FUCHS

I have a set of 6" X 15" factory Fuchs wheels. I would like to put them on my 4 lug disk front/ drum rear IM Roadster. What is the best way/ cheapest way/ to do this. IS this wheel too wide for a IM? Am I crazy? I already know the answer to that one!

so you have IRS and non-flared body and want to run a 6" wide wheel?

I'd bet money that you are out of luck - but you *might* be able to shoe horn them in there.

To do so - you will have to run narrowed trailing arms and skinny-ish tires for a 6" wide.

195 would be about the most you could go. i have 185's in the rear on 5.5" and i had to trim the factory upper bump stop mount (on the frame) to clear my inner tires (along with making my own trailing arms) and i only have ~20mm until the tire hits the outer lip. so technically it fits - just not with the parts you have.

of course - if you want to do some serious fabricating - anything is possible :)

And to mount them you'd redrill your existing drums or replace with drums/discs already drilled in the 5 lug Porsche pattern. Adapters are available but suspect they would cause more interference in rear (and adapters aren't as safe as new drilled drums/discs). Adapters are easisest (if not interference) - cost is about the same for good quality adapters and new drums/discs - redrilling probably cheapest. Ya might measure your offset too - to aid in seeing if they fit.

Will,
First thing you need to do is measure your current wheels and their offset. Then measure the fuchs and see what you're dealing with. Then you can see which way is easiest/cheapest to proceed. If they'll fit you may have to go the new drum route, or you may have room for adapters. IRS will pretty much rule it out without major work (as already mentioned) to the rear. You shouldn't have any problem up front with clearance regardless of adapters or drums/rotors.

Will, you might be able to get the 6" on the rear.

You could probably get them on the front also, but you'll need a narrowed beam. Like Wolfgang said, redrill or buy new drums/rotors.

Check the rear fit, and if they fit, sell two. Then look for the extremely rare 4.5" Fuchs, they are pricey and scarce, but they are out there. I have some 911 friends and can check around, but you may be better on the west coast. Also try Pelican. Good luck.

Will,
I have a 2002 IM with disc brakes and FUCHS. The 6" wheels are not a problem in the rear, in fact, I am running a 1/4" spacer back there to get the tire closer to the fender.

I do not have a narrowed front end either. Neither does the car and the 6's fit fine.

I think I am running 195's but I really don't know off the top of my head and being at work the car is 55 miles away.

I have CB front and rear brakes w/parking brake.

Of course you could call Hen.

Good luck, pal, you missed a GREAT BBQ!

Easy to have your own customized Fuchs...

Thanks for the replies. I will probably talk to Henry prior to doing any modifications to my hubs. Dale, could you give me more info on what hub/brakes you are running? I looked at the pics from the BBq, I really missed it!

Will,
I don't know what hubs and discs I am running. I put everything in Henry's hands and he picked what he needed. I sent him the Fuchs and some other stuff and he put it together.

The rear fenders on an IM of our vintage have some extra width built in. Also, both sides are pretty close to the same. Amazing eh?

Fuchs wheels have different offsets too - not all are the same. So that plays into whether they fit or scrape the outside fender arch or the inner suspension bits.

Check out - for offsets

http://members.rennlist.com/911pcars/WheelWts.html

http://members.rennlist.com/1976c38/index.html

Will, the 6x15s all have the same offset whether it is the "flat" or the "deep" wheel. The 6x16 is also the same offset. So do your due diligence if you are going with 7" wheels. For my car, I could put 7's on the rear without much worry.

If you are thinking about replica Fuchs, measure.

Something else to consider is the body itself; there might, since your car is so old, be an extra 3/4-inch lip of fiberglass inside the wheel well that can be trimmed off.
I didn't trim that lip off on my car, but I also made a couple significant changes to the running gear and my tires clear by almost a half-inch.

The Red Speedster:
Fiberfab/Classic era body.
Chassis (pan) is IRS Drum rear and front disc brakes.
Rotors and drums were drilled and studded to accomodate the Porsche bolt pattern.
The fuchs are 16' x 6"
they have the same offset as the 15" fuchs.
Note:
I used a router to trim the excess lip from inside fender wells.
~

The black Speedster:
Vintage speedster .
It has after market 15"(fake)fuchs.
the chassis(pan) has short axle swingalxe w/ CB performance rear disc.brakes and disc. brake fronts, also from CB performance.
Greg

DANG! I totally dig the look of Fuchs (polished spokes on black) on a black Speedster!

i have an 'old style' '78 intermeccanica
swingaxle, lowered front and rear
disc brakes front and rear
4.5 X 15 Fuchs with 165 tires in the rear and 145s in front

i don't know if you can tell by the picture but i barely and i mean
just barely, have enough clearance for the rear tires... maybe just a finger's width....

You have a body from an old mold. I think that IM has had 3 or 4 different molds in their years. They corrected the lop sided rear fenders years ago.

