Empi 5 spoke

[patje]

Guys, i bought a set (repro) empi 5 spokes wheels. I love to put them on my early bay. I checked the forum to find pics of bays lowered with the empi 5's, but almost nothing showed up. Sooo, here is my question: Please show me pics from lowered buses with empi 5 wheels and tyre size! My bus is already lowered with adjustable springplates and in front with RED9 coil over set up!

 

[sparkywig]

https://earlybay.com/threads/tyres-stance-thread-lets-see-what-ya-runnin.7365/

 

[patje]

thanks, i checked that complete topic, but a lot of photos are gone. that is why is asked for new ones!

 

[naskeet]

The EMPI five-spoke and other after-market wheels that are commonly marketed for 1968~79 VW type 2s, generally tend to have a grossly unsuitable wheel-offset of 20 mm or less, which commonly leads to there being insufficient clearance between the tyres (especially tyres of the most suitable size & load-rating for a VW Type 2) and the wheel-arches, which would probably be exacerbated by "lowering the vehicle suspension" (i.e. reducing the ground).

 

[creationblue]

What Nigel says above is correct, but with the Red9 system the beam is narrower than stock even when fitted with the wide5 adaptors. If you are running 5x112 then its narrower still.
I've ran these wheels but cant find a picture, feel free to trawl through my gallery thread though

 

[Clem]

I had a set of MWS reproduction Empi 5's on my old late bay. The van was moderately lowered and a standard width beam. It had 185/65 x 15 tyres fitted up front and there were no clearance issues. Yes, the offsets are often not great but its not a massive problem if you go with appropriate tyre choice or a narrowed beam. People have fitted them since time began, so its nonsense to suggest they wont fit.

 

[Clem]

A couple

 

[creationblue]

I like my wheels to have that tucked look but I don't want a narrowed beam personally so 'beetle' fitment wheels don't work for me with their poor offset of ET15 - 20. For that reason I have gone Porsche but even then you have to find the wheels that are ET40 - 53. All part of the fun in my view but each to their own and all that.

I've seen a lot of questions on FB lately asking what tyres to fit on a lowered bus etc and unfortunately it's not that easy to answer. People will give their view but what works for one won't necessarily work for another....

As Clem said, the offset does not play a part in whether a wheel fits or not. But if you are low then the offset dictates what part of the wheel tub the trye will hit, and on a bay the part of the tub nearest to the arch drops so you really want to avoid this bit, thus the bigger offset and smaller profile tyre the better........