those factors, maximum PSI is important. Each vehicle has a recommended pressure front and rear. From my van that's 39psi front and 48 rear. Any tire that can't take at least that pressure is going to be a problem. Do you inflate beyond the tire spec or do you run out of vehicle spec? You probably don't want a tire with max way beyond what the vehicle plate says because tires only reach their max load weight at the max pressure. So if you're running a 100psi tire at 40psi it won't carry the load it's rated for, it needs the pressure to hold up the sidewall.
Tires from Van Cafe
Michelin Agilis (original)
205/65/15 Load Range C 102/100T 5.5-6.5" 25.9" 1,875lb width 8.6 802rev/mi 55psi PN83708 2.2% off
Michelin Agilis Cross Climate
205/65/15 Load Range C 102/100T ?-?" ?" 1,875lb ? ? 54psi PN04143
Nokian Rotiiva AT
215/65/16XL 102 6.0-7.5" 27" 1,870lb width 8.7" 776rev/mi ?psi 5.4% off
215/70/16 100 5.5-7.0" 27.9" 1,800lb width 8.7" 749rev/mi ? psi 8.6% off
General Grabber AT2
215/65/16 98 6-7.5" 27" 1,653lb width 8.7" 772rev/mi 44psi 8.8% off
BFG All Terrain T/A K02 (reports are this tire is LOUD for road use, but looks offroad cool)
215/65/16 Load Range D 103/100S 6-7.5" 27" 1,930lb width 8.7" 770rev/mi 65psi 6.1% off
215/75/15 100/97S 5.5-7" 27.6" 1,765lb width 8.5" 751rev/mi 50psi 8.4% off
Nokian Hakkeapetlitta R3 (winter tire)
205/70/15XL not found on mfg site
215/65/16XL SUV 102R 6.0-7.5" 27" 1,870lb width 8.7" 776rev/mi 51psi 5.4% off
Nokian Entyre 2.0
205/65/15XL 99H 5.5-7.0" 26" 1,709lb width 8" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
205/70/15XL 100T 5.0-7.0" 26" 1,764lb width 8" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
215/65/16XL 102T 6.0-7.5" 27" 1,874lb width 9" 776rev/mi 51psi 5.4% off
215/60/16XL 99H 6-7.5" 26.1" 1,709lb width 8.7" 805rev/mi ?psi 1.8% off
225/60/16XL 102H 6-8" 26.6" 1,870lb width 9" 789rev/mi ?psi 3.7% off
Tires from Bus Depot:
Nokian eNTRYE
205/70/15XL see above
Tires from Small Car:
Nokian eNTYRE XL
205/70/15XL see above
205/60/16XL 96H 5.5-7.5" 26" 1,565lb width 8" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
215/65/16XL see above
215/60/16XL 99H 6-7.5" 26" 1,709lb width 9" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
Nokian WRG4 (winter tire)
225/70/16XL 107H 6-7.5 28.4" 2,159lb width ?" 736?rev/mi 51psi 10.2% off
215/65/16XL 102H 6-7.5 27" 1,874lb width ?" 776rev/mi 51psi 5.4% off
Nokian Rotiiva AT
225/70/16XL 107T 6.0-7.4 28" 2,150lb width 9" 747rev/mi 51psi 8.9% off
215/65/16XL see above
Tires from Go Westy:
Michelin Defender
215/60/16 95H 6-7.5" 26.1" 1,521lb width 8.7" 796rev/mi 44psi 2.9% off
Cooper
215/65/15 96T 6-7.5" 26" 1,565lb width 8.7" 807rev/mi 44psi 1.6% off
General Grabber AT 2 (offroad tire)
215/70/16 100T 6-7.5" 28.1" 1,764lb width 8.7" 742rev/mi 44psi 9.5% off
BFG All Terrain T/A KO2
215/70/16 Load Range C 100/97R 5.5-7" 27.8" 1,765lb width 8.7" 750rev/mi 50psi 8.5% off
Tires found elsewhere:
General Grabber HTS 60
215/70/16 100T 5-7" 27.9" 1,764lbs width 8.7" 745rev/mi 44psi 9.1% off! (would need speedo adjustment)
Continental Vanco 2
215/65/16 Load Range C 109/107R 6-7.5 27" 2,271lb width 8.7" 772rev/mi 69psi 5.8% off
Continental VancoWinter2,
205/65/16 Load Range C 107/105T 5.5-6.5" 26.5" 2,150lb width 8.5" 784rev/mi 70psi 4.4% off
Firestone Transforce HT (no other size near this in this model)
205/65/15 Load Range C 102/100T 5.5-6.5" 25.5" 1,876lb width 8.2" 817rev/mi 54psi 0.4% off
Continental Vanco Four Season,
205/65/15, Load Range C 102/100T 5.5-6.5" 25.5" 1,874 lb width 8.2" 815rev/mi 55psi <1% off
Cooper Discoverer HT3 ? no size that fits
Nokian CLine
