What wheel width/offset can a mk1 take?

[Adam_NAclubman]

I'm looking at picking up a Mk1 as a daily, but I'd like to be able to run some of my MX5 wheels as they'd fit in with what I see some of the European and American guys doing, but I don't know what you can fit under a Golf without needing reallllly pumped guards.

So does anyone know what sort of widths and offsets you can squeeze in? I'm not asking what is legal and what isnt (because nothing good is ever legal lol), I just want to know what people are fitting in their guards.


The wheels I'd *like* to be able to run are my SSR Mk2's, 15x8 +12 (F) and 15x8.5 +6 (R) but I've a feeling that may be pushing it a bit... I'd like to be proven wrong though

[WABIT]

with rolled guards (lips) and the right tyre combo, you can fit a ET10 in there and thats juuuuusst borderline

anything lower than that requires guard modifications
P.s ill buy them from you if you cant fit them .....

dom

[gldgti]

welcome to the forum,

wabit is the mk1 wheel fitting king around here - so what he mentioned would be correct...

but, you said you want to use this as a daily.... i'd be doubtful that you would keep them on there for long... unless you like big time scrape-age that is.

[Adam_NAclubman]

with rolled guards (lips) and the right tyre combo, you can fit a ET10 in there and thats juuuuusst borderline

anything lower than that requires guard modifications
P.s ill buy them from you if you cant fit them .....

dom

What width rim? Is that +10 on an eight inch rim or a seven?

[Valver.]

so what he mentioned would be correct...

When he has driven a Mk1 with said offsets and has bit more firsthand experience this may be the case!

For now, there is no way in hell a +10 15x8 will fit a Mk1 without mildly pulled arches, swaybars 195/45s and 3deg of camber on the front (and even at this level, the ride height is about limited to -50mm)

Given Mk1s are so old (and bent rear beams and control arms are not uncommon), the only proper way to check is to remove your springs, bottom the car on the bump stops and work back from there - raising ride heights, adding more camber etc etc. This is how I've set mine up and it doesn't rub under any conditions

Edit: and you need coilovers to do it properly

[WABIT]

yes very true.... i forgot to mention my info was based on 15x7 spec stuff, i also didnt get into much detail about suspension although it plays a big part in offsets and height, too high offset and it hits the suspension too low and she sticks out or rubs the guards

thats IF you are going coilover suspension

dom

[Oneofthegreats]

Alot of people see all the euro stuff & it definately gives a false picture.

I've had plenty of wheel, tyre & suspension combination's on a few mk1's now & even 14x6 ET33 with 205/55R14 race rubber on coilover's managed to rub on standard GTI wheel arches & trim's! That also wasn't that low either





The biggest I'd go is ET25 on a 7" rim. You also have to find the right tyre with the right shape side wall, as this will make it or break it. You'll also have to massage the front & rear guard's too without question.

For intersest sake.

Here's my mk1 on 16x6 ET30 incl. the adapter's, on coilover's wound down a fair way (it doesn't look like it, but if you seen the angle of the rear beam & the front control arm's, it is!) & I've had to cut away the front guard's flush with the wheel arch trim's & I mean flush, like there sharp. That's also with a -1.5 degree camber.

The back have had to be rolled & pressed very hard & with a load it will still scrub every now & then. If it had crap shock's it would scrub all the bloody time!

I've also found on the larger rim's when lowered alot, the front wheel's push toward's the front of the guards ie. front of car & the back push toward's the back increasing wheelbase, but only by alittle bit.

My car's also have full trim & do actually carry people & part's (sometimes V8 engine block's).

The front has since come down another 5mm by the way since this pic. you can also just see the angle of the rear beam, as it's nearly at a 30+ degree angle






I'd love to see some other setup's & here from other people experiences.

Cause if someone say's they don't scrub with a 15x7" & ET25 with standard guard's, I'd like to see the guard's for myself, or it's got old man emu 4x4 shock's in it!

Hope this shed's some light for you.

[Preen59]

My Mk1 has 15x7 ET23 wheels with 195/50 tyres. The guard lips are folded under flat. No scraping issues whatsoever with this setup, apart from when i fitted new flares, they wore away a fair bit first time i drove it and i ended up trimming them underneath..

HOWEVER...

I did fit these wheels on a standard Mk1 2 door once and the rear scrubbed like hell on the guard lip. There is no way they would fit under a standard trim Mk1.

[Adam_NAclubman]

Hmmm... If I get one, I'll be going for something that isnt in perfect condition, I like a bit of patina, so I probably wouldnt be too terrified of rolling the lip flat and pumping the guards a bit... Hell, you should see how different my front guards on the MX5 are to stock now

That said, it still doesnt sound like I'd be able to get away with fitting my SSR's. Bugger.

They'll fit my car on the back eventually though