Winter Rims & Tires

Tiny
FABIAN83
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 DODGE CARAVAN
I own a 2005 Dodge Caravan, I recently owned a 2002 Pontiac Montana and I sold it to get the Dodge. Before I sold it I took off the new winter tires and rims that I installed on the pontiac montana hoping that I can just bolt them right on the Dodge Caravan. Can I just bolt the Pontiac rims right on the Dodge Caravan, would you recommend it?
Friday, October 5th, 2012 AT 6:53 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Nope. GM doesn't make anything to interchange with other manufacturers. You can mount the tires on the Dodge wheels if they're the same diameter.

Besides the lug nut bolt pattern size, you also have to look at the "offset" of the wheels and the diameter of the center hole. That center hole takes the stress of the weight of the van, then the lug nuts just hold it on. If the hole is too big, all the stress of holding the van up will be on the lug nuts and studs. If the hole is too small the wheel won't sit flat.

"Offset" has to do with where the wheel is centered over the center mounting plate. The goal is to first place the vehicle's weight directly over the wheel bearing for least sideways force and longest life. The second thing is a different offset affects a secondary alignment angle that is rarely talked about called "steering axis inclination", (SAI). That is critical for proper handling. Changing offset and / or changing ride height changes SAI and degrades handling. I shudder every time I see a youngster do that to their cars. Besides the loss of handling, lawyers and insurance investigators love to find stuff like that because it shifts some of the blame for a crash from the guy who ran the red light to the guy who decreased his ability to avoid that crash.

Sorry for getting off-topic, but you're better off finding a set of Dodge steel wheel from a salvage yard to put your winter tires on. If you have cast wheels now, save them for good weather, especially if you live up here in Wisconsin, the road salt capital of the world.
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Friday, October 5th, 2012 AT 7:23 PM
Tiny
FABIAN83
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  • 15 POSTS
The wheel specifications for a 2005 Dodge Caravan is:
Bolt Pattern:5x114.3/Center Bore:71.5/Hardware:12x1.50Lug/Offset34-42mm
The wheel specifications for a 2002 Pontiac Montana is:
Bolt Pattern:5x115/Center Bore/70.3/Hardware:12x1.50Lug/Offset34-45mm
Would you recommend using Pontiac Montana Rims On a Dodge Caravan
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Friday, October 5th, 2012 AT 8:34 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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As I said earlier; no. There is nothing that is the same. You can prove that by trying to put one on. It won't fit.
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Friday, October 5th, 2012 AT 10:42 PM

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