15 Inch Rim Probs?

PeterInSa

Active member
Talking to a Motorhomer with a new rig, he mentioned that he had requested 16 inch wheels for his mh has he had heard that the 15inch wheels were prone to cracks. Have not heard this before, was it a selling scan to get the buyer to pay more for the bigger wheel?

Peter
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
HI Pete:You'd be hard pressed to write off a steel rim, unless it was the wrong one for the model such as from a Vito_Or incorrect tires likely over-sized and not compliant to load ratings.
Richard
 

PeterInSa

Active member
Richard,
re the load rating, that may well be in spec, but what is the situation when the wheel hits a pot hole, in some instances it must be like hitting the loaded tyre/wheel with a sledge hammer which could well be double the load rating limit.

Not that I look for pot holes and and wary taking the Sprinter off the Tar.
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Richard,
re the load rating, that may well be in spec, but what is the situation when the wheel hits a pot hole, in some instances it must be like hitting the loaded tyre/wheel with a sledge hammer which could well be double the load rating limit.

Not that I look for pot holes and and wary taking the Sprinter off the Tar.
Fair comment Peter and a hard one to crack as to variables:Can a rim split:hmmm: answer yes, but dam it has to old and rusted through on the weld seams. even under excessive loads

Well why did it split:thinking: answer over weight maybe, the pot hole is another factor to consider as to tire type, condition, and complacency of the owner playing tricks with shortcuts is anther risk factor to consider.

Lets look at in another way, your rim is rated for x = Kg; and it's marked on the rim near the center of the offset they vary as to Sprinter models.

I just ran into a pothole:yell: it was so big the hole swallowed my Sprinter up:wtf: and it was lost forevermore.:cry:

OK, 'the above is a joke of sorts' anything is possible, but I'd base a split rim on the tire type to begin with, more than the load itself; as the steel rims rarely fail unless previously damaged or rust has effected the seam, and the latter is a high possibility with time.

One a rim and tire must be matched to a rolling diameter this tyre is matched to the older load bearing icon ply. plus with the newer icon load ratings front and rear. this inches ply plus load limits and speed limitaions as marked on the sidewall of a tire.

The suspension itself can be a factor off road, but that goes outside of the standard known parables of possible failure of a rim.

Peter your not going to bust a rim as your van is within the loading limits providing you have the correct tire ratings those rims are tested to 4.6 metric tonne ,they are built tough.

The question as to a 16 inch rim on a standard 3 series sprinter is possible. ''However" as you have a camper that is specked to Australian specification's, one needs to look back at Benz as to why a 15 inch rim.


Low Center of Gravity= 'Higher yaw rate of stability at ground zero.
Off road winter traveling the needs to be sufficient clearance for snow chains otherwise if a 16 inch rim is instated, your too close to the outer front guard 'Under suspension' travel variations ,more so with turning, or on a severe camber offset road surface.

An option is for a high lift suspension pack available from Benz for campers more so for the arse end but it raises the van at the rear .less chance of bottoming out on outback tracks or sudden elevation increases from a road to another or if in suburbia, a simple thing such as a driveway entrance can cause the rear to hang up.

16 inch added is possible with the Australian SPRINTERS
By moving up to a 16 inch rim the load limit on the rim increases. "providing you can find one that's compliant' 'However the rim width increasing to 7 inches with a off-set to match the OEM specs, sounds simple enough but not in Oz:bash: You have only choice and the legality of the change is a major issue with insurance, if you don't get it right.

In brief add a higher rated rim the load limit increases, so does the width of the rim which is manufactured to Benz off-set specification's, and that's OK.

Catch 22 RTA and road transport Australian regulations combined bring in the changing of a tires dynamics.

Yes a new tire for a 16inch rim changes the loading to 1500 depends on the tire brand.then the tire is lowered to a low profile tire to remain with in the OEM rolling diameter of with-in2 mm.

this means your tire is no longer a 70 series rather a 65 series and your limited to 195/205 in width as it comes back to the front guard not catching under sharp turns or impacted by variable-travel suspension offsets at high or low peak axis heights.
There is a down side to a lower profile tire and that is shock vertical-impact- absorption the 15 inch tire has less chance of failure, as opposed to a low profile tire sort of a 50/50 each way bet on that one.

Simply put yes you can change,'but have you three grand to spare' because that's the real world cost of a new rim and tires without a filth wheel either.

Very few folk are prepared to spend 3 grand plus on rims/tires with a Sprinter as to the high cost in Australia.

