Fitting OEM Underslung Spare Wheel GC680

[Bajers]

Hi,
Just to add to my saga with this spare wheel malarkey, I have sourced a new lift mechanism off e-bay for £160, a used restraining strap for £25, I have gone for the Continental tyre 205/75 × 16 116 load rating, unused for £100 and a J rated (1200kg) 16 inch new steel wheel from local MAN dealer at £106. I have bought an unused VW jack off e-bay for £82. I also have bought the VW tools from Germany at £45 but unfortunately, the lowering extension bar is hex female and not 4 point square fitting as on my lift mechanism. So that was a waste of money then and I have yet to resolve that issue.
I have had wildly differing prices for the steel wheel, £280 from one van centre, £144 from another and £177 online. The MAN was £106 as mentioned previously but they did have a job finding it. Apparently the higher load wheels are fitted to the MAN 4x4 van.
Nothing fitted yet, but it looks like it is coming together but at some cost!

 

[rod_vw]

Hi,
Just to add to my saga with this spare wheel malarkey, I have sourced a new lift mechanism off e-bay for £160, a used restraining strap for £25, I have gone for the Continental tyre 205/75 × 16 116 load rating, unused for £100 and a J rated (1200kg) 16 inch new steel wheel from local MAN dealer at £106. I have bought an unused VW jack off e-bay for £82. I also have bought the VW tools from Germany at £45 but unfortunately, the lowering extension bar is hex female and not 4 point square fitting as on my lift mechanism. So that was a waste of money then and I have yet to resolve that issue.
I have had wildly differing prices for the steel wheel, £280 from one van centre, £144 from another and £177 online. The MAN was £106 as mentioned previously but they did have a job finding it. Apparently the higher load wheels are fitted to the MAN 4x4 van.
Nothing fitted yet, but it looks like it is coming together but at some cost!

Maybe you should have followed up on my contact Buckettz Dubz who probably had everything except the tools & jack. He has customers wanting to change out steels for alloys and fits water tanks in place of spare wheel carriers / wheels.
I am assuming that you are talking about Crafter / TGE not T6 as your avatar.

 

[Bajers]

Maybe you should have followed up on my contact Buckettz Dubz who probably had everything except the tools & jack. He has customers wanting to change out steels for alloys and fits water tanks in place of spare wheel carriers / wheels.
I am assuming that you are talking about Crafter / TGE not T6 as your avatar.

Hi Rod,
Yes, GC 600. I did have a look there but to be honest, did not contact them on the assumption that they would be the lower ratings for the standard Crafter/MAN conversions i.e L wheels and 113/111 tyres.
I could get loads of these online but it was really tough to find any 2nd hand J wheels and 116 tyres.
The avatar was my fathers 1959 van that he got when I was 6 and I am 71 now! Went all over the UK in it and learnt to drive in it.

 

[rod_vw]

Hi Rod,
Yes, GC 600. I did have a look there but to be honest, did not contact them on the assumption that they would be the lower ratings for the standard Crafter/MAN conversions i.e L wheels and 113/111 tyres.
I could get loads of these online but it was really tough to find any 2nd hand J wheels and 116 tyres.
The avatar was my fathers 1959 van that he got when I was 6 and I am 71 now! Went all over the UK in it and learnt to drive in it.

I'm intrigued, surely the GC600 is only rated at 3500kg and most probably has 2100kg axles front & rear, see sticker on rear edge of driver's door. My LWB TGE was delivered with115/113 tyres as standard and 2100kg axles so was no problem to up-rate to 4200kg without any changes to suspension, wheels or tyres.

 

[Bajers]

Yes it is and just checked, yes 2100kg per axle, so would the lighter wheel and tyre had have been ok then?
Following this thread from the start my impression was that I needed the 1200kg wheel. Also, the existing tyres are 235/17 117/115 rating, so I thought I would have needed around that with the spare, 116 was the best I could do?
If not, its been a right hassle and an expensive learning curve!

 

[rod_vw]

Yes it is and just checked, yes 2100kg per axle, so would the lighter wheel and tyre had have been ok then?
Following this thread from the start my impression was that I needed the 1200kg wheel. Also, the existing tyres are 235/17 117/115 rating, so I thought I would have needed around that with the spare, 116 was the best I could do?
If not, its been a right hassle and an expensive learning curve!

I can't answer those questions and without taking a wheel off my TGE I can't tell you which wheels ate fitted to it.
When I up-plated our van there was never any question about the wheels but Van Weight Engineering did want pictures of the tyre type and of the suspension plus of course the ID plate with the axle capacities. It would be interesting to see what wheels are on the 5 tonne vans.

 

[Bajers]

Now Rod,
Thanks for the follow up.
Ive dug a bit deeper after taking on board your posts and I think you are 100% correct and I have got it wrong.
For the benefit of others who may be going down this route, all I can say is that for a 3.5T GC600, I think you can legally use a 205/75×16C 113/111R tyre and an L type 16 inch steel wheel of which there are loads kicking about.
Reinforcing this, on the drivers side door there is the VW tyre pressure label giving tyre pressures for a range of tyres and wheels.
Mine are the 235/60 x17 117/115, but the top entry on the label is the tyre pressures for a 205/75 ×16 steel rims and the entry is rated at 113/111!
Its been an expensive learning curve this, having to buy an over engineered wheel and tyre for around £200, when I probably could have got a good combo for £90.
I cannot comment on what the 3.88T GC600 or the 3.88T GC380 needs but I am pretty sure the lighter wheel and tyre should be ok on a GC600 3.5T
I do stand to be corrected though.

 

[rod_vw]

Now Rod,
Thanks for the follow up.
Ive dug a bit deeper after taking on board your posts and I think you are 100% correct and I have got it wrong.
For the benefit of others who may be going down this route, all I can say is that for a 3.5T GC600, I think you can legally use a 205/75×16C 113/111R tyre and an L type 16 inch steel wheel of which there are loads kicking about.
Reinforcing this, on the drivers side door there is the VW tyre pressure label giving tyre pressures for a range of tyres and wheels.
Mine are the 235/60 x17 117/115, but the top entry on the label is the tyre pressures for a 205/75 ×16 steel rims and the entry is rated at 113/111!
Its been an expensive learning curve this, having to buy an over engineered wheel and tyre for around £200, when I probably could have got a good combo for £90.
I cannot comment on what the 3.88T GC600 or the 3.88T GC380 needs but I am pretty sure the lighter wheel and tyre should be ok on a GC600 3.5T
I do stand to be corrected though.

Well one thing is certain, the man who knows all about Volkswagen's has yet to be born. I've been 'playing' with them since I bought my first Beetle in 1968 and know only too well that I am only just scratching the surface.

For the benefit of others who read this thread, where we refer to J & L we are referring to the suffix letter of the Volkswagen part number which denotes variations on a part from its inception when it had no suffix. Additional characters after 2N0 601 027J Z98 in this instance refer to a colour or finish etc. (Z98 = Matt black)

Others deep in the VW world will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong.

Rod