17's w stock finders
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BREEZE
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17's w stock finders
Whats going awn guys? I know somebody around here has 17’s on there bug, and I was wondering if yall could tell me how they fit. Also what you had to do to make them fit. I have only found 17x7 do yall run spacers or just get the wheels with the right off set. Im not sure of what offset I would need any way. I know ill have to run a real low profile tire and its going to make the ride more bumpy and have more road nose, but I will sacrifice those just to have better performance tires and some sweet looking wheels! please help me out guys. thanks!!
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Marc
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You won't fit 7" rims under stock front fenders without an increased turning circle. If they have enough backspace to keep the outer sidewalls covered, the inner sidewall is going to rub on the suspension (and possibly the body/pan at the back) at full lock. The widest factory rim was 5½x15, ET26 in `73 and ET34 after that ("Sport" SuperBeetle rims) - there's also a 914/4 version that's ET40 or 41 IIRC. I've had the 914 rims on a balljoint Standard and they do rub slightly on the inside; the ET34 just fits.
Your stock 4x15" rim is ET40, as are many of the 17" rims. With the same offset, the additional 3" width is split evenly between the inside and outside - it's easy to see that there's not 1½" of room on the inside at full lock, if you used a different offset or added enough spacer (at least 3/4") to gain clearance to the suspension that'd make the outside at least 2¼" further out.
Your stock 4x15" rim is ET40, as are many of the 17" rims. With the same offset, the additional 3" width is split evenly between the inside and outside - it's easy to see that there's not 1½" of room on the inside at full lock, if you used a different offset or added enough spacer (at least 3/4") to gain clearance to the suspension that'd make the outside at least 2¼" further out.
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Marc
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When you can't turn the steering all the way because the tire(s) rub against something on the car, you've got a wider turning circle. 
There are adjustable stop bolts that limit the travel of the pitman arm on the steering box - adjusting those in will prevent the tires from rubbing, but you still can't turn as sharply as with the stock setup.
There are adjustable stop bolts that limit the travel of the pitman arm on the steering box - adjusting those in will prevent the tires from rubbing, but you still can't turn as sharply as with the stock setup.
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Marc
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I haven't seen any aftermarket 17x6½", but there are several late-model cars that come with them or 17x6". Bolt patterns could be 5x114.3, 5x100, or 4x100. New bug drums drilled 4x100 are readily available; for 5x100 you can find rears easily but not fronts (5x100 rotors yes, if you convert to disc brakes) so they may have to be custom-drilled.
First step is to find rims you like and see what their backspace is (you're after ~4¼" with no spacers).
7" is much easier to fit under the rear fenders, but finding a pair of 17x6 and a pair of 17x7 that match could be hard. In 16" it's easy - stock Porsche Boxter (5x130 bolt pattern).
First step is to find rims you like and see what their backspace is (you're after ~4¼" with no spacers).
7" is much easier to fit under the rear fenders, but finding a pair of 17x6 and a pair of 17x7 that match could be hard. In 16" it's easy - stock Porsche Boxter (5x130 bolt pattern).
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Marc
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First understand what the terms mean. Backspace is the measurement from the lugbolt plane (where the dirty side of the rim contacts the brakedrum) to the innermost lip of the rim. Put a straightedge across the backside of the rim (not the tire) and measure in to the flat part of the center, there's your backspace.
Offset is the difference between where the center point of the rim is and the lugbolt plane. Most auto wheels will have the lugbolt plane closer to the front of the rim than to the back; the "ET" number on a VW wheel is this measurement in millimeters*.
Use this as a rule of thumb when translating offset to backspace - I'll use a stock 4" ET40 rim as the first example.
Add an inch to the width (because a ½" lip on either side of the tire bead is typical), divide by two and convert to millimeters:
(4+1)/2 = 2.5, 2.5x25.4 = 63.5
Add the offset (the ET number) and convert back to inches:
63.5+40 = 103.5, 103.5/25.4 = almost 4.1" backspace
Now a 6" ET35 for comparison:
(6+1)/2 = 3.5, 3.5x25.4 = 88.9, (88.9+35)/2 = 123.9mm or almost 4.9"
...the added 2" of width is split unevenly between inside & outside because the offset is different - the backspace is not a full inch greater, it's an inch minus the 5mm (~0.2") offset change. The frontspace (distance from lugbolt plane to the outer edge of the rim) is ~1.2" greater.
You'd probably need at least an 8mm spacer to keep the inner sidewall from rubbing on something; the rim/spacer combination would have an effective offset of 27mm and the outer sidewall would be about 1½" further out towards the fender than with the stock setup.
Make sense?
* Most (but not all) people consider a wheel to have "positive offset" when it's like the stock VW rim with more backspace than frontspace. There are those to whom it means the opposite, though, so it's best not to rely upon the positive/negative terminology.
Offset is the difference between where the center point of the rim is and the lugbolt plane. Most auto wheels will have the lugbolt plane closer to the front of the rim than to the back; the "ET" number on a VW wheel is this measurement in millimeters*.
Use this as a rule of thumb when translating offset to backspace - I'll use a stock 4" ET40 rim as the first example.
Add an inch to the width (because a ½" lip on either side of the tire bead is typical), divide by two and convert to millimeters:
(4+1)/2 = 2.5, 2.5x25.4 = 63.5
Add the offset (the ET number) and convert back to inches:
63.5+40 = 103.5, 103.5/25.4 = almost 4.1" backspace
Now a 6" ET35 for comparison:
(6+1)/2 = 3.5, 3.5x25.4 = 88.9, (88.9+35)/2 = 123.9mm or almost 4.9"
...the added 2" of width is split unevenly between inside & outside because the offset is different - the backspace is not a full inch greater, it's an inch minus the 5mm (~0.2") offset change. The frontspace (distance from lugbolt plane to the outer edge of the rim) is ~1.2" greater.
You'd probably need at least an 8mm spacer to keep the inner sidewall from rubbing on something; the rim/spacer combination would have an effective offset of 27mm and the outer sidewall would be about 1½" further out towards the fender than with the stock setup.
Make sense?
* Most (but not all) people consider a wheel to have "positive offset" when it's like the stock VW rim with more backspace than frontspace. There are those to whom it means the opposite, though, so it's best not to rely upon the positive/negative terminology.
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Marc
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That's a Super Beetle - completely different front suspension (and fenders) than your`70 bug.
Here's a Standard Beetle with 16x6" Boxter rims and Creative Car Craft widened fenders (they'd never fit under stockers except when pointed straight ahead). Note the spacers used to keep the tires from rubbing on the lower control arms at the front and the edge of the pan in back - even with them this car has lost almost a half-turn of steering in each direction - to regain that I'll need to grind into the shock towers and weld them back up, as it is they'd shred the sidewalls on a sharp turn.
Here's a Standard Beetle with 16x6" Boxter rims and Creative Car Craft widened fenders (they'd never fit under stockers except when pointed straight ahead). Note the spacers used to keep the tires from rubbing on the lower control arms at the front and the edge of the pan in back - even with them this car has lost almost a half-turn of steering in each direction - to regain that I'll need to grind into the shock towers and weld them back up, as it is they'd shred the sidewalls on a sharp turn.