Rims for early bay

Eatoniashoprat · Post by **Eatoniashoprat** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:49 am

Hi, I have a '69 and am looking for the cheapest 15x6 wide 5 rims that will fit under the arches. Probably going for around a 205/70r15 tire. What is my best bet? The bus is sitting at a little high than stock height. So far from what I have found the winner is jcwhitney but anything used (cheap) is good too. I don't care what they look like. Would I be better off getting some cheap adaptors to a chevy bolt pattern and find some chevy rims with lots of offset? I'm just looking for easy/cheap here, function>form. Thanks

Mike

Dannieboy1 · Post by **Dannieboy1** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:17 pm

Well, this is one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion about. I'm also a member of The Samba forums, and they have a 31 page sticky just on the tire and rims for buses. If interested, go to http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=162278 and read all about it. Appears to be Audi and Passants have the right rims, and there are a bunch of info on tires and load capacity. Regular passenger tires are not really appropriate for the Westies, ad the bus will roll around like a pregnant whale. Good luck.

Dannieboy1

Eatoniashoprat · Post by **Eatoniashoprat** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:47 am

Dannieboy1 wrote:Well, this is one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion about. I'm also a member of The Samba forums, and they have a 31 page sticky just on the tire and rims for buses. If interested, go to http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=162278 and read all about it. Appears to be Audi and Passants have the right rims, and there are a bunch of info on tires and load capacity. Regular passenger tires are not really appropriate for the Westies, ad the bus will roll around like a pregnant whale. Good luck.

Dannieboy1

Thanks for the reply. I had no idea it was such an opinionated topic, let the reading begin.

Mike

Piper · Post by **Piper** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:37 pm

when you've found your rims, I recommend Michagin Aligis tires, 6 ply, they make the bus feel so much more solid!

Eatoniashoprat · Post by **Eatoniashoprat** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:04 pm

Piper wrote:when you've found your rims, I recommend Michagin Aligis tires, 6 ply, they make the bus feel so much more solid!

I will look into those. I was just at my tire shop and they found a kumho 857, which is a 185R14C and is 8 ply

. And they're only $135 a tire. Then I checked them out online and they are 'trailer use only'. So my enthusiasm died. Rather than finding a GM 15" Rim or something to fit I think i'll just get a good 14" , properly rated tire

wildthings · Post by **wildthings** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:54 pm

There are several brands of 185R14 8ply tires out there that are only $60-$80 per tire. I have 195R14 Hankook RA08, on one rig and Michelins LTX 6 ply on the other. The Hankooks cost much less, carry more, and ride better.