# Some Wheel Ideas for My Routan



## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

I have been looking for some nicer wheels for my Routan for a while now, and because of the less common bolt pattern that is being used, there aren't many wheel options. I decided to go to the NY Auto Show in April to see if I could find something I liked, and I came across two different wheels that were actually on Chrysler and Dodge minivans that caught my interest. 

The first wheel I liked was mounted on this 2010 Chrysler T&C minivan.









After doing some searching, I found that it was a 19 inch wheel that was used on the now discontinued Chrysler Pacifica.

The second wheel that I liked was mounted on a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan. 









This 19" wheel is used on the Dodge Journey, but this particular wheel had portions of the face of the wheel and the barrel of the wheel painted black; which gives it a much more unique look that the all silver version.

I preferrede the look of the Pacifica wheel, but decided to try something a little different. I have the wheels on my cars refinished at Wheel Collision in Bath, PA. And I asked them to refinish one Pacifica wheel for me but paint the silver portion in the body color of the van. It turned out like this:









I then put it next to the van to try to get a better idea of what it would look like.









My three children (two college age and one a teenager) really liked the painted wheel, but my wife freaked out, and said she wouldn't be caught dead in it.

I love the look myself, but unless I can try to win her over, the Pacifica wheel will be all silver.


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

I forgot to mention that the OEM wheels and tires will be listed in the Vortex classifieds next week.


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## Indigo20v (Mar 6, 2002)

That looks incredible, and your wife is crazy! Looks so much better than the OEMs. If I may ask, how much are those suckers?


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## Autobahn_Bred (Jan 26, 2004)

i really like the color match. it is what i was looking into doing when purchasing wheels for the van. is that antigua blue?


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

The wheels refinished at Wheel Collision were about $250.00 including tax. And yes, that is Antigua Blue.


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

Correction (it's been a long day of my son's baseball); I had only the one wheel done, and it was under $250.00 including tax.


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## Autobahn_Bred (Jan 26, 2004)

man, i cant wait for you to mount those wheels so we can see some full vehicle pics.


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## johnnyR32 (Aug 31, 2004)

that looks really good.


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## Sawdust (May 28, 2002)

Can you tell me the bolt pattern for the Routan. Doing a search i get both 5x127 and 5x130. thanks


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

UPDATE: THis wheel installation is not going to be as easy as I thought. I took the left front wheel off the van yesterday as I am installing mudflaps on the van; and slid the refinished wheel on to check its fitment. The wheel went right on over the studs (the_ bolt pattern is 5x127_), but before the back of the wheel seated against the hub, it hit the brake caliper. So, okay....what did Chrysler do to get this wheel mounted on the van I saw at the auto show? I went back to my pictures and blew them up big time, and lo and behold, there appeared to be a spacer.

I started doing some searching and came upon this Vortex advertiser 1552v2.com (Fifteen52) who makes custom spacers. I called them and got a guy named 'Matt' on the phone. I told him what I was dealing with, and he had immediate answers. The bottom line is that I need 4 15mm 5x127 spacers; and I need longer studs to boot. He will make the spacer wheel and hub centric and help me track down a source for the longer studs.

After procuring these items, I will have to take the van to my independent repair guy, and have him change out the studs.

The bottom line, this install is going to be a PITA; and it won't be done next week; and it won't be cheap; but I think it will be worth it. I will keep you apprised of the situation.


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

fantastic wheel choice ! keep us posted


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

Just a Quick P Chop


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

Whoa...Cool! I like that. Thanks! The wheels give the van a kind of... I don't know.... a menacing look?! I will keep you updated on this thread.


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

Ondaora20 said:


> Whoa...Cool! I like that. Thanks! The wheels give the van a kind of... I don't know.... a menacing look?! I will keep you updated on this thread.


yea man, you NAILED the look


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## routan1 (Jun 20, 2010)

*Love your 19's!!*

I just purchased a 2010 Routan SEL, and need to get going on making it look cool enough as to not have a mid life crisis. What you did with the Pacifica 19's was perfect. I found a set on ebay, and would love to get them. The seller doesnt know many details. I would appreciate any help. First, I have pressure sensors...will they fit? Also, where can I get the spacers and poss new lugs to finish the job. Any help would be appreciated. What size tires did you mount? Again, thanks for any info.


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

*An update on my Routan Wheels*

I have run into a snag with mounting these wheels, as the offset of the Pacifica wheel requires a wheel stud 11mm longer than what is on the car from the factory. I purchased from VW a stock wheel stud and I am in the process of finding a reliable automotive suppy store that can help me with this; bringing the stock stud with me so they can compare them.

