HREs and Super Beetle

[doomer_92]

Hey there,

I really like the HRE wheels and eventually will get a set for my super. I read the tech article dealing with modern tire and wheel choice and Im not clear on a few points.

The rims I want (either the HRE 311 or 340 series) are avalible in 15-17" and with custom widths and offsets...which Im assuming means I can easily get the ET-35 I need, as well as the proper width.

Now Im assuming the diameter of the rim I choose doesnt matter so much because I can just get a tire to accomodate for the varrying sizes (im leaning toward 17" but will go with the lower size if thats preferred)...my question lies in width. Out back I was going to go with the suggested seven inches, but up front I dont know what to use. The author of the article says that the 1302 and 1303 (superbeetle, right?) has issues with tires rubbing against the springs or something of that nature with widths as wide as seven inches. So, what is the recommended width up front for a slightly lowered super?

Thanks.

[NYBugman1972]

Most SB owners, when planning to use a wide, large diameter wheel, will use a narrow strut like the MaXX strut from www.toplineparts.com, or a coil-over like the one that Kerscher makes. I can speak for the MaXX struts, as I have them on my Super. They have an 80mm diameter spring to allow large, wide wheels to be used on the Super Beetle while using stock steel fenders. I run a 17x7 et55 front wheels with a 205-40-17 tires, lowered 2.5". This is all under the stock steel fender. I also use a 3/8" spacer to help clear the spring.

If you wanted to keep the stock spring and strut combo, you may want to use a 16x6" wheel in the front and try to figure out the proper offset.

In the rear, a 7" wide wheel would be the best compromise between width and difficulty/ease of fitting. However, you can run wider wheels if you wanted to use a wider rear fender. I run a 17x8.5" et50 wheel with a 245-45-17 tire under a 1 1/4" wider rear fender and a 1" spacer. I had to cut the bump stop "perch" as well as replace one of the spring plate bolts with a "button head" bolt to clear the wheel and tire.

I hope this helps.