Tires & Wheels

[Paul Mossberg]

The basic 4 bolt/130 mm VW wheel is available in 4.5 and 5.5 inch widths.

 

Fifteen inch tires are available in 135/15, 145/15 and 165/15

 

Do all three tire sizes work with either wheel width?

Or should 135s and 145s be used on a 4.5″ wheel, while the 165 is best on a 5.5″ wheel?

 

And subject to all the above, what would you guys do for a VW based TDr?

 

I currently have 165s on 5.5 wheels.

Tires are old. And the wheels are too. I figure on replacing them all.

 

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[newkitman]

I’ve always used 165×15 on 5.5 wheels. Good question Paul and one I think we can all learn from. Looking forward to some replies.

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[John Simion]

I bought 165 series wide whitewalls from Coker to go on my 15 x 4.5 OEM VW rims.  IMHO they look great, and certainly no reason to think they look too wide for the rims.  I haven’t driven the car much except to-from various mechanics, but so far so good.  According to the Tire Calculator (link below), there is only 0.4″ difference in width between 155 and 165 series tires.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=155-80r15-165-80r15

[billnparts]

I’ve been using an iPhone app for years for calculating tire size changes. It also will provide the optimum wheel size based on the tire size you input. It’s iPhone only, unfortunately.

Tire And Disk Assistant.

http://sites.google.com/site/bootmansoftware

Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"

[KentT]

I’m running 185/65s on stock 4.5″ wheels. 5.5s would’ve worked better for the wider tires, but the air pressure is so low on these TDrs, especially the front, that I don’t think they’ll abnormally wear the tread centers. Further, the front end is so light that I don’t think hard steering will be an issue.

Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...

[Tom Vilardi]

My BCW front engined TD has 14 inch wheels and it came with Roadking Grenadier p185 – 75 r14 tires. 

The tires have some cracks, so I’m thinking about replacing them.  The wheels resemble TD’s (round holes) but have 16 rather than 15 holes in them.  

I feel that the car would look better with slightly higher tires.  So here are my questions:

1.  Because the TD and VW’s had 15 inch wheels – do I bite the bullet and get original wheels too?  It looks like I can accomodate the additional inch.  Not sure if VW will be a straight swap, but I know a TD wheel will need hub changes among other things. 

2.  Do I keep the wheels on it, BUT go with a Continental (VW Vanagon sized) 185 – 80 r14.  These are going to be about an inch taller than the current Roadkings and would be the easiest thing to do, but does anyone forsee any issues going with the taller 80’s?.  A 195/75 r 14 would give extra width and with that the 75 height is about the same as the slightly narrower 80’s.

Thoughts?  Advice? Experiences?

Tom         

Tom Vilardi
BCW Model 52
South Orange NJ

[Royal]

So, I thought I just HAD to have “real” knock off wire wheels on my VW based TDr. But the only ones I found were 14″. 
I bought them and adapted them to my MiGi.  Lotsa work and some extra expense. 

Your 185-75r14’s are almost exactly the same overall diameter as the 165/15’s that are popular on VW’s.  However, they are a bit fatter. 

Looking at the various kits, there are many small differences that add up and sometimes become problematic when you go changing tires and wheels (front disc brake upgrade required machine work in my case because of slightly smaller 14″ wheels).   And I know some other owners have introduced rubbing problems with the wheel wells and also reducing turning radius.    

You might want to find a friendly tire shop that will let you test fit a couple of sizes if you agree to buy the ones you decide upon from them.   

[edward ericson]

Original TD wheels are hard to come by. Many are a bit out of true as well, and they are often pitted. These are tube rims, and they lack the “safety lip” that all modern automotive wheels have. That lip keeps the tire from coming off in the event of a high-speed blowout. It’s hardly ever a factor, but in the rare case, you’re glad it’s there.

So the question you confront is the same one we all do: How “authentic” do you want to make the car, and how much money do you want to spend getting there, and how much (more) comfort and safety are you willing to sacrifice? 

Adaptors to get your 4 x 100 studs to 4 x 130 VW are what BCW originally spec’d. So you can count on something like that working, if you can get the adaptors made up.

Again, though, I’d be looking at re-drilling your hubs to 4 x 4.5 inches and buying late 90s, four-bolt Altima wheels. They are 15-hole, low offset, 15 x6 and would mount up a set of 185/56/15s very sweetly. That’ll very likely set in your wheel wells nicely, look pretty right and work a whole hell of a pile better than the 165/80s that most of us run now. 

edsnova2016-01-24 15:39:30

[Tom Vilardi]

Thanks Ed.  

In light of some of the things you mentioned I’m thinking the best thing to do is keep the rims I have and go with the taller Vanagon 185/80 r14.

The whole reason why I went with a TDr was because I wanted something that would be fun without the headache of a 60+ year old car – swapping out wheels sort of goes against my original premise.

Here’s a photo where you get an idea of the current wheels – no idea what they are – 4 bolt pattern 16 holes.  Would love to find MG-like hubcaps to fit but not sure how to make that work.

Tom

      

Tom Vilardi
BCW Model 52
South Orange NJ

[edward ericson]

Hub cap with medallion is $35 at Moss. Maybe buy one and see what you need to do on the spare wheel. 

The originals fit on three spear-tip “pips” that were affixed to the wheels. A careful person could make something close with 3 sheet metal screws. 

She really does look fine as is though. New tires are the ticket. You will love how much better she rides and handles on new rubber.

[Bob]

Vilardi wrote:

photo where you get an idea of the current wheels – no idea what they are – 4 bolt pattern 16 holes.

When I tried to find those online there were Saturn and Honda Accord wheels but I was counting the holes wrong before, thought it was something other than 16 (12 or 18).

Alibaba has what appears to be the same as yours:

http://guide.alibaba.com/shop/brand-new-14-x-5-5-inch-steel-wheel-aveo-aveo5-swift-g3-4lug-100mm-bolt-patte_9619662.html

I think it was the Saturn wheels with bolt patterns 115mm not 100mm. You would need to measure diagonally across lug nuts to know for sure about that. And then there’s offset, things I never had to work with before so I’m no help.

Oh, but I do know how to look for tire manufacture dates if you don’t. At least I think I do.

An imprinted number will be someplace around the outside of tire with 2 digit year (mine are 07) followed by week of year (1 to 52).

Imprint usually looks like a plate was attached to number then cast into the rubber.

LRH2016-01-24 21:28:05

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