If any of you have suggestions as to where I can locate the proper length stud, your help would be greatly appreciated.

Once I get past this hurdle, I will be ready to install these wheels; and when it is done, I will share with you all of the technical details. I still need to find out for myself about the TPM's; I am still working on the final tire size (and you will be shocked at how few tires are available for a wheel this size) and what kind of tire I want to install.

At this point, it looks like the rear is going to be a set of wheel adaptors, and the fronts are going to be longer studs with hub and wheel centric spacers.

Oh, and one last item.....center caps for the Pacifica wheels. The center cap on the OEM Routan wheels does NOT fit the Pacifica wheel. I am literally going to take one of these wheels to my dealer to see if any of the VW center caps will fit. At this point, the only center cap I have found that works is the Chrysler OEM one....and I am not sure how any of you would like that on your car. I can live with it.

I will definitely keep you posted on my progress.


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## R Salesman (Jun 13, 2010)

Did you consider searching for available wheels that fit the Routan? Nearly all of those wheels are less expensive than what you're paying to have those Chrysler wheels refinished, and they all fit without spacers or longer bolts. Seems to me like you're spending A LOT of money for wheels that, frankly, won't look all that much different from the stock ones from 20 feet away, and they're certainly not a performance enhancer. Don't get me wrong: I think what you're doing is cool . . . I'm just saying that there's a more cost-effective way to go about getting different wheels.


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## Sawdust (May 28, 2002)

Ondaora20 said:


> I have run into a snag with mounting these wheels, as the offset of the Pacifica wheel requires a wheel stud 11mm longer than what is on the car from the factory. I purchased from VW a stock wheel stud and I am in the process of finding a reliable automotive suppy store that can help me with this; bringing the stock stud with me so they can compare them.
> 
> If any of you have suggestions as to where I can locate the proper length stud, your help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> ...


If you do not all ready have this info. from looking into my rims. the studs on the van should be m12 x 1.5. Not sure what the stock length is. should be easy enought to measure.
please verify the size info.

found a few sizes here.
http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Wheel-Studs/1224592/10002/-1

:thumbup:


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

R Salesman said:


> Did you consider searching for available wheels that fit the Routan? Nearly all of those wheels are less expensive than what you're paying to have those Chrysler wheels refinished, and they all fit without spacers or longer bolts. Seems to me like you're spending A LOT of money for wheels that, frankly, won't look all that much different from the stock ones from 20 feet away, and they're certainly not a performance enhancer. Don't get me wrong: I think what you're doing is cool . . . I'm just saying that there's a more cost-effective way to go about getting different wheels.


I spent more time than I care to admit over the last 6 months or so looking for what I felt were appropriate wheels for this car. I even had my son post on this board in January, I believe (before I got around to joining Vortex myself), for anyone who had installed wheels other than the OEM's. No one replied to his post.

In frustration, I decided to go to the NY Autoshow at the Javits Center to see if I could find anything there, and that is where I came up with the wheels I am working with. I know they aren't cheap, the way I am going about getting them refinished and so forth, but I know the van will look 'fine' in my eyes when it's done, and judging by the reaction of some of the other members on this thread, they are in agreement and waiting for me to get this done.


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

Sawdust said:


> If you do not all ready have this info. from looking into my rims. the studs on the van should be m12 x 1.5. Not sure what the stock length is. should be easy enought to measure.
> please verify the size info.
> 
> found a few sizes here.
> ...


Thanks Sawdust. I found this site last night after I posted on Vortex. I will be calling them in the morning. The OEM studs are 2" long, and I am going to need a stud that is 2 1/2" long for this project.


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## redzone98 (Jun 10, 2004)

R Salesman said:


> Did you consider searching for available wheels that fit the Routan? Nearly all of those wheels are less expensive than what you're paying to have those Chrysler wheels refinished,


Sure they are less expensive..... but all those selections look, well, Cheap :screwy:


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## R Salesman (Jun 13, 2010)

Ondaora20 said:


> I spent more time than I care to admit over the last 6 months or so looking for what I felt were appropriate wheels for this car . . . .
> 
> . . . I know they aren't cheap, the way I am going about getting them refinished and so forth, but I know the van will look 'fine' in my eyes when it's done, and judging by the reaction of some of the other members on this thread, they are in agreement and waiting for me to get this done.


Fair enough -- I certainly think what you're doing looks better than any of the wheels offered by tire rack.

