Alternative Wheel Question

[Torvil]

Has anyone changed their wheels who could offer advice please?
I have a Hymer A class with standard 15" wheels
shod with 215
70 15 tyres. I want to change the wheels as they are badly oxidised from being diamond cut, refurbished only three years ago from the centre hub outwards. All four wheels have gone and shame. The rest of the vehicle. To aid traction I am wanting to fit 225 75 16 tyres on 16"rims. The other advantage is the extra rolling circumfirance I think will enable the speedometer to truly reflect the speed as currently it's reading as much as 10% faster than it is actually travelling.
I am looking to fit 16" wheels with circa ET50 off set and as I have a lightweight Alko chassis, I am restricted to PCD fitment 118 which appear rarer than 130 PCD. I know about weight rating so anything with 1250kg allowance will be fine. Has anyone any experience/advice/suggestions they can offer please?

 

[oldiesontour]

Surely enlarging the wheel circumference will increase the Speedo reading as effectively the Speedo reads revolutions so the greater the circumference the greater the distance travelled per revolution

 

[Lenny HB]

Surely enlarging the wheel circumference will increase the Speedo reading as effectively the Speedo reads revolutions so the greater the circumference the greater the distance travelled per revolution

No it reduces it as with each revolution the van travels further

 

[David M]

Surely enlarging the wheel circumference will increase the Speedo reading as effectively the Speedo reads revolutions so the greater the circumference the greater the distance travelled per revolution

The opposite. Say the old wheels were doing 13 revolutions per minute at a certain speed.
With bigger wheels, it’d be doing, say, only 12 revolutions, which the speedo will interpret as 12/13ths of that speed - that is, it will read slower.

 

[Happy Jack]

My Fiat ducato was on 15" wheels shod with 215/70/15 tyres.
Speedo said 70 but sat nav said 64.
Went to 16" alloys shod with Falken 215/75/16 tyres.
Ride much better and speedo now agrees with the sat nav.
Check out tyre size.com.
There is a size comparison chart you can input all the combinations of sizes available, then look at the results.

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[Jev88]

Many Speedo read under the real speed so going bigger will probably make it more accurate.
My works van (Vivaro) is spot on Speedo now that it has 17" alloys.

 

[oldiesontour]

Yes you're all right...too much Spanish sun

 

[Happy Jack]

My Fiat ducato was on 15" wheels shod with 215/70/15 tyres.
Speedo said 70 but sat nav said 64.
Went to 16" alloys shod with Falken 215/75/16 tyres.
Ride much better and speedo now agrees with the sat nav.

 

[Guigsy]

My Fiat ducato was on 15" wheels shod with 215/70/15 tyres.
Speedo said 70 but sat nav said 64.
Went to 16" alloys shod with Falken 215/75/16 tyres.
Ride much better and speedo now agrees with the sat nav.

It's likely that most of the improvement in comfort was down to the better tyres. The roll over change is very small and the change in sidewall height won't have done much. 16" alloys weigh more, which would make the suspension worse. So pretty much all down to the tyres.

 

[TinaLes]

Many MH & Camper Van owners have used and recommend these guys in Reading for new Wheel & Tyre deals, their website is a useful tool to see what wheel/tyre options are available. If you watch any you tubers you may well get a further 10% discount also.
I will be getting a new tyre quote soon, as these guys know their stuff with axel weight loadings and offer winter, and all season tyres for MH/Vans.
LES

Alloy Wheels & Tyres | Elite Wheels & Tyres

Alloy wheel & tyre packages to suit 4x4s, Pick Up Trucks, Vans & Cars including VW Transporter, Ford Ranger, Mercedes Sprinter MAN TGE, VW Crafter, Jaguar, Land Rover & Range Rover. BFG Approved.

www.elitewheels.co.uk

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[Happy Jack]

Many MH & Camper Van owners have used and recommend these guys in Reading for new Wheel & Tyre deals, their website is a useful tool to see what wheel/tyre options are available. If you watch any you tubers you may well get a further 10% discount also.
I will be getting a new tyre quote soon, as these guys know their stuff with axel weight loadings and offer winter, and all season tyres for MH/Vans.
LES

Alloy Wheels & Tyres | Elite Wheels & Tyres

Alloy wheel & tyre packages to suit 4x4s, Pick Up Trucks, Vans & Cars including VW Transporter, Ford Ranger, Mercedes Sprinter MAN TGE, VW Crafter, Jaguar, Land Rover & Range Rover. BFG Approved.

www.elitewheels.co.uk

Think I've looked at them before, mostly very fancy wheels which would be a pain to clean. But if course tyres are tyres of that's all your after.

