tires and wheels How Much Demand Is There For Early 5" Tii Steel Wheels?

[oh2fly]

I am asking because I can have some made up from my collection of misc. wheels. Granted, they won't be original, but these have been nla forever and the moon hubcaps will fit and cover the slightly different centers.

Just gauging interest, who would be interested in a set?

Second question is, who would be interested in a set of these, but 5.5" wide with correct 2002 offset and still using the moon hubcaps?

[eurotrash]

There are a couple guys in our group hoarding them as well.. 

['76mintgrün'02]

Could you post some photos? (which include maker's marks)

[lilmo]

I've been looking for a set.  Usually the one's that come up are '74 versions.

[oh2fly]

No photos, I haven't made any yet. The centers will be early 4.5" 1600/2002 wheels. Nothing exciting to look at, yet. Still in the thinking stage

['76mintgrün'02]

oh, I misunderstood what you were offering.  

thanks for the clarification.

[PaulTWinterton]

When I bought my car in 1990, it came with a 5.5" x 13 steelie spare and basketweave alloy wheels.

The unused steelie had (has) original Continental rubber and a two-tone paint job.

Tell me I'm wrong, but I believe the 1973 tii came with two-tone steelies AND fit the large (fullsize) wheel covers, not bottlecaps.

[Conserv]

Paul,

 

Round taillight tii's came with 5x13 steelies that fit the full-size wheelcovers. I believe, though, that the smaller wheel covers found on very early cars -- '66-'67 -- would also fit these rims: others here will know for certain. All of these steel rims had a completely silver face, but you might call some of them "two-tone" as many Lemmerz rims were actually black rims with solely the face painted silver (there was also a little silver overspray around the lip edges). Kronprinz rims are much rarer than Lemmerz rims, and I've never seen a Kronprinz rim with the silver and black combination; but I've noticed only a dozen or so Kronprinz rims over the years.  Lastly, there are a handful of SRD (Solrad?) versions of these rims.

 

A 5.5x13 steelie is not a factory-offered 2002 rim UNLESS it's from a factory turbo. And those are of the styled steel variety, unlike the round taillight rims. A bona fide turbo rim, besides being styled steel, would be dated '74 or '75. More likely, and more commonly, a 5.5x13 steelie is an e21 rim, dated '75 or later. Either way, those rims are ET18. I'm very curious about your spare. Is it clearly stamped 5 1/2"? Are you certain it doesn't say 5Jx13? Who manufactured it? What Is its date? Is it stamped "BMW"? Can you post a close-up of the stamped data near the hub or does the black paint obscure it?

 

As far as factory offerings are concerned, the two-tone face -- silver lip with dark gray center -- first appeared on the factory turbo, but factory turbo rims are, as above, of the styled steel variety. By the by, after the turbo came out, lot's of people started painting their wheel centers black or dark gray to give their cars the "turbo look"!

 

Here are a couple tii rims in their factory paint: a Lemmerz, model 1344, dated 5/72 and a Kronprinz model 5448 A, dated 2/73.

 

Steve

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by Conserv

[PaulTWinterton]

Steve,

 

I'm quite sure my 5.5" spare is original and unused.  I recall discussing it with the PO.  Never left the trunk.  Hmmm. 

 

e21 steelies won't accept the large wheel covers, whereas the cap fits my 5.5" steelie. 

 

I will take some pix and post asap.

 

It may not be relative, but my car was an import to Canada, not US.

[Conserv]

On February 18, 2014 at 6:20 PM, PaulTWinterton said:

Steve,

I'm quite sure my 5.5" spare is original and unused. I recall discussing it with the PO. Never left the trunk. Hmmm.

e21 steelies won't accept the large wheel covers, whereas the cap fits my 5.5" steelie.

I will take some pix and post asap.

It may not be relative, but my car was an import to Canada, not US.

 

Paul,

 

You can go through every 2002 sales brochure and every owner's handbook ever published and the only 5.5" rim you will ever find offered by the factory for 2002's will be the styled steel variety offered with the turbo. The rim in your photo, frankly, looks like a 5x13 round taillight tii rim. I'd bet it is original to your car. The paint -- at least not the black center -- however, is not original. And the tire looks a bit beefy for a 165/80/13, which was the only factory offering for tii's. Whether it's an original 165/80/13 or a later 185/70/13, please don't drive on a tire more than 15 years old!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

Edited September 12, 2016 by Conserv

[Mike Self]

Lemmerz made a 5jx13 wheel for certain Opel Kadette models; they're plain ones (not styled--look just like 72-73 tii wheels) for their early 70s station wagons.  BMW full wheel covers and hubcaps snap right on to em--the only difference is in the valve stem hole placement.  They're also stamped "Opel", but work just fine on 2002s. 

 

There are also several styled steel wheels that were used on Opel GTs and also Rallyes.  They don't look like the styled 2002 steel wheels, and won't accept 2002 full wheel covers.  But you can fit the small BMW center caps as used on 74-76 2002 wheels.

 

These wheels used to be plentiful in junkyards, but they've disappeared along with Opels themselves.  Some can probably be found with a little searching.

 

mike

Edited February 19, 2014 by mike

[lilmo]

Spare on my 73tii is 5x13.  Still has the "hair" on the original 165/80/13 rubber as well.  Holds air, but I haven't put any weight on it . . . . yet.

[Conserv]

Spare on my 73tii is 5x13.  Still has the "hair" on the original 165/80/13 rubber as well.  Holds air, but I haven't put any weight on it . . . . yet.

Please don't get a flat! I believe these old, untouched tires are pretty good at holding air in a static situation, but get them up to 60 mph and bad things happen!

Steve

[Conserv]

 

These wheels used to be plentiful in junkyards, but they've disappeared along with Opels themselves.  Some can probably be found with a little searching.

 

mike

They're still plentiful on German eBay and reasonably priced. But the shipping probably kills the economics!

Steve

[PaulTWinterton]

I stand corrected.  My spare is on a 5"x13" wheel.  You say the black center is not original.  I can live with that new knowledge. 

 

I will be replacing the rubber this spring.

 

Cheers and thanks for the clarifications.