205/65/15 Load Range C 102T 5.5-6.5" 25.5" 1,874lb width 8.2" 840rev/mi 55psi 2.4% the other way
215/65/15 Load Range C 104/102T 6-7.5" 26" 1,984lb width 8.7" 807rev/mi 55psi 1.6% off
215/70/15 Load Range C 109/107S ?-?" 26.9" 2,270lb width 8.7" 777rev/mi ?psi 5.2% off
205/65/16 Load Range C 107T 5.5-6.5" 26.5" 2,149lb width 8.2" 791rev/mi 70psi 3.5% off (16x6 ET30 Mefro Steel Wheel)
215/65/16 Load Range D 109T 6-7.5" 27" 2,271lb width 8.7" 776rev/mi 70psi 5.3% off
215/60/16 Load Range C 103T 6-7.5" 26.1" 1,929lb width 8.7" ?805rev/mi ?psi 1.8% off
After lots of figuring, I realized that the 15" and 16" rims where each clustered around a sweet spot which made it obvious what worked. If you look at rim width and ET for 16" rims, the 7" width rims end up having their inner edge in the same place as the 7.5" width rims. The same thing happens with 15" rims. I was surprised that some of the rims I discounted as "that will never fit" actually worked out to be very similar (although sticking out a bit more) than the ones I thought were a sure fit. And some of the ones I initial thought would be a sure thing were much more questionable when I looked at the ET and how it factored in.
In the end, although there are some fine 15" choices, I discounted those because I want to be sure big brakes are likely to fit front and rear. 16" rims make that more of a sure thing. I really don't want to go through this again when the brakes go in. If I were going with 15" rims, I'd go with the Rhein because they are real VW designed for the weight of the van and they look good. They couple nicely with any of the 15" tires. The Agilis stood up well last time I paired them up, but they could also pair with the Nokian C line 215/65/15 for a little higher weight rating or the Firestone Transforce HT for the same rating and almost spot on with the stock size.
For the 16" choice it boils down to 3 options:
The SA steel rims, 16x7 ET 30 paired with the Nokian C Line 215/60/16 meet all specs. The rims have the stock ET. They should clear the suspension fine as their inside edge only sits .5 inch further in and a full inch further up than the 14x6 alloys that are on there. The tires meet load range requirements and the 1.8% change rev's/mile is not spot on, but not that radical. The inflation on that tire is probably 55psi, I couldn't confirm, but the other Nokians with that load rating have that max pressure and none of the Load Range C tires have anything under 50.
Another alternative would be the Mefro 16" steel wheel with the Nokian C Line 205/65/16. That combo would be solid, but a little less surface on the road. If you like the steel look, it seems like a good alternative. It has a slightly higher change in rev/mi, so running a more powerful engine would make it more appealing. The Mefro wheels have had problems with paint quality, but that is a relatively easy fix, sand blast them and repaint them.
For 16" alloys, the 16x7.5 ET23 Black European-look alloy rims available from just about every vendor will probably work with the Nokian C Line 215/60/16. With the change in ET their inside edge should be about the same place as the SA steel rims. However, with the change in ET, the tire will ride out futher making it more that crap will be thrown from the tires. I've got to think there are probably many people running these, but I have reservations because the rims weren't made for the van (they are mercedes car rims), the people who sell them can't or won't say what weight vehicle they are rated for, and they will push the tires futher outboard from where the stock tires lived.
