Vw wide 5 on a 914?, 130 to 205? Options

[Ace Le Count]

Can a 914 be converted to run vw 205 wheels? Or is it out of the question?

[sixnotfour]

Yes, J-Bugs,
https://www.jbugs.com/product/9506.html

[Literati914]

Can a 914 be converted to run vw 205 wheels? Or is it out of the question?

Dude, that's been an itch that I was always gonna scratch at some point. Seriously. You just had the gall to bring it up here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hide.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

I don't think you'll need to do anything other than buy '130x4 to 205x5 adapters'. There are a few on the market but I recently narrowed them down to some that look superior (I'll need to find them in notes I made). Those adapters have "cone-seat" style holes at the 130x4 positions. This is great because you can install flush flat-head retaining bolts (then cover them with aluminum drum skins - see fibre steel website). The problem is finding the correct flush bolts (14mm x 1.50 I think). I found some in titanium but there was a 50 count minimum.

I was planning on installing bullet studs at the 205x5 positions.

BTW, Cip1 has a smoking deal on a wheel and tire package right now!

[Literati914]

https://www.alliedtitanium.com/vupdc_Detail...PDCID=201511004

^^ these are an example of the bolts but need to check the length.. and titanium's grade

https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-466...b5-679fbfbea787

^^ from a Portugese website

[Dave_Darling]

IIRC, Bug wheels are farther out in the fenders than 914 wheels are, due to their offset. You'll be moving their mounting face further out with adapters, exacerbating that problem.

You might have to run fender flares just to use 5.5" wheels!!

--DD

[Craigers17]

IIRC, Bug wheels are farther out in the fenders than 914 wheels are, due to their offset. You'll be moving their mounting face further out with adapters, exacerbating that problem.

You might have to run fender flares just to use 5.5" wheels!!

--DD

This post is spot on. I tried this with some 14x6 wide fives and mounted just the wheels with adapters. You would need to at least pull the fenders and that still probably wouldn't work. Also, as you can see in the pic, unless you have a center cap that covers the extra lugs, you now have a 9-lug 914.

I still think this is very cool, but to make it visually appealing you'd have to swap out the hubs as well to eliminate the adapter. At that point, you might as well just do a five lug 914 swap or(IMHO) a JDM type hub ....like 4x114.3. This would allow you to run a lot of vintage Honda/Toyota type wheels, which I personally have always favored over the VW/Porsche options(I understand I'm probably the only guy here with that opinion)

Back to the original topic....didn't the Beck 550 run wide fives?

[Literati914]

IIRC, Bug wheels are farther out in the fenders than 914 wheels are, due to their offset. You'll be moving their mounting face further out with adapters, exacerbating that problem.

You might have to run fender flares just to use 5.5" wheels!!

--DD

This is a good point - though I doubt flares would be needed. I pulled rear fenders on my current narrow body project car and have installed ET26 sport steelies from a "sport bug" (un-common wheel with a lot of lip, relative)... and w/ 205/60R15 tires and there is still room to go a little wider in the back. So I could do the wide-5 thing on this car for sure, or the next one in line (it needs paint too).

I think the OP could probably roll the rear fenders and get away with it - but YMMV.

[Literati914]

..Also, as you can see in the pic, unless you have a center cap that covers the extra lugs, you now have a 9-lug 914.


Back to the original topic....didn't the Beck 550 run wide fives?

This is why original style aluminum drum skins and flat-head bolts (like I linked to ^^) are the ONLY way to do this IMHO!

[bkrantz]

IIRC, Bug wheels are farther out in the fenders than 914 wheels are, due to their offset. You'll be moving their mounting face further out with adapters, exacerbating that problem.

You might have to run fender flares just to use 5.5" wheels!!

--DD

This post is spot on. I tried this with some 14x6 wide fives and mounted just the wheels with adapters. You would need to at least pull the fenders and that still probably wouldn't work. Also, as you can see in the pic, unless you have a center cap that covers the extra lugs, you now have a 9-lug 914.

I still think this is very cool, but to make it visually appealing you'd have to swap out the hubs as well to eliminate the adapter. At that point, you might as well just do a five lug 914 swap or(IMHO) a JDM type hub ....like 4x114.3. This would allow you to run a lot of vintage Honda/Toyota type wheels, which I personally have always favored over the VW/Porsche options(I understand I'm probably the only guy here with that opinion)

Back to the original topic....didn't the Beck 550 run wide fives?

Looks like a good way to add lots of weight and complexity. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

[Literati914]

..Looks like a good way to add lots of weight and complexity. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

Yeah, probably should slap on yet another set of boring Fuchs (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

[Craigers17]

..Also, as you can see in the pic, unless you have a center cap that covers the extra lugs, you now have a 9-lug 914.


Back to the original topic....didn't the Beck 550 run wide fives?

This is why original style aluminum drum skins and flat-head bolts (like I linked to ^^) are the ONLY way to do this IMHO!

Yep, I should have checked out your links. With those flat head bolts and the aluminum spacer, it would have looked a lot cleaner, even without a cover.

[ClayPerrine]

The reason VW dropped the "wide 5" lug pattern is not looks. It is a "lug centric" wheel. "Hub centric" is much better. The front of the later 914s is "Hub centric" and 74 and later 911s were "hub centric" all the way around. Plus, the "wide 5' lug pattern works well with drum brakes, but doesn't really work well with disk brakes.

If you are doing it because it looks cool, then I understand. But I would get some custom rear hubs made so you can use the "wide 5" wheels. I don't like bolt on spacers on any vehicle.