Stock steel wheels

[560]

Are the T-3 factory 15" 4 lug steel wheels the same as other ACVW?
Thanks for any input on this.

Mike

[Marc]

There are two common widths, 4" and 4½". All 4" have the same backspace (ET40 offset), but the ET46 4½" on Type III/IV and `Ghia have more than the ET41 or ET34 4½" used on late Beetle. You should find the width & offset stamped into the front of the rim, between the lugbolt holes.
Width is measured from tire bead-to-bead, so the overall width including the lips is typically almost an inch greater. The center stampings all have the same contour, so you can tell an ET46 4½" from an ET41 by looking at the space on the backside between the welds and the bead area (on the ET46 you can lay a finger in the space). The extra backspace of the ET46 can cause interference with the coil springs on a Super (1302s take the ET34), and the control arms/swaybar on a Standard...the latter condition requires cranking in on the Pitman arm stops resulting in a wider turning circle.
All the details are here, this webpage is no longer hosted and the day will come when a cache of it can no longer be found. The page is locked; I've written the author to request his source code so hopefully we can put it up here someday:
http://web.archive.org/web/200307151642 ... steel4.htm

Here's the 5-lug rim info:
http://web.archive.org/web/200307152141 ... steel5.htm
...note that the information is "euro-centric" - the 1967 Beetle came with 4-lug wheels/disc brakes if it had a 1500cc engine, and the "1200" model (the STANDARD, non-export Beetle) still existed past 1965.


update 3/5/2013: Here's the answer I got:

"I do hold the source code, but can see no reason to share at this time.
regards
Graham
Oxfordshire VWOC"

What a nice fella, huh?

I've compiled/corrected the contained information in the form of a couple of .pdf files. They're too large to attach here, but I'll email them to you upon request.

[560]

Thanks again for the info. I will go and dig thru the wheel stack at www.averysaircooled.com soon to see what I can come up with.

Mike

[builtbychevy]

What are the weight of the stock wheels if one were considering ultralights?