The SA steel rims meet all my specs and have good options for tire choices. When I upgrade the engine, if I want to put taller tires on I can go up to the 215/65/16 tires and lower my RPMs on the highway. When it comes to looks, I prefer alloys, but I started with the requirement of the whole system being within spec and I don't know the 16" alloys actual are (or aren't). That is, unless I hear from the brake vendor that it's safe to go with the 15" Rhein wheels mentioned above, because I really like that setup and it's got lots of tire choices.
The appropriate rim and tire is a religious war in the vanagon community. There is a camp of people who will not go with anything that isn't rated the way Volkswagen originally spec'd the vans. There is a camp of people who say tire technology has evolved in 30 years and if you use a larger rim then you can use a lesser rated tire. Vendors don't document what they are selling. They cherry pick stats and ignore deficiencies. It doesn't help at all that tire vendors have discountinued many of the tires they used to offer in vanagon appropriate sizes.
So I spent a couple of weeks struggling to bring all the pieces together so I could make an informed decision.
What I wanted was a tire that was rated for the vehicle even when the vehicle is heavily loaded that could be coupled with a rim so that the combination would be recommended by the tire manufacturer and so that I could have a high degree of confidence that big brake kits would fit within the rims and that the rims and tires would clear the stock suspension and the outside edge of the tire wouldn't stick out too far (a very squishy value). I also wanted to stay pretty close to stock tire diameter, but was willing to go with a slightly taller tire if necessary (4% rev/mile change would be alright).
Now for all the pieces:
The load range of tires basically specifies how much weight the tire can carry. On all Vanagons, VW specified a rating between Load Range C (load rating 102) and Load Range D (load rating 107). The vanagon is both heavy and tall and that plays hell on tire sidewalls. Load Range C and above are light truck tires. Passenger car tires run with a load rating in the 90's. Even the few XL (extra load) passenger tires out there usually only get up to 99 and those only come in certain sizes. The tires that are currently on the van have a load rating of 96H, which puts them at a max weight of 1,500lbs. The original in spec tires had max weight over 1,800lbs, so that doesn't give one a warm feeling.
The ET of rims is the offset of the face of the rim from the center. A positive ET means the face sits further out than center (meaning the inner edge of the rim is further toward the center of the vehicle when mounted). A negative ET means the rim face sits further inward so the outer edge of the wheel sits further out. 2WD vanagons came with stock wheels with ET30. Sticking close to that number is generally considered a good thing.
Because the suspension parts run diagonally to the hub, larger diameter rims can run a little further in without hitting suspension components, but you have to watch because the tires may hit further up if you choose a large rim and wide tire.
By changing the ET to a lower number you push more wheel outside, but also allow a wider wheel overall to not hit things. Until you go too far and start having the outside of the tire rub on the body.
15×6 – ET30 through ET35
15×6.5 – ET30 through ET35
15×7 – ET30 205s ok
16×6 – ET30 through ET35
16×7 – ET30 through ET35
16×7.5 – ET28 through ET30 205s ok
17×7 – ET30 through ET42
17×7.5 – ET30 through ET36
17×8 – ET30
Depending on the size of the rims, some sizes of tire are appropriate. Choose too narrow a tire for the rim and the bead could slip off, not a desirable outcome. Choose too wide a tire for the rim and you could end up doing in the sidewall, also not desireable but probably survivable. Tire manufacturers give recommended rim sizes in ranges that are usually equal to or narrower than the "Best" column below. There are exceptions, some of the 215 tires that are spec'd for 6" rims below.
Size Span Best
5.5" rims 165mm-195mm 175-185
6" rims 175mm-205mm 185-195
6.5" rims 185mm-215mm 195-205
7" rims 195mm-225mm 205-215
7.5" rims 205mm-235mm 215-225
Rims that are available at different vendors and my notes: I'm comparing to the current setup which has 215 width tires and 6" wide rims with ET30.
