[codydaniels]

I have had my 05 Astro for a while now and finally lowered it with a Belltech 2/3 drop kit. I just installed some rims
and tires yesterday,19x8 /19x9.5 . What do you guys think of it so far?

 

[bryancraftyhands]

I think it is peculiar how the lug nuts are exposed on the wheels. The finish on them is nice and different for aftermarkets. I know it exists, but it's not often seen.
It looks like you could have got a larger diameter, but I'm not knowledgeable about such things.
"White walls say look at me, love me."😆 Just something to consider.
I think it could also use some ground spoilers or running boards on the side and maybe an air dam on the front, if these are the looks you are going for.

 

[copperhead]

As a candidate for lowering, I think these vans carry it off well. I'm not a fan of low profiles tires on any vehicle, so I'm not the right person to comment on that aspect.

 

[Rod's Trucks]

It looks nice for an occasional street vehicle , but I do not think it is practical for a daily driver. In many parts of the country, 'normal' potholes could be trouble.

I see $$$ being spent to repair curb damage and busted sidewalls. Hopefully this is not an AWD van, so tire mismatch (front/rear) is not so critical.
What size are those tires? Are they wide enough for the 9.5" rims?

 

[codydaniels]

It looks nice for an occasional street vehicle , but I do not think it is practical for a daily driver. In many parts of the country, 'normal' potholes could be trouble.

I see $$$ being spent to repair curb damage and busted sidewalls. Hopefully this is not an AWD van, so tire mismatch (front/rear) is not so critical.
What size are those tires? Are they wide enough for the 9.5" rims?

The rear tires are 255/40/19, they fit the rims well.

 

[Rod's Trucks]

The diameter looks like a pretty close match t the original 215/70 (or 75) R15" , but I would still be concerned about loosing over 1/3 of the sidewall height for normal use. That will contribute to a pretty rough ride on all but the smoothest roads.
In sort: My opinion is that it looks good, and would maybe make the van attractive to a thief, but it does not look very practical for daily use.
Rod J
Issaquah, WA

 

[Mmusicman]

No where did the OP state this was for "daily use".
Even if it is.. he is likely ready to accept the compromises for style and look.

My 92 had cut springs, and I learned to not pull all the way up to curbs.
It wasn't my intent to lower the vehicle, but rather give it the "rake" I wanted and close the excessive gap I had.

I agree lowing vehicles with low profile tires isn't exactly practical (and certainly not for me).. but "custom vans" suit the owner. Over my lifetime I've done plenty of things that were "less than practical".. lol.

My van buddies used to bust their spoilers all the time.
They looked cool, but were too impractical for me.
I never had that problem because I never had a spoiler... lol
Fog lights look cool too.. but you may have to deal with cracked lenses.
This compromise I am happy to accept.

Rims...... beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder.
I've seen some ugly ones, and I know what I like.

On the flip, I see all too often people putting on over-sized tires that reduce functionality too.. actually defeating some of the reason they were often added in the first place.

Go up.. go down, go big, go small...
Make it your own.. enjoy

 

[Rod's Trucks]

Mmusicman said: "No where did the OP state this was for "daily use".
No foul there.
I agree. The OP also did not say it was not for daily use....so that left me to assume it was for normal use. That may have been a bad assumption . I like the look, but it is not for me, for practical reasons.
He asked for opinions. As is the case when asking for opinions; not all are appreciated.

In the case of my van, it is not a daily driver either. It is also not a typical use/application for most. The last few years it has accumulated less than a 1K per year. But, when taken out on operations, it is most often driven to the mountains and remote places, so obviously those tires would not function well, nor last long, in the case of my 'non-daily driver'.
Rod J
Issaquah, WA

 

[181mp2]

Hi, How much do you want? How many miles does it has. How many owners. where is located.. Thank for the information.

 

[codydaniels]

Thanks for the opinions guys, good and bad.
Just to clarify, it is a daily driver 50+ each day. Where i live in Florida we have pretty smooth roads. The rear tires are 1" shorter than the original 16's, the fronts are 3" shorter. The springs are not cut or modified, they are short springs from belltech so the spring rate is close to stock. Yes the ride is somewhat firmer but it is still comfortable to drive.

 

[bryancraftyhands]

You were going for the go cart look (at least that's what I call it) then with the smaller wheel sizes. I get it. I'm used to seeing people put larger rims on with low profiles more commonly. I have seen smaller, though usually done about half as large as original and of course on much smaller cars.

 

[sixsix]

Really, nice clean look - Extra High Chrome lug nuts is the only way to make it look better.
I thought of doing it for The Van with it's OEM Gen I alloy wheels.

Sweet Ride there...


ps: nice to see and hear ya' back in the Show.

 

[bryancraftyhands]

Extra High Chrome lug nuts is the only way to make it look better.

I'm not sure about chrome since the wheels aren't, and it probably isn't the ONLY way to make it look better, ( I mean, Whitesnake had Tawney on the hood of their car) but extra high lug nuts does sound like a good idea.👍

 

[sixsix]

No, no, no crafty, you are out of your mind drifting along like an unknown galaxy...

LOL, couldn't help it.

NOT "Extra High" Lug Nuts... ( tapping foot... )
Extra Top Quality High End Perfect Chrome, not the crap from O'Reilly's.

"No Kidding", "Really", "I'm not Joking around here folks", "Ya gotta' believe me here people"...
Joe Biden own words... doncha' believe it ?

Ha, ha - There is no way else to Look Better - it is a White Van after all.

 

[codydaniels]

The lugs are high quality, splined and chromed. They are actualy almost 2 inches long. The lug bores in the wheels are extreemly deep, the lugs are still 1 inch below the face of the wheels.

 

[copperhead]

I thought 03 - 05 were all 6 lug?

 

[Rod's Trucks]

5 lugs on a 2005 ???
What are those wheels? That center cap looks like a lot like an old Porsche emblem.
Rod J
Issaquah, WA

 

[codydaniels]

I thought 03 - 05 were all 6 lug?

They are all sox lug. I used custom adaptors.

 

[codydaniels]

5 lugs on a 2005 ???
What are those wheels? That center cap looks like a lot like an old Porsche emblem.
Rod J
Issaquah, WA

They are Porsche

 

[Ruh-Roh]

I have had my 05 Astro for a while now and finally lowered it with a Belltech 2/3 drop kit. I just installed some rims
and tires yesterday,19x8 /19x9.5 . What do you guys think of it so far?
View attachment 287938 View attachment 287939

View attachment 287940

I really like it a lot! It would be hard to do better for a cool family cruiser. Clean and smooth.