 

[chippie]

I have gone from 15 to 16 inch 118 pcd and have fitted fox alloys, I see your in staffordshire and would highly recommend wheelmania on the coventy Rd birmingham, great price, loads of constructive advice and they supplied both tyres and rims and fitted...I think they have other depots but the boss works from cov Rd site and is definetly worth talking to.
plus I measured the rolling circumference difference which was 6% different which makes my speedo spot on as it was 6% out on 15inch rims

 

[Happy Jack]

It's likely that most of the improvement in comfort was down to the better tyres. The roll over change is very small and the change in sidewall height won't have done much. 16" alloys weigh more, which would make the suspension worse. So pretty much all down to the tyres.

Normally alloy wheels are approx 30% lighter than equivalent steel but of course 16" alloys are weigh bigger than 15" steel.

 

[Happy Jack]

My Fiat ducato was on 15" wheels shod with 215/70/15 tyres.
Speedo said 70 but sat nav said 64.
Went to 16" alloys shod with Falken 215/75/16 tyres.
Ride much better and speedo now agrees with the sat nav.

How did I post this twice???

 

[GMLS]

Many MH & Camper Van owners have used and recommend these guys in Reading for new Wheel & Tyre deals, their website is a useful tool to see what wheel/tyre options are available. If you watch any you tubers you may well get a further 10% discount also.
I will be getting a new tyre quote soon, as these guys know their stuff with axel weight loadings and offer winter, and all season tyres for MH/Vans.
LES

Alloy Wheels & Tyres | Elite Wheels & Tyres

Alloy wheel & tyre packages to suit 4x4s, Pick Up Trucks, Vans & Cars including VW Transporter, Ford Ranger, Mercedes Sprinter MAN TGE, VW Crafter, Jaguar, Land Rover & Range Rover. BFG Approved.

www.elitewheels.co.uk

Oooo which ones in particular as I'll be after a set of 5 in a few months? TIA

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[The joker]

Has anyone changed their wheels who could offer advice please?
I have a Hymer A class with standard 15" wheels
shod with 215
70 15 tyres. I want to change the wheels as they are badly oxidised from being diamond cut, refurbished only three years ago from the centre hub outwards. All four wheels have gone and shame. The rest of the vehicle. To aid traction I am wanting to fit 225 75 16 tyres on 16"rims. The other advantage is the extra rolling circumfirance I think will enable the speedometer to truly reflect the speed as currently it's reading as much as 10% faster than it is actually travelling.
I am looking to fit 16" wheels with circa ET50 off set and as I have a lightweight Alko chassis, I am restricted to PCD fitment 118 which appear rarer than 130 PCD. I know about weight rating so anything with 1250kg allowance will be fine. Has anyone any experience/advice/suggestions they can offer please?

Needed new tyres so upgraded my alloys at the same time went for borbet cw5 118PCD 1400KG TUV with Falken van 2 allseason tyres @ 225/75/16 121/120R from LK Performance Ltd, Cleckheaton
£1307 for 4 delivered last year. less £330 for old wheels, so under £1000 all in

 

[TinaLes]

Needed new tyres so upgraded my alloys at the same time went for borbet cw5 118PCD 1400KG TUV with Falken van 2 allseason tyres @ 225/75/16 121/120R from LK Performance Ltd, Cleckheaton
£1307 for 4 delivered last year. less £330 for old wheels, so under £1000 all in

View attachment 1039631

Nice wheels & tyres, I will be looking at buying The Falken Van2 all season tyres with 121 loading.
Can I ask did the tyre place offer you £300 trade in on your old wheels & tyres, or did you sell seperately, assuming they were the Fiat Diamond Cut standard alloys?
Many Thanks
LES

 

[The joker]

Nice wheels & tyres, I will be looking at buying The Falken Van2 all season tyres with 121 loading.
Can I ask did the tyre place offer you £300 trade in on your old wheels & tyres, or did you sell seperately, assuming they were the Fiat Diamond Cut standard alloys?
Many Thanks
LES

Sold separately unfortunately Through fleabaythey were off a 2019 peugeot boxer with alko chassis

 

[Rog NotJane]

One non obvious thing is that Fiat shipped wheels with two different bolt patterns. I bought some Fiat alloys which looked exactly like the originals but had a different bolt pattern.