Bus Depot
15x5.5 Alloy, no mention of ET (should only be paired with narrow tires 195 or preferable lower)
15x5.5 EMPI style alloy, no mention of ET (should only be paired with narrow tires 195 or preferably lower)
Van Cafe:
15x6 ET30 Mefro Steel Wheel (won't work with GW BBK) (ideal ET) (15" tire, 205 is top of its range)
15x6.5 ET30 Rhein Alloy (won't work with GW BBK) (ideal ET, will work with about any 15" tire, 205 is ideal)
6.5-6=.5 /2 = .25 - .4 = -.15
Recommended tires 205/65/15,195/70/15,215/75/15
15x7 ET25 Carrot (2mm closer than ideal inside, 15" tire, 205 only because of the ET don't want it sticking out too far, but only 215 tires go to 7")
7.0-6=1 /2=.5 +.2 = .7-.4 = .3
15x7 ET30 SA Steel Wheels (ideal ET, should work with any 15" tire, 205 is ideal 215 is grey may be problem)
7.0-6=1 /2=.5 w/215 or .1 w/205
15x7 ET23 European Look alloy (go westy has as well, small car as well) (15" tire, 205 only because of the ET don't want it sticking out too far, but only 215 tires go to 7")
7.0-6=1 /2=.5+.25=.75 -.4 = .35
Recommended Tires 205/65/15,205/70/15
16x6 ET30 Mefro Steel Wheel (ideal ET) (should work with Nokian CLine 205/65/16, would be solid)
same with 215 -.4 with 205
16x7 ET30 SA Steel Wheels (go westy has as well) (ideal ET) (16" tire, 205 or 215 is ideal)
7.0-6=1/2=.5 further out, 215 tire same distance
16x7.5 ET25 Carrot (low ET, will stick out further)
16x7.5 ET23 Black European-look alloy rims (go westy has as well) (low ET, will stick out further) (16" 215 is the only width that might be a sure thing
will sit 1" outboard of 14x6 ET30 rims with 215 tires)
7.5-6=1.5/2=.75 +.25 wheel further out, tire .25 further out
Recommended tires 215/60/16XL,225/60/16XL
California Westys
15x7 ET25 (15" tire, 205 only because of the ET don't want it sticking out too far, but only 215 tires go to 7")
7.0-6=1 /2=.5+.2 = .7 wheel further out, tire .2 further out with 215's
Van-Again
16x7 ET32 Ultra Alpine Silver Wheel (larger hub bore, 2 sets of holes) (ideal ET)(16" tire, 215 is ideal)
no recommended tires
Small Car
16x7 ET35 Cup Wheels (ideal ET) (16" tire, 215 is ideal)
7-6=1 /2 =.5 -.2 = .3 wheel further out
16x7 ET35 Qube Wheels (ideal ET) (16" tire, 215 is ideal)
7-6=1 /2 =.5 -.2 = .3 wheel further out
The Original Tires were:
195/75/14 25.52" diameter 7.68" wide 5.76" sidewall 80.16" Revs/Mile 815.18 (although I've read 820 is the real answer that people use to measure other tires against)
Of note: The space for the spare between the rails under the van can hold a max diameter wheel of 27.6". There are various tricks to get wider wheels to fit, but there is nothing that can be done to make a taller wheel fit laying down in that space. Some vans it might be a smidge less than 27.6. 6" wide rims should fit, but 7" will take modifications and may not ever fit.
Along with load rating and appropriate rim size, the diameter of a tire is important. Not only does changing the diameter of your tire throw off your speedometer, but it changes how you vehicle handles things like standing starts, hills, and highway speed. A taller tire means less revolutions per mile, which means you use fewer engine RPMs to go 70mph on the highway. That means better gas mileage. Until you come to a hill, then you have a harder time climbing the hill because you're trying to turn that large wheel. Also, with larger tires, you have a hard time starting from a stop. So yay for gas mileage but boo for any kind of power. With the stock engine, a 5% change in revs/mi can be very hard to deal with. With a more powerful engine it isn't as debilitating. You definitely don't want to go the other way unless you're just pimping around town. Shorter tires mean a higher revving engine to get anywhere, which kills your gas mileage and the engine eventually.
In addition to those factors, maximum PSI is important. Each vehicle has a recommended pressure front and rear. From my van that's 39psi front and 48 rear. Any tire that can't take at least that pressure is going to be a problem. Do you inflate beyond the tire spec or do you run out of vehicle spec? You probably don't want a tire with max way beyond what the vehicle plate says because tires only reach their max load weight at the max pressure. So if you're running a 100psi tire at 40psi it won't carry the load it's rated for, it needs the pressure to hold up the sidewall.
