alloy sizes?? for the vito

[Jonny Walker]

hi, I was wondering if any of you lot can help me...ive got a new style vito 115 and am wanting to fit amg alloys to it...amg alloys are made for the cars really and have offsets of 31,34,37 etc. i believe the the vito needs an offset of 45-50....

if i was to fit a wheel with a smaller offset does this mean the wheel would just stick out of the van a bit? or is it not compatible at all?

also will 18" wheels fit ???

thanks

Jonny

[Jonny Walker]

ok...ive read into this a little more....i believe the lower offset of the wheels means they are going stick into the van..which could rub on the calipers... so more questions are:

- the amg alloys are also wider than standard vito wheels...will this mean they need an even larger offset to fit the van?
- can you get spacers for this?
- are there disadvantages of running spacers?

[Punjabi]

NEVER use spacers! Get proper wheels with 50 offset for the Vito....dealers have a catalogue which will give you a choice of suitable wheels. Do it the right way.....without compromising safety, insurance and undue damage to your vehicle. [:D]

[brendonvito]

i have 19" x 8" wheels and i used a 40 offset, they fit well i just had to roll the back guards. 45 is the proper offset to use, its just not many wheel companys make a 45 offset.

[ugly]

I used(5 spoke)ML wheels for my vito, had to get some longer bolts as the boss where the bolt goes through is thicker. Fit & look a treat!

[Benz Bling]

Hi,

Quite a few of the top alloy wheel manufacturers produce alloys suitable for a Vito, both old shape and new. I myself have a set of 17" O.Z Super GT with 215/50 tyres on my Vito 113.

As well as O.Z you could also try Mille Miglia, AEZ or Rimstock/Team Dynamics

www.aez-wheels.com

www.millemigliawheels.it or www.millemiglia.co.uk/

www.ozracing.com

www.rimstock.co.uk


Hope this gives you some idea of what is available, in my experiences you have many more options with aftermarket alloy wheel manufacturers than you do with Merc wheels for example.

Duncan

[J1MMY]

NEVER use spacers!

not strictly true.

i have a set of 8x17" RH cups. the rh wheels themselves come with a flat rear hubface and a spacer tailored to give the appropiate offset. these wheels came direct from germany with TUV certification - in a nutshell this is almost without doubt the highest test for safety and build quality in the world. basically the wheel is tested to destruction and then deemed suitable (or not in some cases i imagine) for its purpose.

i wouldnt have fitted ANY WHEEL onto a small commercial without ensuring its suitability or durability as children are carried in my wifes' 7 seater vito.

additionally the lower the ET number the further the wheel will protrude from the arch.

hope this helps[:)]

[BFG]

Benz Bling - 8/12/2005 2:37 PM

www.aez-wheels.com

www.millemigliawheels.it or www.millemiglia.co.uk/

www.ozracing.com

www.rimstock.co.uk

Unfortunately, although those manufacturers quote fitment, none of them make wheels strong enough for the Vito. OZ come closest with the Michealangelo II at 725Kg, but the Vito must have a minimum of 800Kg weight rating.

Many retailers quote that "this is OK, we fit loads to vans" but that simply isn't true.

Also the covented TUV rating needs to be taken with care, not just at face value. Rondell for example quote their wheels as fitting the Vito and being TUV rated, but if you speak to them their response is "They'll be OK as long as you don't load the van fully".

Care needs to be taken with TUV. TUV is like BS, they test everything. There is a TUV test for crash testing vehicles with aftermarket components and there is a TUV test for aluminium quality and even paint quality. For a manufacturer to simply state "TUV tested" doesn't mean much, They need to qualify it with which test.

Some manufacturers actually print PDF copies of their TUV certificates on their web site. These are the ones to trust. [:)]

I have some RH Alurad NAJ at 18x8.5 with a 50mm ET and 245/45R18 rubber and they fit fine, The tread doesn't protrude the arches and the inner metalwork doesn't get scrubbed on full lock.

[carpy]

Be carefull. I saw a brand new 115 the other day with a rear rim completely snapped away fron the centre. We get a lot of cheap copies of brand name wheels that come from Taiwan in Australia.Remember that when loaded, these Vans are HEAVY.

[dafi129]

I just fitted 8 x 18 alloys[polished] originating from an S class MY 2002..with Yokohamas dbs 245/45/18...Offset of wheels is 44.
Now the wheels are sticking out about 2 mm[hardly noticeable] but look fantastic and the drive is more sticky now..
These vans really look good with 18"s..it tranforms the van completely..will post some pics soon...