In a roundabout way, I was making the point that wheel manufacturers make all different kinds of wheels, and I've found it's easier to simply measure your bolt pattern, offset, and wheel width and find wheels made to those specifications. 

Good luck on finding the wheel studs -- I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

*Update*

I was going to use a 2 1/2" wheel stud in the front to accomodate the necessary spacer so the Pacifica wheel would fit properly. Unfortunately, this size wheel stud is not available. So I am going to have to use a wheel adaptor for the front as well as the rear.

I have sent an e-mail to Fifteen52 to see what they can do about making adaptors for me. I am waiting to hear from them.


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## TCM GLX (Jan 2, 2000)

What is the offset on the wheel you are using?? Curious because I looked at Journey wheels, and they are a 40mm offset, and figured this would work.


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## TCM GLX (Jan 2, 2000)

19" Journey wheels bolt up!
http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php/12885-19-quot-factory-wheels-tires-!


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## Ondaora20 (Apr 19, 2010)

The offset of the wheel I will be using is 51. I really have no choice but to have adaptors made, which I am in the process of doing now. 20mm for the front, and 28 mm for the rear. The tires should be flush with the side of the van when installed.

Will still be a few weeks yet before this is done....it has taken longer than I wanted, but I think the wait will be worth it.


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## MRP2001GTi (Oct 6, 2000)

I went with aftermarket 20s on ours. The handling is 900% improved! The OEM 17s are flat out dangerous during spirited driving.


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## TCM GLX (Jan 2, 2000)

Looks great on the 20s. What tire size are you running? I agree, it is significantly better handling. My wife even noticed the difference!


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## MRP2001GTi (Oct 6, 2000)

I dont remember the size, I will have to walk out to the parking lot and check. I think they are 245/45 20?


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## R Salesman (Jun 13, 2010)

What wheels are those?


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## Row1Rich (Sep 11, 2001)

MRP2001GTi said:


> The OEM 17s are flat out dangerous during spirited driving.


I'm sure handling is much improved with 20's, that goes without saying. However, I've seen a huge improvement by replacing the oe tires with some oe sized Yokahama Parada Spec-X running @ 38 psi cold.


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## thaddyusmaximus (Apr 30, 2012)

MRP2001GTi said:


> I went with aftermarket 20s on ours. The handling is 900% improved! The OEM 17s are flat out dangerous during spirited driving.


Does anyone know what brand wheels are these, where to buy, and how much? I'm looking to get 20's to get better handling as well. I didn't like any of the 20's offered at tirerack.


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

thaddyusmaximus said:


> Does anyone know what brand wheels are these, where to buy, and how much? I'm looking to get 20's to get better handling as well. I didn't like any of the 20's offered at tirerack.



They're Black Rhino Zambia wheels

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5380021-20-quot-Wheels-for-Routan&highlight=wheels+sale


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## ZeeVW (Feb 12, 2013)

*Specific wheel info*



58kafer said:


> They're Black Rhino Zambia wheels
> 
> http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5380021-20-quot-Wheels-for-Routan&highlight=wheels+sale


What bolt size do you select to purchase the correct wheels to fit the routan? When you are purchasing the black rhino Zambia, it asks for the bolt pattern. (Example, 5-100mm, 5-130mm....Ect). I have a 2010 Routan and have been looking for wheels to fit....with no success.


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

ZeeVW said:


> What bolt size do you select to purchase the correct wheels to fit the routan? When you are purchasing the black rhino Zambia, it asks for the bolt pattern. (Example, 5-100mm, 5-130mm....Ect). I have a 2010 Routan and have been looking for wheels to fit....with no success.


5X127 or 5X5

Dodge Journey also sports the same pattern and correct offset. SRT-8 replica wheels will work but only the 9" wide not the 10". Someone else on here just got a set of 20's from a new Durango, I'm just not sure of the offset, I think those might need spacers, where the Journey's don't, but those are 19". Do a search here for Journey wheels as a couple of guys have put them on.


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*New wheel*

I was at the dealer yesteday and saw a new wheel on a Dodge GC SXT, sort of looks like the R/T wheel, but slightly different. I'll try to get a picture soon. It's a 17 incher. 

I looked at the wheel today, and realized it is an R/T wheel, though on a 2013 DGC SXT, so Dodge must be putting R/T wheels on other models because the R/Ts aren't selling well and they're using up stock (my guess).

There were several SXTs in stock with the R/T wheel.


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## Jrod511 (Apr 29, 2009)

Does anyone know if Wrangler wheels fit? Same bolt pattern but different offset. There are always TONS of Wrangler wheels on Craigslist for dirt cheap.


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