Exterior 16 inch wheels

[1DayIll]

I want to raise my van a little bit higher and it has been suggested to me that I get 16 inch wheels,, Where would be the best place for me to get these as I need new tyres and so no would be the best time for me to do both rather than replace the current ones,
Thanks

 

[Drover]

How much height do you want ???
and what size tyres are on it at the moment ???
First thing to do is take some measurements of your wheel arch then look at this web site, https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/ it will show you what will fit in the given space, use the suspension strut as the chassis rail , you will also need to work out rim off set and stud pattern.

Changing tyre size width/height on your current set up can give you some height as well https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/ makes it easier to visualize.

Depending on how much lift you want rotating the axle (if you have one) will give 80mm, if spring pack on top of axle NONE, tyre size 10-25mm (roughly) changing rim even more,depends on tyre sizes and room, if hitch mounted on bottom of draw bar, a 50mm block under it works well and is legal, 10mm spacer under it if mounted on top.

 

[Boots in Action]

How much height do you want ???
and what size tyres are on it at the moment ???
First thing to do is take some measurements of your wheel arch then look at this web site, https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/ it will show you what will fit in the given space, use the suspension strut as the chassis rail , you will also need to work out rim off set and stud pattern.

Changing tyre size width/height on your current set up can give you some height as well easier https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/ makes it easier to visualize.

Depending on how much lift you want rotating the axle (if you have one) will give 80mm, if spring pack on top of axle NO, tyre size 10-25mm (roughly) changing rim even more, if hitch mounted on bottom of draw bar, a 50mm block under it works well and is legal, 10mm spacer under it of mounted on top.

@1DayIll , rotating the axle is a simple solution and gives you the lift/clearance without having to worry about tyre size, stud pattern and offset as @Drover set out above. And much cheaper although you still have to buy tyres including the cost of a new spare but not rims etc . Something to think about?? Provided of course if the axle is currently ABOVE the springs. 80mm is greater than can be achieved by changing tyre types rims etc and you don't have to worry about clearance in wheel well etc.

 

[1DayIll]

@1DayIll , rotating the axle is a simple solution and gives you the lift/clearance without having to worry about tyre size, stud pattern and offset as @Drover set out above. And much cheaper although you still have to buy tyres including the cost of a new spare but not rims etc . Something to think about?? Provided of course if the axle is currently ABOVE the springs. 80mm is greater than can be achieved by changing tyre types rims etc and you don't have to worry about clearance in wheel well etc.

Thanks for your replies.
yes I have thought about this option as well and might get it done instead.

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,

If you increase the size of your wheels, you will need to check that the brakes and hubs are rated for the increased wheel diameter.

cheers
Mike

 

[Drover]

Wheel size on a van won't worry the hub or brakes, only 2 sizes and they relate to actual weight of the rig and interestingly the difference between 10" and 12" brakes is diameter the shoes have the same area I was amazed to discover.

Heres a link to a page I did on slinging the axle under the springs https://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/underslinging-a-straight-axle.10987/
kept simple but it only applies to single beam axle set up, off set and duals are another thing again.

Before you do anything you must do some measuring of the tow bar height, (full tank of fuel) on flat ground measure the tow bar height as well as its height on different settings if you have an adjustable shank, measure the draw bar hitch height when level, it should ideally be about 25mm lower than the tug's, add the proposed increase in height to your van figure add 25mm to it and that should give you a rough position of where your tug tow ball would be, this way you can see if its a good proposition or not without the hard yacka, you may need to get a new shank for your tow bar.....

Is the lift for practical reasons like the vans bum drags on driveways or cosmetic ??? As I said before you can go from 10mm to about 80mm let us know how much you want and what the tyre size you have at the moment,.

 

[Boots in Action]

Wheel size on a van won't worry the hub or brakes, only 2 sizes and they relate to actual weight of the rig and interestingly the difference between 10" and 12" brakes is diameter the shoes have the same area I was amazed to discover.

Heres a link to a page I did on slinging the axle under the springs https://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/underslinging-a-straight-axle.10987/
kept simple but it only applies to single beam axle set up, off set and duals are another thing again.

Before you do anything you must do some measuring of the tow bar height, (full tank of fuel) on flat ground measure the tow bar height as well as its height on different settings if you have an adjustable shank, measure the draw bar hitch height when level, it should ideally be about 25mm lower than the tug's, add the proposed increase in height to your van figure add 25mm to it and that should give you a rough position of where your tug tow ball would be, this way you can see if its a good proposition or not without the hard yacka, you may need to get a new shank for your tow bar.....

Is the lift for practical reasons like the vans bum drags on driveways or cosmetic ??? As I said before you can go from 10mm to about 80mm let us know how much you want and what the tyre size you have at the moment,.

Good advice again @Drover. When I had the axle underslung on my Penguin, I found that the hitch point on my Colorado did change, but fortunately, it was not by much. However, by reversing the tongue, all I had to do was change the ball to the other side and sweet. All very level when loaded, so did not have to buy different hitching system at all.
Incidentally, my Daughter's 2010 Discovery has dual axles and she arranged for axles to be underslung at the factory. That was because the length of the van would have dragged the bum every time they tried to leave or return to their driveway. Previous long van had drag problems all the time even in some parks.