Cheer's Richard
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
I ran steel 15s for nearly ten years with only typical corrosion issues. Steelies rarely fail, regard as bulletproof.
 

Dingo

New member
Never had a steel rim fail ever ! . I have seen rims dented & flattened on the edge after being fitted with lower profile tyres that then hit objects in road or bounce in potholes , this causes the tyre to pinch & form an "egg" on the tyre wall . check the tyres for the egg shape & then look really hard for damage to the rim .

Off road in my landrover I managed to flatspot a rim after some damn fool left a rock lying on the ground , I had already ripped a tyre & had no spare . So out came the lump hammer & remedial repairs were carried out knocking the rim back to shape . The tyre was remounted using methylated spirits & a match . Ran the rim for a further 4 years , right up to the point it fell off its tyres , teach me not be a clever dick & demonstrate physics to an idiot while cornering on cow**** . It was the laws of physics that got me & not a previously bent rim

Stick with 15's . Going to say with my tongue in my cheek , MB do know what they are doing wheel wise ( not sure about engine managment )
 

PeterInSa

Active member
I use a TPMS 400 ( wireless sensors screwed onto the valve with in cabin monitoring unit) to monitor the tyre pressure on our Sprinter and Cruiser/Caravan, Recently have 3 tyre problems when out bush with the Cruiser/caravan and the monitoring system saved the tyres for a puncture repair.

Earlier this year, In our Sprinter thought I had a puncture and it turned out to be air escaping from the valve stem, decided to replace both back tyres and only one tyre was fitted with a new valve stem

The bloody reason for the puncture?? an old valve stem so new tyres, the weight of the sensors must impact old valve stems in some way.

Not happy after paying big bucks for new tyres and them not changing over one valve stem, apologies all round, free cup of coffee, but who needs this in another capital city away from home when on holiday.

Now off the soap box....

Peter
 
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Dingo

New member
A good solution is to be nice to your local powder coater . had a set of 5 rims bead blasted & recoated in near as makes no differance factory finish silver sorted my leaking rims & was way way way cheaper than buying new rims . My local coater charged me £40 ( about $60 US approx ) for all five even managed to coat a set of centre caps & not melt them in the process
looked like new wheels when he had finished . Wished they had gone on mine now

I have found some tyre ( tire for the colonials ) fitters scratch the rim removing the valve when they cut it out & the rim then rusts from the inside outwards around the valve hole . I have in the past asked (nicely ) for them to slop some bead sealer around the valve before fitting due to leakage , never had a refusal ever .

If you fit sensors to valve stems , try asking for lorry type long stem valves & tie-wrapping them in place so they do not hurl about when you are driving ? , that way the valve base will not be wearing away in the hole in the rim causing leaks

Right i am leaving the podium & going to the bar for a beer , who's buying ????? any offers ???
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
A good solution is to be nice to your local powder coater . had a set of 5 rims bead blasted & recoated in near as makes no differance factory finish silver sorted my leaking rims & was way way way cheaper than buying new rims . My local coater charged me £40 ( about $60 US approx ) for all five even managed to coat a set of centre caps & not melt them in the process
looked like new wheels when he had finished . Wished they had gone on mine now

I have found some tyre ( tire for the colonials ) fitters scratch the rim removing the valve when they cut it out & the rim then rusts from the inside outwards around the valve hole . I have in the past asked (nicely ) for them to slop some bead sealer around the valve before fitting due to leakage , never had a refusal ever .

If you fit sensors to valve stems , try asking for lorry type long stem valves & tie-wrapping them in place so they do not hurl about when you are driving ? , that way the valve base will not be wearing away in the hole in the rim causing leaks

Right i am leaving the podium & going to the bar for a beer , who's buying ????? any offers ???
I'll drink to that your shout cheers Richard:drink:
DSC00486 (Custom).JPG


 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
If you fit sensors to valve stems , try asking for lorry type long stem valves & tie-wrapping them in place so they do not hurl about when you are driving ? , that way the valve base will not be wearing away in the hole in the rim causing leaks
Porsche sell little right angle brackets for sticking onto the rim - the purpose is to support the rubber valve at high speeds. It's all a bit Eighties but might be of interest to someone?
 

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
Eric and I have developed a TPMS that only uses the wheelspeeds read from the Sprinter's CAN bus. It works really well so far. He doesn't like all the associated crap that comes with the valve pressure sensor type ones, like batteries, security, valve damage, and cost of fitting etc.
 
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