[tango1]

I would like some suggestions for sporty rims for my new golf TDI. I do not know where to look. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Your bolt pattern is 5x112. Your suggested offset is 35-50. Your hub centerbore is 57.1. That means the minimum size you can use is 57.1, anything larger and you have to use a hubcentric ring to reduce its size down to 57.1 Most aftermarket wheels use large centerbores so that they will fit on a variety of cars.

Tire rack, discount wheel direct, they all sell wheels. If you're looking for OEM wheels try looking through the wheel gallery in the FAQ.

 

[Gruppe d]

Do you have a size preference? Budget? OEM or aftermarket?

 

[tango1]

I don't have a size preference or budget. What is OEM?
I would like to know what rims people recommend for a sporty look.

 

[DMF332]

OEM, wheels and tires

OEM is short for original equipment manufacture,

I would suggest you look for a nice light wheel and high performance summer tire as the OEM ones are quite heavy. The tire rack can set you up with wheel and tire combination's including mounting and balancing for free.

Anybody have issues with noise level from 18" wheels vs stock 17"?

Anybody try lighter wheels and performance tires for better handling?

Thanks

 

[cloudlink04]

Anthracite Goals!

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Anybody try lighter wheels and performance tires for better handling?

My other car switched from 1 piece rotors to larger 2 piece rotors (33% reduction, a little over 6 lbs) and the weight loss was immediately noticeable. You probably won't notice 1 or 2 lbs (except in your head) but depending on the setup and your sensitivity, you should notice more. The less weight on the wheels, tires, brakes, and suspension, the better comfort and performance. Tire weight isn't as important for performance as tire compound, tread, and construction and most tires don't have a 9 lb difference so you don't have much play there. The suspension can't be easily changed for lighter components. But there are bolt on solutions to reduce weight - the brakes and wheels.

On my VW I went from stock 16" to stock 17" wheels and it's heavier but acceptable because the TDI is sprung moderately.

The average 18" VW stock OEM cast wheel is pretty heavy - about 26-29 lbs, but you can find used OEM wheels pretty cheap. Look through the OEM wheel gallery to see if you like anything: http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/wheels/wheels_overview.htm If I was going to 18" I would search for something in the 18-19 lb range due to weight.

A good and relatively cheap lightweight wheel is the Enkei RPF1. Tirerack shows 17" at only $257/wheel and 18" at $306/wheel. 17 and 18 lbs each which is excellent. They are spun-cast. To get that low you normally have to look at forged wheels which are $1000+ used. I didn't want to spend that much on a daily driver so I'm not aware of what good forged wheels there are for VWs.

 

[tango1]

Do you know the part # for the oil and fuel filters and where would be the best place to purchase them. Thank-you for the information on the wheels. I still would like to ask you more questions about the wheels later. Would you be 18" on or stay with the 17". Will there be any problems with the 18". If anybody else has some good ideas for a hot looking sporty wheel, I would really appreicate very much. Thank-you very much.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Enkei RPF1. They are reasonably priced, very light, look good, common wheel so if 1 gets damaged you should be able to find another used. The part numbers for the oil and fuel filters are in the FAQ. Look through the FAQ for the mk5 Jetta and Golf because they are very similar. Here's a start:
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/a5/09Ffilter.htm
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/8p/A3oilchange.htm

 

[tango1]

Would you install a sport styling kit on a 2010 golf if you had one, without the rear spoiler. Just asking your personal opinion. Thank-you.

 

[blueprintbill]

Chitty,
Aren't the VW oem Goal Wheels light weight? ( 20 pounds )
Bill

 

[RLHarris]

help with wheel-tire size for 2011 Golf TDI 6-spd manual

Your bolt pattern is 5x112. Your suggested offset is 35-50. Your hub centerbore is 57.1. That means the minimum size you can use is 57.1, anything larger and you have to use a hubcentric ring to reduce its size down to 57.1 Most aftermarket wheels use large centerbores so that they will fit on a variety of cars.

Tire rack, discount wheel direct, they all sell wheels. If you're looking for OEM wheels try looking through the wheel gallery in the FAQ.

Hello Chitty and others, I'm a noob and need help please.
I'm looking for winter wheels and tires for 2011 Golf TDI 4drHB 6spd. OEMs are 225-45-17 (wheels are 17 x 7.5 wide). Tirerack suggests 205/55 on 16" wheels with ET of between 45 and 50 when I do a search. My question is whether 215-55-16s (7.5 wide fm an Audi 2008 A4) with ET of 38, Miglia 1000 Alloy wheels. Tires are Dunlop SP WinterSport M3 215/55 R16 93H M+S.

I just don't know enough to figure out if those tires and wheels will fit my Golf. Any guidance appreciated. Robert.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Those wheels will fit in the back but they will stick out in the front quite a bit. That offset is correct for a Passat because they came from an Audi. In the FAQ section there's a wheel/tire/gearing calculator where you can compare these values. The thing to watch out for in the back is clearance with the fuel filler neck. The rear hubs are a little tucked in vs. the fronts.

IMHO, if you want winter wheels/tires, get something w/width of 205 because narrower tires cut through the snow better and you get better traction. 205/60/16 will work well on 16" wheels. Wider tires float on top of snow more because it distributes the weight across a wider area.

 

[RLHarris]

Thanks for the advice Chitty. I could understand the tire converstion tables, but the wheel conversion is still a mystery. Thanks so much for your help, greatly appreciated, Robert.

 

[Enzo]

Hi, quick question - while it almost might sound silly to ask, just thought to check... would a set of BBS wheels w/ a bolt pattern of 5x114 work on my Golf which should have a 5x112?

Thank you, Enz

 

[chittychittybangbang]

No, bolt pattern must be exact. There's adapters but they're thick and can introduce issues.

 

[RobertA]

As Chitty explains, bolt pattern must be exact. The offset can vary but still, depending on how spokes attach to the rim, a given correct offset might be a problem. If you are new at this, I recommend working with Discount Tire who will make sure a given wheel you like the looks of will, in fact, fit your car. And if they don't have the wheel in stock, they can order them for you. I recently purchased a set of the Voxx MG3's through them which turned out great and were't very expensive as I got a deal on both wheels and tires.