Modifying road wheels

[CRB]

Before everyone says 'Stop, just STOP' it has not been done yet, and I am trying to stop it even starting the slippery slope to insurance and near death experiences.

It all starts with the gearing, these vans are slow, and relatively thirsty. There have been a few engine swaps, and rear axle swaps, but the easy way is a larger diameter tyre, which was an option anyway, but some people would like fancier wheels with less 'truck' tyres. Tyre choice is very limited in 14".

Our LT have 14" wheels with 5x160 bolts which are countersunk. There are no other available options, unless you want alloys at the thick end of a grand or so. The closest steel option, and only option, is ?2000? Transit which are 5x160 but, and it is a very big but, the Transit uses the centre bore to to register the wheel while the LT uses the countersunk fixing bolts.

There is a train of thought that it is fine to countersink the Transit wheels. That train may have been stopped, but a workaround has been mentioned, that using plain bolts instead of countersunk would work. This would mean the wheel is held with the five bolts with each working as a register. Not clever in my opinion, and others too. Far too much room for movement.

Now, eventually, to my question. Pressing the Transit wheels' mounting holes has also been 'run up the flagpole'. Now at the minute, this seems a possible solution, for those wanting a solution. I have had a look for how many tonnes a press would need to be to complete this operation, but with no luck.

Each hole is 15dia with a ?82* countersink. I have no firm information on the Transit, even if there is enough material to do this.

Any wise words would be gratefully received.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Why not use a back plate drilled 5x160 with a length of pipe welded to it to match the Transit centre hole.
You could use normal bolts and the wheel will be supported correctly.
It does mean the track will be, say, 20mm wider (2x10mm back plates).

 

[CRB]

Adapter plates are another, more reasonable way to do it, but I think the extra expense is offputting. If it was a more popular model, they would be easily available too.

One chap has a Lexus engine and running gear under his LT body and is using adapter plates for the wheels.

 

[711jrp]

Do your hubs have any register on them at all ? or are they completely flat with the studs protruding ?, if they do could you turn up some spigot rings with with your hub register as a I/D and the transit bore as the O/D?

 

[CRB]

Since I started this, some Tata hubs have been found, 16" with countersunk holes, so a lot of slobbering is going on.

Do your hubs have any register on them at all ? or are they completely flat with the studs protruding ?, if they do could you turn up some spigot rings with with your hub register as a I/D and the transit bore as the O/D?

The wheels are flat and use the bolts to centre, well bolts on the front and studs on the back. Thank you VW. No machined register though.

 

[711jrp]

how about a thin wheel spacer then with a lip for the transit wheel drilled and doweled to the vw hub ? never easy is it...

 

[Gareth J]

Enough room to machine some weld on "washers" of a decent thickness and diamteter with the correct countersink in them? Bolt up, tack in place, remove and fully weld....

 

[octo0072000]

well they used to modify rims to fit land rovers get machine shop to make up some centres to fit LT to fit into the transit rims
say 10mm plate then weld centres into transit rims been done before

 

[CRB]

If I was doing it, that is the way I would do it.
I am not though.

It might all die down now some wheels have been found that do not need modification.

Broadly, adapter plates are the way to go, in one form or another.

Thank you chaps, but a bit of a wild goose chase.

 

[agrimog]

I sugest you lookon the "net" for LT forums, there is a big following out there and just about every concievable mod or change has been covered at ssome point on these,,

 

[CRB]

I sugest you lookon the "net" for LT forums, there is a big following out there and just about every concievable mod or change has been covered at ssome point on these,,

Since I am active on BrickYard, LT-Freunde, D24T.com, VolkZone FB VoLT group, I think I have that side of it covered.
Thank you for the suggestion though.

 

[mike 109444]

On a related link to this I watched an episode of Wheeler Dealer this evening and judging by Edd's amount of grey it was one of the newer ones (relatively speaking).
They had bought a 13 window split screen bus (?) from USA and wanted to fit the Half moon disc hub caps so went and got the steal wheels split and banded. I thought this process had been stopped quite some time back ?? any one know ?

 

[CRB]

That is something else which pops up every now and then, on BrickYard, but since my van is 2tons empty we always advise against it.

I cannot remember a definitive answer regarding whether or not it has been stopped as such, but I doubt that insurance companies would be too impressed, and would probably run a mile if you were involved in an accident.

A blow-out is one thing, but a wheel splitting is something else altogether.

 

[optima21]

banded steel wheels are scene on a few different cars now including vw's, jdm and rat look, there are a few companies (and individuals) manufacturing them. don't think anybody has any issues getting them insured,and as far as Im aware the regulations don't inhibit them.

 

[mike os]

Would this need type approval?