Tires from Van Cafe
Michelin Agilis (original)
205/65/15 Load Range C 102/100T 5.5-6.5" 25.9" 1,875lb width 8.6 802rev/mi 55psi PN83708 2.2% off
Michelin Agilis Cross Climate
205/65/15 Load Range C 102/100T ?-?" ?" 1,875lb ? ? 54psi PN04143
Nokian Rotiiva AT
215/65/16XL 102 6.0-7.5" 27" 1,870lb width 8.7" 776rev/mi ?psi 5.4% off
215/70/16 100 5.5-7.0" 27.9" 1,800lb width 8.7" 749rev/mi ? psi 8.6% off
General Grabber AT2
215/65/16 98 6-7.5" 27" 1,653lb width 8.7" 772rev/mi 44psi 8.8% off
BFG All Terrain T/A K02 (reports are this tire is LOUD for road use, but looks offroad cool)
215/65/16 Load Range D 103/100S 6-7.5" 27" 1,930lb width 8.7" 770rev/mi 65psi 6.1% off
215/75/15 100/97S 5.5-7" 27.6" 1,765lb width 8.5" 751rev/mi 50psi 8.4% off
Nokian Hakkeapetlitta R3 (winter tire)
205/70/15XL not found on mfg site
215/65/16XL SUV 102R 6.0-7.5" 27" 1,870lb width 8.7" 776rev/mi 51psi 5.4% off
Nokian Entyre 2.0
205/65/15XL 99H 5.5-7.0" 26" 1,709lb width 8" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
205/70/15XL 100T 5.0-7.0" 26" 1,764lb width 8" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
215/65/16XL 102T 6.0-7.5" 27" 1,874lb width 9" 776rev/mi 51psi 5.4% off
215/60/16XL 99H 6-7.5" 26.1" 1,709lb width 8.7" 805rev/mi ?psi 1.8% off
225/60/16XL 102H 6-8" 26.6" 1,870lb width 9" 789rev/mi ?psi 3.7% off
Tires from Bus Depot:
Nokian eNTRYE
205/70/15XL see above
Tires from Small Car:
Nokian eNTYRE XL
205/70/15XL see above
205/60/16XL 96H 5.5-7.5" 26" 1,565lb width 8" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
215/65/16XL see above
215/60/16XL 99H 6-7.5" 26" 1,709lb width 9" 807rev/mi 51psi 1.6% off
Nokian WRG4 (winter tire)
225/70/16XL 107H 6-7.5 28.4" 2,159lb width ?" 736?rev/mi 51psi 10.2% off
215/65/16XL 102H 6-7.5 27" 1,874lb width ?" 776rev/mi 51psi 5.4% off
Nokian Rotiiva AT
225/70/16XL 107T 6.0-7.4 28" 2,150lb width 9" 747rev/mi 51psi 8.9% off
215/65/16XL see above
Tires from Go Westy:
Michelin Defender
215/60/16 95H 6-7.5" 26.1" 1,521lb width 8.7" 796rev/mi 44psi 2.9% off
Cooper
215/65/15 96T 6-7.5" 26" 1,565lb width 8.7" 807rev/mi 44psi 1.6% off
General Grabber AT 2 (offroad tire)
215/70/16 100T 6-7.5" 28.1" 1,764lb width 8.7" 742rev/mi 44psi 9.5% off
BFG All Terrain T/A KO2
215/70/16 Load Range C 100/97R 5.5-7" 27.8" 1,765lb width 8.7" 750rev/mi 50psi 8.5% off
Tires found elsewhere:
General Grabber HTS 60
215/70/16 100T 5-7" 27.9" 1,764lbs width 8.7" 745rev/mi 44psi 9.1% off! (would need speedo adjustment)
Continental Vanco 2
215/65/16 Load Range C 109/107R 6-7.5 27" 2,271lb width 8.7" 772rev/mi 69psi 5.8% off
Continental VancoWinter2,
205/65/16 Load Range C 107/105T 5.5-6.5" 26.5" 2,150lb width 8.5" 784rev/mi 70psi 4.4% off
Firestone Transforce HT (no other size near this in this model)
205/65/15 Load Range C 102/100T 5.5-6.5" 25.5" 1,876lb width 8.2" 817rev/mi 54psi 0.4% off
Continental Vanco Four Season,
205/65/15, Load Range C 102/100T 5.5-6.5" 25.5" 1,874 lb width 8.2" 815rev/mi 55psi <1% off
Cooper Discoverer HT3 ? no size that fits
Nokian CLine
205/65/15 Load Range C 102T 5.5-6.5" 25.5" 1,874lb width 8.2" 840rev/mi 55psi 2.4% the other way
215/65/15 Load Range C 104/102T 6-7.5" 26" 1,984lb width 8.7" 807rev/mi 55psi 1.6% off
215/70/15 Load Range C 109/107S ?-?" 26.9" 2,270lb width 8.7" 777rev/mi ?psi 5.2% off
205/65/16 Load Range C 107T 5.5-6.5" 26.5" 2,149lb width 8.2" 791rev/mi 70psi 3.5% off (16x6 ET30 Mefro Steel Wheel)
215/65/16 Load Range D 109T 6-7.5" 27" 2,271lb width 8.7" 776rev/mi 70psi 5.3% off
215/60/16 Load Range C 103T 6-7.5" 26.1" 1,929lb width 8.7" ?805rev/mi ?psi 1.8% off
