Wheels

[Beirdo]

Hi. I realise wheels have been discussed elsewhere on the internet, but I'm trying to piece all the info I have together. So any help would be very appreciated. Sorry for the essay...

I have an automatic 2.5 ltr Bongo, 1996 I think. Long story short the wheels are knackered. They're chrome coated and that's all blistered and peeling, so they look bad, but also we started having issues with them lossing pressure over time. The guy who fits our tyres, found they were leaking round the rims so suggested getting them refurbed. Which we were all set to do yesterday, at around £300 squid, when the guy phoned me up and said sorry mate they're part chrome or whatever so it'll be £600!! Obvs I was thrilled, so I stopped all that silliness, collected the van and now I need to get new wheels. We also discovered though that the old wheels were pants anyway, they'd been drilled to fit the bongo, which doesn't seem very good at all.

So I looked online to learn about wheels. I now know (and correct me if I'm wrong of course) that the correct PCD is 5 x 114.3 so 5 (holes) x 114.3 (spacing) , I want a bore of 67.1 (hole in the middle) and an offset 40 to 45 (the "space" to clear steering / brakes / suspension / components etc... (all info from this post here ... http://www.bongoforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/for ... 327489594/ )

I've also learned that it is possible that the juddering I get through the steering wheel at above 60Mph might be due to these old wheels being no good. So hopefully I can fix both issues at the same time.

What I need to do then is try and source a half decent set of wheels that will fit a bongo. Naturally the cheaper the better if they're in decent condition. There are a few sellers on ebay selling wheels that came off a bongo. That's not to say they're necessarily the original wheels, but they obvs should fit. My concern is I'm loathe to spend my money on wheels that aren't quite right, and so that's really what my question is...

Is it safe to assume that wheels that came off a bongo unless drilled like mine, have the correct PCD, bore and offset? Is it possible to measure this information? Since it doesn't seem to be information that sellers volunteer.

Has anyone had dealings with the company bongospares.co.uk??

They're selling these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mazda-Bongo-G ... 3a86b3a7ea for £140. But they say the tyres are pretty much done with.

And when I told them my issues they suggested a set of 4 black alloys (not listed on ebay) which they say are on much better condition and should be just exactly what I need, for £250, again which came off a bongo. These have no tyres, but are 17's like mine so I could fit the old ones.

Sounds good, except he couldn't tell me the PCD, bore or offset, so I'm still none the wiser as to whether they're really 'right'.

Do any of the below seem like a good idea?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181245198252? ... 1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151152683518? ... 1423.l2649

Sorry to be so utterly useless, I'm trying to figure as much by my self as possible, but this isn't really my area of expertise. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[helen&tony]

HI
You'll have no trouble with BONGOSPARES 2012..The chap in your first link...I've had a fair few bits off him
Cheers
Helen

[MountainGoat]

A few years back when I wreaked one of my wheels by over-tightening it after making a mess of converting the torque units to suit my torque wrench I contacted Wheelquick in Wigan. Mike senior flogged me a second hand set of alloys that someone had discarded, cleaned them up a bit put new Nangkang tyres on them for me then sent them to me by courier.

You could give them a ring on 01942 217800 to see what the two Mikes (father & son) can do for you or check out their website or ebay shop. http://www.wheelquick.co.uk/ and http://ebayshowroom.ebaymotorspro.co.uk ... RVzA%3D%3D

Tony

[briwy]

You have a pm.

[cavey]

Slightly off topic, but I can recommend this lot for a very reasonable alloy refurb: £20 a wheel!

http://www.citypowdercoating.co.uk/

[GreenBongo]

Slightly off topic, but I can recommend this lot for a very reasonable alloy refurb: £20 a wheel!

http://www.citypowdercoating.co.uk/

The ad does state 'for the first two months of 2013' if the offer is still on then £20 would be a very good price though.

[Beirdo]

That's good to hear Helen thanks.

Cheers Tony I'll give them a call.

Cagey and green bongo. Certainly worth looking at if I get hold of some cheapish alloys. Thanks.

[cavey]

Slightly off topic, but I can recommend this lot for a very reasonable alloy refurb: £20 a wheel!

http://www.citypowdercoating.co.uk/

The ad does state 'for the first two months of 2013' if the offer is still on then £20 would be a very good price though.

I hadibe done there at that price a couple of months ago....

[rustyp]

PLEASE NOTE:

When fitting alloy wheels to a vehicle it is important to ensure the right wheel nuts are fitted, I used to have wheel nuts for steel wheels on my old alloys and uses to get vibration through the steering sometimes, when fitting my new wheels I had the right nuts with the proper taper fitted.

[Diplomat]

Alloy wheels?

Bongos come with enough built in trouble. Why go in for more of the self inflicted variety?

Basic steel wheels, with inexpensive tyres, enhanced with alloy lookalike wheel trims do me nicely!

Furthermore, people who 'upgrade' to alloys are often giving away steel wheels. If you've got the garage space, it isn't too difficult to amass enough wheels to have a set of winter boots as well at very little cost.

The only thing I would concede is that a flat low profile tyre is less dramatic than a flat balloon tyre!


Frank

[mikeonb4c]

Alloy wheels?

Bongos come with enough built in trouble. Why go in for more of the self inflicted variety?

Basic steel wheels, with inexpensive tyres, enhanced with alloy lookalike wheel trims do me nicely!

Furthermore, people who 'upgrade' to alloys are often giving away steel wheels. If you've got the garage space, it isn't too difficult to amass enough wheels to have a set of winter boots as well at very little cost.

The only thing I would concede is that a flat low profile tyre is less dramatic than a flat balloon tyre!


Frank

Frank makes a very good point. I have some gorgeous 17" alloys now due for a refurbish, which i'll do myself at some point. In the meantime I've put my 15" steels on, with Avon Ice Touring tyres and decent quality 'alloy' trims, and she rides great and looks pretty good too

[Beirdo]

Yeah I'm mainly just after a cheap quick fix cos the chrome coated ones that came with the vehicle are in a right state. The Rx8 option isn't looking great because all the wheels I find have tyres with a weight rating of just 91. I understand 96 is what I need for the bongo, and the Rx8's don't look so cheap when you need a set of 4 new tyres to go with. Found some 14 inch ones down in Lancashire that came off a bongo, so they might be an option. Cheers for the comments.

[Simon Jones]

Found some 14 inch ones down in Lancashire that came off a bongo, so they might be an option.

Hopefully that's just a typo as Bongo were never designed to work with 14".

[rustyp]

My 17" wheels are,probably the best modification I have ever done on my diesel Bongo, with fairly high profile tyres 225/55/17 iirc it has raised the gearing for more relaxed cruising and better economy

[mikeonb4c]

My 17" wheels are,probably the best modification I have ever done on my diesel Bongo, with fairly high profile tyres 225/55/17 iirc it has raised the gearing for more relaxed cruising and better economy

I found that too with Pirelli P7 tyres (x4, won unused on ebay for 180 quid - i'll never match that again!) the Bongo felt great, with speedo then 100% correct according to Satnav. Which ought to mean I got a 70/65 improvement in mpg when in lockout. Have to say though that these Avon tyres are a great ride on 15' wheels, and I've never had a quieter ride on rough surfaces (never the Bongo's strong point!)