what tires can I put on my '72 stock rims?

[rrb6699]

I think you can have 1/2 inch variance (5 - 5.5 inch tires) but im not sure if the stock rims are 5 or 5.5 inch inner bead measurement.

what I want to do is run 215s-235s on the back and maybe 60s or shorter tires on the front.

if not any on these rims, how do I convert to 5-bolt rimsm
are there any wider 4-bolt rims that fit the '72 Beetle available?

those are my goals. eventually I want disc on the rear but cant afford it now.

just getting this Bug on the road!

if not

[Marc]

The rim width and ET (offset in millimeters) is stamped into the front of the stock rims, between the lugbolt holes. They were changed from 4" ET40 to 4½" ET34 in mid`72, starting with VIN 1122497035.
There were some 5½" "Sports" rims offered in the early `70s on some special-edition bugs; they came in ET26 and ET34 (a very similar-looking rim was used on some 914s, it was ~ET40 IIRC). These all have a "spoked" center and don't accept hubcaps; 4½" versions also exist so you do have the option of running staggered widths with the same appearance.

As for tire width, the stock 165 is technically about the widest that belongs on a 4" rim. Some Smart cars use a 175 that isn't too bad on the 4½" (although ~12% "short"). Certainly, one can shoehorn much wider rubber on but it is WRONG.
The 5½" rims originally came with 175/70 tires (good luck finding those anymore) but you can run 185 to 205 on them, depending upon what you're after for diameter/gearing and ride comfort vs handling. 195/60 is a pretty good compromise IMO, although you might opt for 195/65 if you spend much time on the highway.
http://www.yokohamatire.com/tires_101/c ... eel_width/

Here's a calculator that you can use to predict your effective gearing change (and speedometer error) for various tire sizes. The original 165-15 was approximately an 82 aspect ratio and it doesn't give that option, but you can use 80 and 85, then interpolate the results. http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/tec ... brate.html

You can run any of the rims shown in the attached .pdf on the rear with any sensible-sized tire. On the front, 1302 Supers have inner sidewall clearance issues with the stock coils and the later rims with more backspace; when you run those on a Standard, you might need to crank in the Pitman arm stop bolts a touch to prevent rubbage on the beam/swaybar.

[Marc]

...how do I convert to 5-bolt rims...
are there any wider 4-bolt rims that fit the '72 Beetle available?...

Aftermarket rims of ~6-7" width are available which'll fit under the stock fenders in most cases (the offset/backspace needs to be considered more carefully the wider you go). 7" isn't particularly challenging to fit under the rear of an IRS bug and is wide enough for a ~225 tire...assuming you can find a 15" in the size you need.
Converting to 5x205 rims is another topic - The front is simple, just fit `66/`67 drums. In the rear there are several ways to go, but plenty of pitfalls. There are way too many chuckleheads who'll tell you that all you need to do is slap on some early drums with spacers, and that's NOT the right way to do it. Probably the best approach for a stock-fendered car would be to use Type III or IV brakes, which are a direct bolt-on, and find some pre`66 Type III rear drums. This only increases the track width slightly, but you get bigger/better brakes with a functional e-brake. Unsprung weight goes up a little, but it's worth it for most applications.

Another popular approach is to convert to a more commonly-used bolt pattern, by replacing the drums/discs with custom-pattern ones or redrilling the stock ones. This makes it much easier to find 16", 17" (or even larger) rims and opens up your tire choices to more contemporary performance rubber.
Personally I like converting the rear brakes to 924T/944 Porsche - not a total bolt-on but not too hard, you just need custom pipes and some readily-available adaption bits to hook up the e-brakes - put "Ghia" disks on the front with 5x130 lug pattern rotors and there are many choices of Porsche rims...better quality than most aftermarket wheels and used ones can be surprisingly inexpensive. A caveat, though - most Porsche alloys have a ton of backspace and it's almost a sure thing you'll need spacers; except for the stock (used) ones from the 924/944, those can be kind of spendy.

[rrb6699]

wow, thanks for that awesome detail. ill weigh my options and let you know what I decide.

this seems like a great forum I'm glad I found it!

rr

[rrb6699]

ok, I looks like it says "4Jx15" on the rim in the picture but its very worn and hard to see

[jdub63]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nexen-SB802-T ... 5/19473481

[Marc]

See if you can pull it from here instead: http://share.myflare.com/TMBj59

If that doesn't work I can make a .jpg out of it but it could be blurry:

[rrb6699]

hey,
I took the Bug to a custom tire place on the advice of a local vw repair shop who has maybe 20-30 oldies on his lot. anyway, he says he doesnt see many older bugs because he repairs mostly later models.

incredibly, the tire shop had 2 P195/60R15s tires I put on the rear called Prime Wells and 2 P185/60R15 Falken tires for the front.

initially, he had 2 mismatched tires for the front but later told me he put the Falkens on the front.

cost? $80 for the entire set! I thought I was hearing things when he quoted the price. knowing Falken tires I was thinking $80 each.

Support the local one shop mom & pop merchants! they are more willing to sell you tires and be flexible on price to get your business instead of sell you once at a premium and forget you.

I have 3 other vehicles that will be in his shop when I need more tires.

I will probably again be happy with the price I bet.

i'm gonna run these tires until I finish my restoration. at that point i'll be thinking of beefing up my suspension for cornering and lastly convert to disc and 5-bolt.

thanks all for your help. ill refer to the answers in this thread in the future.

RayRay

[Marc]

Well, those tires are FAR too wide for 4" rims but as I said before nearly anything can physically wrap around any rim of the same diameter. At normal inflation pressures their sidewalls will be tugging up on the tread patch so they'll wear out faster in the center. You can lower the pressure to flatten the tread, but that'll cause poor tracking and hurt fuel economy - for what you paid for 'em, you may as well run pressures close to stock and not worry about finding wider rims for 'em - just please do it right when you convert to 5-lug.

Do check your inner sidewall clearance at full lock on the front - with 185/60s on stock rims you may need to crank the Pitman arm stop bolts in a little to keep them from rubbing on the lower control arms or swaybar clamps.

[rrb6699]

I will check all that. like I said these are just temporary until I finish the restoration.

right now im running them at the pressure they inflated them at. he has a lot od Old Beetle and Bus customers and says these sizes have been working well on the stock Bug rims.

nothing is rubbing and I grilled the guy about this before they installed these tires. im sure the wear is not an issue since my last set of tires went 100k mile since bugs are so light.

what pressure can or should I run these tires at? currently, the fronts are 34psi and the rears are 35psi.

rr

[WooleyNelson]

stock pressures are around 19-21 front and 26-30 rear