After lots of figuring, I realized that the 15" and 16" rims where each clustered around a sweet spot which made it obvious what worked. If you look at rim width and ET for 16" rims, the 7" width rims end up having their inner edge in the same place as the 7.5" width rims. The same thing happens with 15" rims. I was surprised that some of the rims I discounted as "that will never fit" actually worked out to be very similar (although sticking out a bit more) than the ones I thought were a sure fit. And some of the ones I initial thought would be a sure thing were much more questionable when I looked at the ET and how it factored in.
In the end, although there are some fine 15" choices, I discounted those because I want to be sure big brakes are likely to fit front and rear. 16" rims make that more of a sure thing. I really don't want to go through this again when the brakes go in. If I were going with 15" rims, I'd go with the Rhein because they are real VW designed for the weight of the van and they look good. They couple nicely with any of the 15" tires. The Agilis stood up well last time I paired them up, but they could also pair with the Nokian C line 215/65/15 for a little higher weight rating or the Firestone Transforce HT for the same rating and almost spot on with the stock size.
For the 16" choice it boils down to 3 options:
The SA steel rims, 16x7 ET 30 paired with the Nokian C Line 215/60/16 meet all specs. The rims have the stock ET. They should clear the suspension fine as their inside edge only sits .5 inch further in and a full inch further up than the 14x6 alloys that are on there. The tires meet load range requirements and the 1.8% change rev's/mile is not spot on, but not that radical. The inflation on that tire is probably 55psi, I couldn't confirm, but the other Nokians with that load rating have that max pressure and none of the Load Range C tires have anything under 50.
Another alternative would be the Mefro 16" steel wheel with the Nokian C Line 205/65/16. That combo would be solid, but a little less surface on the road. If you like the steel look, it seems like a good alternative. It has a slightly higher change in rev/mi, so running a more powerful engine would make it more appealing. The Mefro wheels have had problems with paint quality, but that is a relatively easy fix, sand blast them and repaint them.
For 16" alloys, the 16x7.5 ET23 Black European-look alloy rims available from just about every vendor will probably work with the Nokian C Line 215/60/16. With the change in ET their inside edge should be about the same place as the SA steel rims. However, with the change in ET, the tire will ride out futher making it more that crap will be thrown from the tires. I've got to think there are probably many people running these, but I have reservations because the rims weren't made for the van (they are mercedes car rims), the people who sell them can't or won't say what weight vehicle they are rated for, and they will push the tires futher outboard from where the stock tires lived.
The SA steel rims meet all my specs and have good options for tire choices. When I upgrade the engine, if I want to put taller tires on I can go up to the 215/65/16 tires and lower my RPMs on the highway. When it comes to looks, I prefer alloys, but I started with the requirement of the whole system being within spec and I don't know the 16" alloys actual are (or aren't). That is, unless I hear from the brake vendor that it's safe to go with the 15" Rhein wheels mentioned above, because I really like that setup and it's got lots of tire choices.
