Wheel upgrade / lowering options

[vdubmarky]

Hi everyone, I could do with some help. My T6 T28 is currently on factory 17" alloys with 235/55/17 tyres. You can see the gaps between the wheels & arches in the photos, 65mm on the rear & 100mm at the front. Ultimately id like to have some wolfrace wolfsburg Gloss Black alloys on the van but want the gaps to close up a bit, don't want them to look lost like my current wheels do.

I've had a good look through the forums to try and figure out what the best option is but I'm just confused. Im thinking 20" and leave lowering alone or 18" and look at lowering? I'm new to all this, very much appreciate any helpful advice and guidance you may have. Thanks.

 

[The Van Cave]

Hi, welcome to the forum and welcome to the potential minefield of wheels and suspension.

Is your van a camper conversion, or carrying a lot of weight in the rear for any other reason? I ask because the rear is a lot lower than the front based on your photos and measurements, so whatever your decision, I would advise having that corrected to ensure the van drives the way it should.

You don't necessarily have to choose between 20s and standard height, or 18s and lowering. If you choose the correct suspension, you can comfortably run a 20" wheel and lower the van, whilst improving handling, looks and ride quality. There are so many options to help close those arch gaps correctly whilst also improving the ride and handling that it sometimes helps to discuss it over the phone or by DM.

If you would like some further details as to what might best suit your needs and some ideas on pricing, send me a DM or give me a call in the week using the details in the signature below. We can then discuss exactly what it is you want to achieve and exactly how best to achieve it.

Cheers,

Chris.

 

[Keredewor]

I have a brand new Caravelle factory suspension for sale that would lower your van 30mm then 17inch alloys would look fine

 

[vdubmarky]

Hi, welcome to the forum and welcome to the potential minefield of wheels and suspension.

Is your van a camper conversion, or carrying a lot of weight in the rear for any other reason? I ask because the rear is a lot lower than the front based on your photos and measurements, so whatever your decision, I would advise having that corrected to ensure the van drives the way it should.

You don't necessarily have to choose between 20s and standard height, or 18s and lowering. If you choose the correct suspension, you can comfortably run a 20" wheel and lower the van, whilst improving handling, looks and ride quality. There are so many options to help close those arch gaps correctly whilst also improving the ride and handling that it sometimes helps to discuss it over the phone or by DM.

If you would like some further details as to what might best suit your needs and some ideas on pricing, send me a DM or give me a call in the week using the details in the signature below. We can then discuss exactly what it is you want to achieve and exactly how best to achieve it.

Cheers

Hi, welcome to the forum and welcome to the potential minefield of wheels and suspension.

Is your van a camper conversion, or carrying a lot of weight in the rear for any other reason? I ask because the rear is a lot lower than the front based on your photos and measurements, so whatever your decision, I would advise having that corrected to ensure the van drives the way it should.

You don't necessarily have to choose between 20s and standard height, or 18s and lowering. If you choose the correct suspension, you can comfortably run a 20" wheel and lower the van, whilst improving handling, looks and ride quality. There are so many options to help close those arch gaps correctly whilst also improving the ride and handling that it sometimes helps to discuss it over the phone or by DM.

If you would like some further details as to what might best suit your needs and some ideas on pricing, send me a DM or give me a call in the week using the details in the signature below. We can then discuss exactly what it is you want to achieve and exactly how best to achieve it.

Cheers,

Chris.

Thanks Chris, I'll give you a call in the week. Much appreciated

 

[Steele T6]

Hi , can anyone advise on the above please? I cant get my head around this ? So is the van set up with the same clearance between the wheel arches between the front and back before anything is added ? Then surely this changes depending on the people/ luggage, etc and where they are located in the van ?

 

[Tony P]

I have the same problem with my van ( used for work) and it’s a T 28 :-(
The only way I feel you can keep it level with weight in is with coil overs and adjust the front accordingly

 

[Steele T6]

Cheers Tony, but if a keep stopping at Greggs then it will be needing constant attention Just seems to be minefield . I cant make my mind up between 18"v20" with/without coil overs ?

 

[JOG]

Cheers Tony, but if a keep stopping at Greggs then it will be needing constant attention Just seems to be minefield . I cant make my mind up between 18"v20" with/without coil overs ?

Wheels won’t address your issue! Give Chris at @The Van Cave a bell and he will point you in the right direction. He isn’t a million miles away from you either!!!

