Alloy Wheels?

[gavalar1081]

Hi All,

New to the forum so hello!

1991 Abbey Lincoln. I want to fit some alloy wheels to enhance the van, can anyone advise of wheel fitment so I buy the correct ones?

Many Thanks.

Gavin

 

[Sproket]

First of all you need to know the MTPLN of your Abbey Lincoln. What size wheels & tyres are allready fitted ?

Then look on here Tyresafe data

And then check that the tyres that you have got at the moment are suitable for you vans MTPLN.

If that works out ok....

You have got the size of wheel & tyre....you can take a look at the caravan breakers ...? or try here tyreline caravan alloy wheels and buy new one's

 

[Lutz]

As Sproket says, the wheels must be suitable for the axle load and tyre size, but also the hole pitch diameter and the wheel offset must match that of the steel wheels, too.

 

[forestgump]

what ever you do dont use car alloys as i see some one on site ,they used ford type wheel by the look of it strength is a issue .

 

[Steve L]

Hi Gavin.

Welcome to the forum and caravanning.

As already mentioned you do have to make sure that the alloys you get are designed for heavy use, preferably specific caravan wheels.

One thing you would do well to consider is the affect/excuse it might give your insurance company to avoid paying out should an accident claim be made at a later date.

Definately do not use any of the dress up car alloys you see so cheaply available. These are no where near strong enough. Just think about the BMW alloy issue on watch dog where, BMW owners faced thousand pound bills for square wheels and cracked wheels, and these were standard manufacturer wheels.

As an added foot note to all those one man and his van guys. It is amazing just how many of them "jazz up" their Transits, Transporters and Sprinters with aftermarket alloys that were intended for cars not vans having a gross vehicle weight of 3500Kgs. Oh of coarse these chaps rarely weigh their vans and inevitably end up over weight.

Steve L.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Steve in Leo,

Quote: "Oh of coarse these chaps rarely weigh their vans and inevitably end up over weight".

Are you still talking about about the van here, or are you having a dig at the drivers.

best regards, Martin

 

[Steve L]

Martin.

I'm not digging at anybody, so perhaps that angle should be dropped and concentrate on fact.

Most self employed contractors (me included) seldomely weigh their vans.

I got spot checked with my Renault traffic crew van, loaded with six blokes, lodging bags and tools to build a poultry house. I was astounded to find that we were 350Kgs over weight as the back of the van "looked" ok. So I think it is fair to say that an electrician going to an industrial job may well have a dozen or more rolls of cable plus left overs from the last couple of jobs, therefore he may be over the limit without knowing it.

Next point was that owner drivers of vans have pride in their van and often fit aftermarket alloys. These alloys are predominately aimed at lightweight cars and not caravans or commercial vans.

So I'd put the wooden spoon back in the cutlery draw (You know what I mean by that!) and stick to simple fact and what does generally happen in the big wide world.

Steve L.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Steve,

It was meant as a joke, but we obviously don't share the same sense of humour.

As for the wooden spoon, a fishing rod would have been more appropiate. I was not trying to stir things up, just wind the van drivers of the forum up.

best regards, Martin

 

[Guest]

Gavin,

Firstly I would strongly recommend you do NOT buy secondhand alloy wheels. You have no idea what use they may have had or even if they have ever been in an accident. For the price of new ones, ensure your life is safe.

As mewntioned you need the size of your exisitng wheels and this usuually stamped on the rim somewhere. Common sizes are 5J x 13, 5.5 J x 13, 5.5J x x14. You also need to measure the PCD diameter. This is the distance in millimeters between the centre point of opposing stud holes and common sizes are 112 mm. You alos need to know the offset and this is usually 30 mm.

If you plan on using the same tyre size then it is easy to get this from the existing tyres. I would recommend NOT using the existing tyres, even if they are fairly new, as again, it is just not worth it.

You can always take your existing wheels to a dealer and they will advise you the correct allow alternatives.

 

[gavalar1081]

Gavin,

Firstly I would strongly recommend you do NOT buy secondhand alloy wheels. You have no idea what use they may have had or even if they have ever been in an accident. For the price of new ones, ensure your life is safe.

As mewntioned you need the size of your exisitng wheels and this usuually stamped on the rim somewhere. Common sizes are 5J x 13, 5.5 J x 13, 5.5J x x14. You also need to measure the PCD diameter. This is the distance in millimeters between the centre point of opposing stud holes and common sizes are 112 mm. You alos need to know the offset and this is usually 30 mm.

If you plan on using the same tyre size then it is easy to get this from the existing tyres. I would recommend NOT using the existing tyres, even if they are fairly new, as again, it is just not worth it.

You can always take your existing wheels to a dealer and they will advise you the correct allow alternatives.

Thanks everyone for your replys.

To be honest I wasn't thinking of getting second hand wheels. I would certainly buy new but you have now got me thinking.

The original idea was to spend about 8-10k on a van but with moving house and new babies etc we have bought a 1991 Abbey Lincoln off a close friend. It is a great little van and in great order but I want to give it a few upgrades. New carpet, curtains, microwave etc and in particular some wheels. It has tatty cream wheel trims!!

Its interesting to read about the load limits etc so I will give it some serious thought before I decide for certain.

Gavin

 

[Steve L]

Steve,

It was meant as a joke, but we obviously don't share the same sense of humour.

As for the wooden spoon, a fishing rod would have been more appropiate. I was not trying to stir things up, just wind the van drivers of the forum up.

best regards, Martin

Sorry mate. Was still seathing from being battered by the grumpy grannie. I'll have to sit in the shade and let the blood pressure drop a bit.