I don’t know when they changed it.

 

[Landy Andy]

16" alloys weigh more, which would make the suspension worse

The wheels are unsprung weight so will have no effect on the suspension.

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[Guigsy]

The wheels are unsprung weight so will have no effect on the suspension.

I guess it's mainly handling and performance. But if you hit a big pothole, a heavy wheel is going to throw more force and energy into the suspension.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

The wheels are unsprung weight so will have no effect on the suspension.

They will have a negative impact as the increase in weight means more work for the dampers.

 

[Landy Andy]

They will have a negative impact as the increase in weight means more work for the dampers.

Errr. No.
The dampers won’t notice the difference in weight. The weight of a wheel is below the damper, and directly onto the road via the tyre. Dampers will only dealing with what is above the axle, as the dampers are in effect mounted to the same axle as the supposedly heavier wheels. Unsprung weight.

Also a bigger wheel/tyre will be better with potholes or rough surfaces. That’s why off-road vehicles don’t have tiny tyres.

 

[Landy Andy]

I guess it's mainly handling and performance. But if you hit a big pothole, a heavy wheel is going to throw more force and energy into the suspension.

No. A bigger tyre is going to roll easier across the pothole. A smaller tyre will drop in deeper causing a harder impact.

 

[Guigsy]

No. A bigger tyre is going to roll easier across the pothole. A smaller tyre will drop in deeper causing a harder impact.

Roll over isn't very different. It takes large changes in diameter to have much effect. But several kg more weight is quite significant.

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[Hettie's Crew]

My advice would be to do what we did, which is to stick with 15” wheels and fit 225/70 15 tyres that give a 112 rating, in our case Falken Euroall seasons. The circumference increases slightly and makes the speedometer nearer the sat nav. Also enables lower tyre pressures for much better comfort.
Get the wheels chemically stripped and done in black like the new Hymers, though before you send them in just take the edges off any sharp areas like wheel bolt holes and smaller holes near them, you’ll know where I mean because it’s where the lacquer starts to craze on the standard wheel.

 

[Guigsy]

Errr. No.
The dampers won’t notice the difference in weight. The weight of a wheel is below the damper, and directly onto the road via the tyre. Dampers will only dealing with what is above the axle, as the dampers are in effect mounted to the same axle as the supposedly heavier wheels. Unsprung weight.

Dampers damp the movement between the unsprung wheels and the rest of the suspended body. If the wheels weigh more, dampers will have less effect. So you've hit a big pothole and the wheel is shuddering from the impact, you'll feel it more.

 

[Deafender]

Sold separately unfortunately Through fleabaythey were off a 2019 peugeot boxer with alko chassis

I’m still wondering about the change from 15” to16” wheels and have to decide in the next couple of months, as the tyres on our MH will be seven years old and are starting to show their age. You’ve reminded me of a query I have…

… On the question of selling on my 15” alloys with a correct description, would anyone know how I can
tell if these are ‘diamond cut’ or otherwise? Having bought our MH used, we never got to see the original spec, or even if the wheels we have are/were standard… this is the wheel…

 

[EuroTrotters]

I have changed wheel sizes both up and down many times on vehicles.

There are many online calculators to help you.

A few things to bear in mind.

Wider tyres do not always offer better traction in snow and mud.

Increasing tyre and wheel size can cause issues with final drive ratios . For example, 416cdi Mercedes sprinters have specific wheel and final drive ratios to enable hill climbing. Changing could effect and upset the gearbox ECU.

Also consider wheel arches and full lock space.

Also braking performance

 

[The joker]

I’m still wondering about the change from 15” to16” wheels and have to decide in the next couple of months, as the tyres on our MH will be seven years old and are starting to show their age. You’ve reminded me of a query I have…

… On the question of selling on my 15” alloys with a correct description, would anyone know how I can
tell if these are ‘diamond cut’ or otherwise? Having bought our MH used, we never got to see the original spec, or even if the wheels we have are/were standard… this is the wheel…

View attachment 1040189

Might be worth asking on the AutoTrail section as someone might be able to point you in the right direction as to what wheels they are