Max tyre size with a 30mm lower

[Spunyarn]

I’m almost wincing as I type this as surely it must have been asked before but I was up until 2 last night googling for an answer to this specific question but to no avail.

My 2015 cali SE appears to be on -30mm springs. I have measured the overall height and it’s 195cm to the top of the awning at the back. The front springs I can see are marked VW 677A which I believe is a 30mm lower? Would be grateful if somebody could confirm?

It currently has sportline alloys with some 255/45r18 tires and I’m not a fan so looking to replaced my issue is I don’t know which of the following to go for:

• 16” Clayton wheel with 215/65r16 tyre (this is stock size and I believe would be the same diameter of my current setup but obviously narrower. I think this is a safe bet.
• 17” Davenport wheel with 225/70r16 (this would be my preferred option but the wheels are a tad bigger and I’m worried they would foul.) Can anybody confirm if this setup works with a 30mm lower.

What I will say is the gap between tyres and arches doesn’t look big at the moment particularly at the back, so I’m very sceptical about going any bigger than stock?

Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

I’m almost wincing as I type this as surely it must have been asked before but I was up until 2 last night googling for an answer to this specific question but to no avail.

My 2015 cali SE appears to be on -30mm springs. I have measured the overall height and it’s 195cm to the top of the awning at the back. The front springs I can see are marked VW 677A which I believe is a 30mm lower? Would be grateful if somebody could confirm?

It currently has sportline alloys with some 255/45r18 tires and I’m not a fan so looking to replaced my issue is I don’t know which of the following to go for:

• 16” Clayton wheel with 215/65r16 tyre (this is stock size and I believe would be the same diameter of my current setup but obviously narrower. I think this is a safe bet.
• 17” Davenport wheel with 225/70r16 (this would be my preferred option but the wheels are a tad bigger and I’m worried they would foul.) Can anybody confirm if this setup works with a 30mm lower.

What I will say is the gap between tyres and arches doesn’t look big at the moment particularly at the back, so I’m very sceptical about going any bigger than stock?

Thanks

On the California SE the front disc brakes are larger than the rear so the smallest wheel size you can fit is 17". 16" wheels will foul the front calipers.
You should have a label on the Drivers side B pillar showing the recommended wheel/tyre sizes.

 

[Spunyarn]

Thanks Welsh’s - I thought the calipers looked pretty big and wondered if 16s would be too small but with my van I got the spec sheet from VW from when it was originally purchased and it says it came with 16” Miyato wheels? I guess the only way to know for sure is to measure the caliper and measure the inside of a 16” alloy?

 

[Spunyarn]

Just checked the plate and it looks fairly generic but it has 16, 17, and 18s as recommended sizes. Really tricky as the 16s will be the right size with tire, but may not fit over the caliper. Whereas the 17s will fit over the caliper but may be too big and foul the arches with the 30mm lower the van has.

 

[WelshGas]

Just checked the plate and it looks fairly generic but it has 16, 17, and 18s as recommended sizes. Really tricky as the 16s will be the right size with tire, but may not fit over the caliper. Whereas the 17s will fit over the caliper but may be too big and foul the arches with the 30mm lower the van has.

View attachment 136218

The wheels / tyres you have fitted at the moment are on that sticker. So if you fit 17" wheels and you fit the recommended 215 or 235 tyres you will have the same total diameter as you have at present. If you can fit 16" wheels and keep to the recommended tyres as on the sticker then the same applies.
Go non-standard tyre sizes and all bets are off. Your speedometer will be inaccurate and your Insurance may not accept non-standard sized tyres.

 

[Spunyarn]

Thank you that’s a good point about insurance. Probably best to stick to the 215/65r16s then if I can.

I just went and looked at the front brake disc dia and it’s 308mm which looks the same or very similar size to the rear. The calipers on the front however are much bigger.

I’m totally stumped now and worried if I go for the 16” wheels (used on eBay) then they won’t fit. Hmm

 

[WelshGas]

Thank you that’s a good point about insurance. Probably best to stick to the 215/65r16s then if I can.

I just went and looked at the front brake disc dia and it’s 308mm which looks the same or very similar size to the rear. The calipers on the front however are much bigger.

I’m totally stumped now and worried if I go for the 16” wheels (used on eBay) then they won’t fit. Hmm

If the front discs are 308 then the 16" wheels will fit.
340mm is the front disc size on the 17" chassis.

 

[Spunyarn]

Thank you mate, really appreciate your responses they have been invaluable!

I’ve managed to find a used set of 16” Clayton wheels fairly cheap and have ordered some 215/65r16 tires which as you say are a standard size and the same dia as what I currently have, which clearly work with the 30mm lower.

What confused me was my last T5 (2007) which was on standard suspension, I had some 225/70r16 tires on the standard steel rims which were a good size and drove well so I was hoping I would be able to squeeze that size tire onto my Cali with the -30mm. Looking at the clearance I would have been cutting it fine for space around the arches I think, and as you’ve pointed out far more importantly the warranty and insurance on the vehicle is only likely to be valid with manufacturer recommended tire sizes.

Nice to being a now thread to a conclusion so quickly, but I’ll post back up in a few days just to confirm that the 16s fitted etc.

 

[Spunyarn]

Just to round this thread off I picked up some Clayton wheels in reasonable condition for just over £100 quid and had them fitted with some 215/65r16 Bfg ko2s. They wheels certainly look a lot better and more factory in my opinion than the sportines on there before, and I know the ko2s are somewhat of a polarising tire but I had them on my last T5 and they were superb. I found the drop in MPG and slightly increased road noise to be minimal and far outweighed by the benefits but that’s specific to my usage which involves driving in rural wales down a lot of single track mountain roads with potholes you could use as a paddling pool and parking up on slippy grass verges, mountain commons etc.

Just for interest - one such adventure in my old van was in 2016 when I had a night out in a more remote part of elan valley (a couple of kms down the byway which runs along Claerwen reservoir). I went to bed in a mild march evening and woke up to narnia. To get out I had to drive about 30kms on snow covered roads with some big drifts and if I hadn’t have had the all terrains on that van (albeit 2wd) I’m certain I would have been up the creek. Fortunately I made it out without incident so it was not a hard decision to put them on the new T5.1, but I appreciate everybody’s use is different and they arent the right tyre for everybody. I’ve added some pics of my old van and the adventure I’ve mentioned just for fun.

Thanks again welshgas for all the info on sizes etc. Much appreciated.

 

[Spunyarn]

Oh I should probably mention on the old van (T28) on standard springs I had 225/70r16s which fitted the arches nicely and it drove well - but on my current T5.1 I opted to go for 215/65r16s which do look a little small in the arches even with the 30mm I currently have. However as per welshgas’ advice they are the oem tyre size and for the reasons in his posts are the better choice. Plus speedo reads the same etc.

 

[FivetonesCali]

I’m about to go 30mm lower with 235/65 17 either Falken Wildpeak at3w or crossclimate 2 suv on OZ Rally Raid (8x17 et35).

Current around 100-110mm lower on 255/35 20 9x20 et45, so quite a change.

 

[FivetonesCali]

This thread might help:

Show us your 17s

Hope it's ok to start another one of these threads! We have threads for 19s and 20s, but I've spotted a few T6s looking really nice on 17s and I couldn't find a thread for this wheel size. I can start things off with the ones I've come across recently. :) Posted by @SimonJ in Swamper/AT...

www.t6forum.com

 

[FivetonesCali]

Should have read the whole thread but hopefully this helps others who search for info.