Frank, when it cools down a bit let's hit the road up to Palomar again!!

Peace - Out!

Jim - now that i'm back on the road, name the date and time and i'll be there....
my apologies as i know this should be in the 'events' thread but i was really looking forward to the drive up he coast to newport beach for the 'boat thing' next week but have family obligations that came up instead.....been on those boats and they are a lot of fun...

Frank, my brutha! We'll hook up sooner or later for some SOC cruise/event! Take care.

Will, I just did that with my 86 IM disc front/drum rear.

For the rears, I measured and did calcs comparing my existing wheels (7 inch Mangels) to the Fuchs. I ended up having 3/16" machined off the inside of the Fuchs and run 205 x 55's and they clear my car fine. Caps would not go on though as the nuts holding the drums on extend too far so I had two alum step collars machined, drilled and tapped them for set screws then powder coated them...they go out about 1/2 inch and now allow the crested caps to go on the rears. I used drums with 911 spacing from CIP1 for the rears.

For the fronts I used the typical VW to 911 spacers but have just recently purchased a BAD disc brake set up with the 911 studs from AirKewld. Part FK-01 http://www.airkewld.com/parts/products.php?cat=69&PHPSESSID=c2b488f7f41eb292dd997ec6c2e1b26c Haven't received it yet so can't comment but I think it will do a cleaner job than the adapters. I have an extra pair of adapters without the studs should you wish to give them a try...postage only. The adapters will take your wheels out about 1 inch per side.

CIP1 also has front 911 rotors but I like the look of the BAD rotors and they are more versatile should you want to change wheels again. But at more than double the price than CIP1, you be the judge... http://www.airkewld.com/parts/proddetail.php?prod=CDR-4202

As mentioned above, the Fuchs come with varying offsets even in the same diameters. Notably, the 944 and the 911 ran diffent offsets consistently (see link above).

Parts #'s are on the backside of Fuchs wheels.

angela

IIRC, they only used a different offset on the 16x8 951 wheel. The 16x7 951 wheel looks like a 16x6 due to the way it was designed to clear the bigger brakes on the 951, but still has the same offset as a 911/930 16x7 and the older 15x7. The 15" wheels that were used on 944s are the same as a 911. It's cornfusing. Either way, a nice way to run fuchs on one of these cars would be to convert to a 944 brake setup. You will get a great set of vented brakes that are sufficient for a much heavier car and the Porsche offset for the fuchs.

Here's a chart with all of the various offsets of the different Fuchs:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads2/Fuchsoffset11111070262303.jpg

Thanks Shui, I was looking for that and now I'm going to save it! Somewhere I have the weights for all the 911 wheels too, including a couple of aftermarket ones like RUF. Somewhere..

Speaking of wheels, Steve picked up a pair of 14" 5 bolt Fuchs (option for a couple of years).

They are in beautiful shape. Not bad for $15 apiece...

angela

You're welcome, angela. Good ol' Pelican parts BBS. I've probably looked at that chart for days while trying to come up with the right wheel/tire combo for my 911s :) Congrats on the new projects! I trailered home a similar car last month.

Shuie/Angela/Steve:

Is there any year of 944 rear hubs/brakes that works better on a 1971 VW IRS rear? I'm starting to look now both Internet and junkyards) and don't want to get home with the wrong stuff.


Thanks, gn

I'm not an expert, but from what I understand, the early NA 944 trailing arms through the rear bakes are a direct bolt on for a beetle. I'm not sure what would need to be changed with the CV's, and obviously, the lug pattern changes with these hubs. The later 944 and 951 turbo parts can also be used, but they really start to push the rear wheels outwards.

The fronts are not as easy. There is an overseas guy on thesamba who sells a early 944 vented front brake conversion setup for reasonable money, tho.

If you want to do the 944 to Beetle change over get a copy of VW Beetle Preformance Handbook. MBI Publishing by Keith Seume. He has a detailed chapter about 944 Porsche to VW brakes. There is also a very good chapter about 901 Porsche 5 speeds as well.

Your welcome......

Is that book available on Amazon?

Finding something like that in South Carolina is about as likely as finding something on healthy cooking.......

gn

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760304696

Lanner at http://www.vdubengineering.com has all the info and parts you need for a 944 conversion.

Has anyone here actually done a 944 brake conversion? Rear, or front? Porsche brakes are fantastic, but I tend to worry about conversion spindles & hubs. FWIW, I have not found a single person here, or at thesamba, or at any other VW forum, who has done a front brake conversion using the 944 parts.

I've done my rears with turbo arms(one pic in my gallery).

I did not do the fronts because I had just bought new dropped spindles(you cant use them)5x130 rotors and studs. I have the parts for the fronts (execpt the spacer) and one of these days I will get around to it.

My issue was because I couldn't use DS, I would have to lower my car another way. I was going to add air bags but this project was already evolving into a different direction than when I started.


MANGO SMOOTHIE I really like your color scheme.