Gday ALL,
Probably not just for me, would someone please explain to us in laymans
terms, from where to where on the wheel rim and/or centre that is the ET
offset. So, as my original (but now spare) set of 14" syncro rims are
marked ET30, I'd like to be able to physically measure it and other
rims.
Ben T says up to ET45 on 15" rims still won't rub. He may well be right.
I do know my Merc 6Jx15H2 ET49 wheels do rub, for some occasions on
uneven offroad circumstances when on a lock. Also the centres in these
Merc rims are only about 3.5mm thick, whereas my 14" syncro rims are
around 4.5mm. These 15" Merc rims have been on since around 1992.
However, I still cannot see any physical damage or distortion.
Also, as many of us are running our camper syncros at maximum and beyond
Gross Weight of 2.5 ton, I suspect the body is sitting lower relative to
the wheels. Hence an increased possibility of rubbing.
Cheers.
Ken
--- In
Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com, "BenT Syncro" <syncro@...>
wrote:
>
> On 11/25/07, Les Harris leslieharris@... wrote:
> >
> > Brian,
> >
> > Since you mentioned this yesterday at the DOTVW meeting, I checked
my
> > wheel sets as soon as I arrived home and compared the original 14"
> > Syncro knaves with the 2WD knaves that were donors for the Ajax 15"
wheels
> > that I had made. The difference in thickness is 0.5 mm, with the
Syncro
> > being the thicker.
> >
> > The original Syncro wheels were unique in Australia, being 6" wide,
as you
> > said, while the 2WD wheels were 5.5". In terms of dynamic loading,
the
> > rear wheels of the 2WD T3, when running at max rated load at high
speed on
> > poor roads, would be very similar to the Syncro off road. There
might
> > have been heavy duty wheels available for the Syncro that I haven't
heard
> > about. Some of our members, here or overseas, might have more
information
> > on that.
> >
> > Phill? Mike? Ben?
> >
> > And, to elaborate on what I should have put in the original post, it
makes
> > a lot of sense to maintain the correct offset when changing wheels.
The
> > offset is determined by having the kingpin axis and the centre point
of the
> > tyre contact patch coincide on the road surface. The primary reason
is to
> > minimize the dynamic loads on the front suspension and steering
mechanism.
> > The 16" has +25 mm, the 14" has +30 mm. I did a layout for the 15"
and it
> > came out at the half-way point, +27.5 mm, and had mine made to this
offset.
> >
> > Les
> >
>
>
> Les,
>
> I'm not sure which question you want answered. US Spec Vanagons use
the same
> 5.5" steel wheels in both the 2wd and Syncro models with an offset of
ET30.
> Syncros can tolerate offsets as high as ET45 w/o any noticeable
difference
> in my opinion. Mark Drillock and Dan Fleming both have use bored out
Audi
> alloys for their forays into Baja California w/o any issues. Factory
alloy
> wheels for Vanagons are again the same offset but slightly wider at
6". As
> for the regular (thinner) wheels, US spec Vanagons have never had any
> serious issues with steel rims that I have ever heard of. Of course,
there
> will be some exceptions to the rule but overall, those same wheels
have been
> soldiering on in US T3's since 1971.
>
> The downside of using 14" centers is the lack of room for larger
brakes such
> as those found in South African T3's. I've used Mercedes S-class steel
rims
> from the 126 models. They are ET25 and 15". Unfortunately I have found
the
> rims themselves quite fragile compared to the stock T3 wheels. I do
feel
> they are suitable donors for centers. They are quite rare in the US as
most
> MB cars came here with alloy wheel wheels after the late 70's.
>
> It's sad but the 14" steel rims are routinely tossed out and or given
way
> here. Too bad someone couldn't come here and gather them all up and
prep
> them as center donors for export to OZ.
>
>
> BenT
>
