Thanks for posting this! Your van looks great. I've been looking for wheel / AT tyre options on my 2014 T5 4motion multivan. A few questions:
- Do you notice any performance impact with the larger tyres on the van?
- Does the spare fit in it's holder? (do you need to deflate it to get it in?)
- Do you know if 235/65/17 tyres will fit without rubbing with a OEM +55 offset rim?
1. Not much. Tiny. In fact, I'd say it's negligible. There are two parts to the performance difference. Firstly you change your gearing (7% in my case...pretty small) and secondly you add a fair chunk of rotating mass.
2. For my spare I used a stock 16" steel rim and have a cheap 235/70r16 on it. I did need to deflate it and jack it up there to get it in. A little fiddly, but not too hard. Took about 5 minutes. The jack is mainly to take the extra weight. I bought a compressor for re-inflating my tires after beach trips and I keep it in the car, so no big issue there.
3. They'll rub badly at the front of the inner arch on a +55 rim. My stock 235/55r17s on the stock +55 mags just rubbed on the inner arch on the left side at full lock. Add an inch of diameter and you need to move out by a fair chunk to clear.
I'm pretty happy with +30. It's pretty much flush with the wheel arch (maybe just has a little poke on the front) on the outside and clears perfectly on the inside.
Thanks for that. I also carry a compressor so no worries deflated as long as it fits.
So your stock 235/55/17 were already just rubbing? I need to have a closer look under my van on full lock. I was worried about messing with the offset and impact on wheel track so I was hoping the 235/55s would fit on OEM rims.
If anyone is interested, I had a poke around under the van (2014 Multivan 4motion, factory suspension upgrade, 17 x 7 +55 offset OEM rims with 235/55/17 tyres):
- Front wheels - tightest clearance on full lock = approx 40mm (1.5") to part of the inner arch. So, a 1" increase in radius (235/65 tyre) should be ok on OEM +55 offset rims
- Vertical line running across the face of the wheel = approx 25mm (1") between face of the wheel and the front fender. So, a change in offset to +30 should not project the tyre beyond the bodywork. Didn't measure rear however by eye it looked bigger than the front.
- Wheel track (between middle of rear tyres) measured approx 1600mm.
Murphenzo - any particular reason you went for a 8 inch width vs 7 inch on your new rims? Specific benefits?
The tire rubs on the left hand inner arch with the wheels turned full lock to the right. Go and check that clearance. It should clear in a factory setup, so I'm assuming the plastic inner has moved a little over the years on my (8 year old) van. A 235/65r17 will foul badly.
I did all of the same measurements to check for how far the tire wall sat inside the wheel arch. Keep in mind that an 235/65r17 is quite a bit wider at the sidewall than your stock 235/55r17s. I'd calculated that I'd be well inside, but ended up flush. What's your concern with increasing track?
As for an 8" rim over a 7"? Because it looks cooler. Who doesn't like dish?!
In theory the 8" rim should keep the tire a little better controlled, but the difference would be negligible. 7" would be a little lighter. On an 8" rim the tire still protrudes well past the rim, so you won't be scratching them up. Both rims clear the brakes/suspension. Both end up with the tire in the same place. Either would be quite ok.
Yep, I checked the inner arch specifically because I noted you said yours was rubbing there. Same both sides, about 1.5" is the closest at one spot. I think you are right that yours may have moved over time (or the design slightly changed).
My concern with the track was that I was worried about max allowable change. I'd seen quoted +26mm change allowed and thought this meant no more than +26 change to current wheel track. Change from +55 to +30 would have exceeded this (50mm total increase).
However I now see that this is stated "must not be increased by more than 26 mm beyond the maximum specified by the vehicle manufacturer". From my research for T5 vans 2006+ you can increase the track up to 1654mm, so no worries there with my van currently at 1600.
One thing I didn't account for - the closest point is just above the midline of the wheel. Suspension travel would bring the tyre slightly closer I think. This pic is with the van unloaded on the flat. There is space behind that guard so you could probably cut it back if needed.
Also, I for general info, I re-found an old thread that I had come across a while back on a South African VW forum. A user called johannvisser fitted 235/65/17 to his 2011 T5 4motion. You can see a pic in this thread.
Here's my left front wheel, looking at the inside front of the tire with it turned full lock right.
Top of the image is the front of the car. You can see the scrape mark where the corner of the old tire (1" smaller dia and 1" further to the left) used to hit the plastic.
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Who doesn't like dish?!
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