 

[The Van Cave]

Hi , can anyone advise on the above please? I cant get my head around this ? So is the van set up with the same clearance between the wheel arches between the front and back before anything is added ? Then surely this changes depending on the people/ luggage, etc and where they are located in the van ?

When I set a van up it’s done according to the individual customers needs. I talk to my customers and understand how their van will be used for the majority of the time. If it’s going to be mostly empty or lightly loaded then it’s arch gaps consistent all round. This will mean that when heavily loaded the back will sit slightly lower than perfect, but as that is the minority of the time it’s not a problem.

If the van is often fully loaded as a work van then I’ll leave the rear slightly higher to allow for the usual load.

Even better, I’ll encourage my customer to arrive with whatever their normal load is and set the van up perfectly for that load. This avoids any estimates that might not be quite right.

It doesn’t matter if it’s coil overs or shocks and springs, the principle is the same.

The only system that I know of for these vans that will maintain a constant ride height regardless of varying load is a height based air suspension that will automatically compensate for additional load. It senses a change in height due to the change in load and adjusts the pressure in the air bags to compensate. We don’t fit these systems………yet.

 

[vdubmarky]

Thought it helpful to post how the van in the thread looks now. There is a consistant load in it but sometimes I do load a bit more in but don't notice a massive difference. Chris at the van cave sorted this out for me, he chatted through how I wanted it to sit and got it spot on, for me the overall handling is a massive improvement on the standard setup from vw. Talk to Chris, he knows his stuff

 

[Steele T6]

Nice wheels , what size are the wheels and tyres ? Thanks

 

[vdubmarky]

20" wheels wolfrace wolfburgs on St-X coilovers 255/40/r20 Falken FK510 tyres. Super quiet smooth ride.

 

[Steele T6]

Started this as starter for 10 for all season Tyres, Thought it might be useful when looking at the various tyre options. It is biased around a 20" wheel on a T32 but could be easily modified for other options.

Tyre Manufacturer	Model	Size	Rim	Load	Speed	Load	Rim P		Efficiency	Wet	dB
Vrederstein	Quatrac Pro	245​	50​	103​	V	XL		TL	C	B	72​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	245​	45​	103​	V	XL	RP	TL	C	C	71​
Michelin	Cross Climate	245​	45​	103​	V	XL		TL	C	B	70​
Goodyear	Eagle Sport All Season	245​	50​	105​	V	XL	FP	TL	A	C	71​
Vrederstein	Quatrac Pro	255​	50​	109​	Y	XL		TL	C	B	72​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	255​	55​	110​	Y	XL		TL	C	B	72​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	255​	55​	110​	X	XL		TL	C	B	72​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	255​	55​	110​	Y	XL	RP	TL	A	B	69​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde NCS	255​	55​	110​	W	XL	RP	TL	A	B	69​
Michelin	Cross Climate	265​	45​	108​	Y	XL		TL	C	B	70​
Vrederstein	Quatrac 5	265​	45​	108​	W	XL		TL	B	C	72​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	265​	45​	108​	W	XL		TL	B	B	70​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	265​	45​	104​	V			TL	B	B	72​
Pirelli	Scorpion Verde	265​	50​	107​	V			TL	C	B	71​
Vrederstein	Quatrac Pro	275​	40​	106​	Y	XL	FP	TL	C	B	73​

 

[Stevefaz]

Thought it helpful to post how the van in the thread looks now. There is a consistant load in it but sometimes I do load a bit more in but don't notice a massive difference. Chris at the van cave sorted this out for me, he chatted through how I wanted it to sit and got it spot on, for me the overall handling is a massive improvement on the standard setup from vw. Talk to Chris, he knows his stuff
View attachment 144797View attachment 144798View attachment 144799

 

[Stevefaz]

Thought it helpful to post how the van in the thread looks now. There is a consistant load in it but sometimes I do load a bit more in but don't notice a massive difference. Chris at the van cave sorted this out for me, he chatted through how I wanted it to sit and got it spot on, for me the overall handling is a massive improvement on the standard setup from vw. Talk to Chris, he knows his stuff
View attachment 144797View attachment 144798View attachment 144799

Looks brill. I’m having the exact same dilemm. 20” wheels with 255 40 or 35. Not sure easy on both. But can I ask with the coil overs how much did you lower the suspension by to achieve the look. Also does it rub at all. Many thanks steve