Re: VW wheels

[O2002@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 12/24/98 1:24:39 PM EST, Jerry Chyo writes:
>  I didn't think of a few things.  The hub size would be wrong (Bimmers have
>  a 72.4mm or something close to that).  It wouldn't matter on an '02 but it
>  would on a hub-centric car.
- -------snip
Jerry,
Call me a nit-picker, but..
I wrote in my first reply that the 57.06 mm hub size _is_ the same for the two
car types we were talking about:  4-bolt BMW (02, E21, E30) and the VW
Rabbit/Golf/Jetta/Scirroco of the same vintage.  The 72.4mm hub size you've
mentioned above is found on the early 5-bolt BMW (E12, E24, E28, E30M3, etc),
like maybe your M5?  Newer models changed dimension again a few years back,
but I can't remember the details.
About the 02 not being hubcentric, sure - the rear wheels aren't.  But the
front hubs are conical, and reach that 57~mm width up close to the wheel stud
flange.  So, it depends a lot on your wheels whether you actually get a 'kinda
hubcentric' fit or not (OE is not).  And if you've got an 02 with big brakes
with E21 hubs, of course they're hubcentric.
  
>  Finding lug bolts may not be a problem.  There are plenty of companies who
>  create hybred bolts for american hot rods (The older cars used a flat seat
>  and the new ones are conical) so you can put new style rims on an older
>  car.  There's even a company in SoCal (I think they are called Dixi) that
>  does a lot of spacer/lugnut-bolt type of things for foreign (read - metric)
>  cars

Well, the VW radius lug seat is not something you'd find on wheels for
american iron, and our import aftermarket doesn't support it that well either.
That was the main point I had brought up in my earlier reply.  The flat, or
"mag" type of fastener are usually made for specific wheels, and american
"acorn" or "bulge" nuts are both 60 degree conicals.  There's a lot more to
it, but suffice to say if you're running VW wheels, you'll probably be stuck
with the OE-type VW bolts, and they're not very long.  That's just something
to consider before anybody spends money on VW wheels. 

> Lots of VW wheels fit and they had a sport package of sorts that had the
>15" BBS wheels in a 4x100 that fits.  They even have a 5x120 15" wheel 
>that would fit on the E23, 24, 28 cars to replace the TRX's.  

The OE VW BBS wheels are different from the similar looking BBS aftermarket
ones, and that usually makes it more expensive to find replacements.  The
newer VW 5-bolt pattern found on the VR6 is 5x100.  There was a 5-bolt used on
the old Vanagon (I don't know the PCD), that is very expensive used.  I
_think_ only BMW has used a 5x120 PCD,  ..but i've been wrong a lot....
 ///  J o h n   A h o
motor city chapter
couple gti's  [vw, compomotive, or bmw wheels]
couple 02's  [bmw or momo quasar wheels, no vw wheels]
euro 635csi [came new w/ alpina 16x7/16x8 wheels]

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