Alloy Wheels

Anyone know where to get alloy wheels for a SGL 3 ?????

Yea any alloy wheel shop, or do you want OE wheels for the Bongo I.E. the alloys that come on bongos from mazda cos if you do you will probably pay through the nose for them so you might as well just go to an alloy wheel shop and explain wot a bongo is based on and they will work out the PDC and hey presto pick the wheels that tickle ya fancy. Love StalkeR.

Hi,
I'd try one of the motor factors, buy tyres and wheels as a set. Remember it's not just the pcd they need, also check the overall diameter of the combination (lower profile tyres=bigger alloys) and also the offset/inset so the wheel doesn't alter the steering geometry too much.
Easy job, all measurable from your current set-up.
Cost-wise I'd stay away from OE or any Mazda dealer wheels, far better deals on the street.
Brian

Think the OE ones would be very expensive !!!!

Brian you've totally lost me
Got 195/70/15 all round how do I measure, to get right alloys ?
Also is it right that the rear should be 215/65/15 tyres (assume same size wheels just bigger tyres)

Hi,

The standard rims are 15x6JJ for both steel and ali wheels (according to my handbook).

I've got steel wheels, and have 195 at the front, 215 at the rear. Sounds like a bit of economy when the new tyres were fitted if you've got 195 all round - when I got ours replaced the 215s were quite a bit more expensive for some reason.

Offset is really the difference between the centre line of the wheel rim and the mounting face where you bolt it to the hub. It's important because if move too much from the setting of the existing wheels then you start to affect the steering geometry. This can result in bump steer and/or increased load on the wheel bearings. Remember when people used to put "reversed rims" on minis to make the wheels look wider ? That's a case of messing with the offset - putting more of the rim towards the outside of the car. The downside is that do too much and you increase the leverage and loading on the bearings.

Don't worry too much about it - just make sure you ask the question when buying some wheels - any reasonable dealer will know what you're on about. If you stick to 6" alloys and measure the distance from the hub mounting face to the inside rim then you can't go far wrong.

If you want to fit 7" rims then the safest option is usually to make sure most of the extra width is "inside" the car body.

cheers

Brian

Thanx Brian, think I got the jist of it :-)

So most 15" alloys should do??, Charlie Brown wern't very helpfull

I would expect so. There's nothing magical about it - just make sure the wheel stud spacing will fit your van, and the offset is about the same. The easiest way is to take off one of your wheels to measure the inset - personally I'd just use a ruler, I can't see these things being fantastically critical and you'll get to a couple of mm with a ruler. Then when you're trying some, check the pcd (pitch circle diameter) of the wheel studs against yours.

You really need to go to somewhere who's into tuning or customising cars - most places like Charlie Browns are just there for selling cans of oil and they aren't likely to know enough to sort you out. They should do, but I doubt it. I'd try measuring the dimensions you want, then emailing a few places on the net.

cheers

Brian

Brian,

You'd never know you were a metallurgist by trade....

nah - most folks didn't reckon I was a metallurgist either.....

but hey, it's not often someone actually spils it correctly you know - are you in the same game ?