Bongo Fury

Hi to all, nice site & forum!

This is my first post, I picked up my first Bongo last week. A couple of friends have them and highly recommended, and so far its all good, including the 1500km drive to get home from Devonport, Auckland to Dunedin, NZ.

A few minor niggles to sort out though, including a steering wheel wobble at 95kmh or so. The seller was honest about this, and it does not seem too awful. Is only noticed on the flat, if the suspension is working (say accelerating uphill) then its less noticeable. I assumed it was wheel balancing but the issue is compounded by the non-standard wheels (see pics).




These are "GT Racing" 17" alloys wearing 235/45 VR 17s. I gather these are non-standard . As two new tyres are needed anyway I am trying to decide if I should stick with these wheels and retyre them all with something more standard, or, replace with standard steel wheels and trims. I am not fussed about the boy racer look. Obviously I don't want to waste money on new tyres for these rims if they are not suitable for the vehicle...equally no point in taking them off if I can get them to work well.

Have read a few of your documents and posts and whatnot. I can't find any weight rating stamped on the wheel. So any advice appreciated. I will of course ask my local tyre fitters but they may not have seen many Bongos...

Hi
Weight rating should be stamped either on the rim, or on the wheel centre itself. Failing that, ask the manufacturer.
Vibration on my Bongo..fairly typical , was sorted first by replacing the tyres, then the balancing. Once I knew that this was done properly (I have had some bad balancing), I had the tracking done....job sorted. You can also check the track rod ends are not worn, as they can cause a bit of wobble, and lastly, if you find the wheels are adequate, then make sure they don't need spigot rings. I had a problem with the wheels over here, and the local garage said the alloys weren't tight enough...I had no further problems after he wound them tight....probably my fault!
Lastly, if you still get problems, you may have a warped disc, although this shows more on braking, but if the discs are well worn, they may have a lip at the edge which is giving symptoms...
Cheers
Helen

My 17" wheels were - the tyre fitter told me, and he'd taken real care as he loved my wheels - a pig to get spot on when he balanced them (he recommended one pair for the rear and the better ones for the front). But he did it and they were sweet as anything..........until I swapped rear for fronts in order to even out wear. And now I get a slight tremble

The wheels look nice - I'd try paying a fitter a little extra to do their best work on the front ones (wouldn't cost much) and see if that cures it. If it does you know they're worth keeping.

I tried all of the above, this went on for 18 months, when i went to Wheelquick young Stu said you've got the wrong bolts to hold the wheels on.
He changed the bolts and its been perfect ever since.

Thanks for the feedback, *much* appreciated. Very useful.

I think next step I will try and get a *good* tyre specialist to check over the wheels, then balance them carefully if they think they are suitable for the van. If that works then I will decide on new tyres. Am thinking something a little bigger than 45, fill out the arch a bit. And they hardly need be super performance, this van is a cruiser. Will post again once the work is done. Ta Nick

measure the inside of the ring wheel sits on

as it might not be the right size and need a spacer

if its not right its the bolts are centering the wheel

nickb wrote:Thanks for the feedback, *much* appreciated. Very useful.

I think next step I will try and get a *good* tyre specialist to check over the wheels, then balance them carefully if they think they are suitable for the van. If that works then I will decide on new tyres. Am thinking something a little bigger than 45, fill out the arch a bit. And they hardly need be super performance, this van is a cruiser. Will post again once the work is done. Ta Nick

Mine came with 45s on but they were knackered, and they were a harsh ride. I how have 55s (I think) and they are very nice to ride on (plus, in theory, I get better cross-country mpg due to larger rolling diameter - might try 60s next time ha ha). Make sure you have the right load rating on the new tyres

So the tyre guy had a shufty and found both front wheels out of balance, one badly so. All four tyres passed inspection and apparently the weight stamp for the alloys was found on the back (630kg). Even the air pressures were way out - the garage pump I checked them with must have been duff. So hopefully the next time I can get onto the motorway all will be well.

spriggot rings would help

wonkabody suggested spigot rings earlier - also, 630 kg is a bit light when the rear tyres are a minimum of 710kg each

I don't think spigot rings are needed in this case, the wheels seemed to sit quite well.
I was hoping the tyre guy would have some database or guide to be able to check if the wheels were right for the van, but he did not, was more of a "she'll be right" type. Very NZ

dandywarhol wrote:wonkabody suggested spigot rings earlier - also, 630 kg is a bit light when the rear tyres are a minimum of 710kg each

Mmmmm, so I guess they just stuck on a set of car wheels they liked the look of. Just what I thought. I shall have a look for something more suitable. What weight rating is the standard Bongo alloy, d'you happen to know?

nickb wrote:

dandywarhol wrote:wonkabody suggested spigot rings earlier - also, 630 kg is a bit light when the rear tyres are a minimum of 710kg each

Mmmmm, so I guess they just stuck on a set of car wheels they liked the look of. Just what I thought. I shall have a look for something more suitable. What weight rating is the standard Bongo alloy, d'you happen to know?

Nope but the rear tyres are 710, fronts 615

Good advise Dandy, better safe than sorry. In all the years i've browsed this forum i've never heard of a wheel collapsing/breaking/cracking on a bongo, but it would be prudent to follow the correct weight ratings for the tyres/wheels.