Aftermarket rims

[rayray086]

Hi guys,

Not planning to buy any as of yet, but just want to know so I can come back to it when I do.

What kind of info would I need when going about buying aftermarket rims? E.g. offsets, ideal diameter, rim width (how wide can I go to get it looking snug), bolt pattern etc.?

[golf3]

4x100 with a centre bore of 67.1

Offset will determine how it sits in the guards... If they are tucked under the guards too much, then get some spacers, they will bring the offset down...

Depending on state regulations, you can't go any wider than 2" from stock, so you'll be limited to 8", or 8.5" if going off the VR6... But diameter isn't limited...
I have 17x7, but people rock 16x9 in the states... And the bigger the rim, the smaller the tyres, and the harder and more annoying the ride...especially with 205/40R17

[rayray086]

Thanks for the informative post golf3. Makes it much more easier trying to digest all the numbers.

Why is it that the ride is more harder and annoying with bigger rims with low profiles? Just that there's not so much air and flex in it than "normal"?

[SOHC]

i reckon its because theres a bigger road contact, causing the ride having more frequent vibration...

[Tim]

low profile tyres have very stiff sidewalls usually. thats why they give a harsh ride
normal tyres especially at modest pressures able to absorb a lot of road imperfections.

[deemoE36]

i just went in, saw rims that i like, nagotiate for a better deal and rubber and drow off with new wheels

[brackie]

Something we shouldn't forget

Car companies (especially VW/Audi) put millions of $$$s into R&D and then design chassis and suspension to get the model to handle, brake and corner as safely and reliably as possible. It's a great thing to mod your car to make it look good and comply with the latest fashion trends, but you have to be careful not to go to extremes as you may compromise the original design goals of the manufacturer. Wheel diameter and tyre profile are a case in point as the "looks" benefit and sharper handling is somewhat reined in by a harsher ride. It would also be a huge disappointment if you went out and spent 1000s of $$$s and found that you didn't like what you got. Try before you buy if you can

[bombsquad21]

I recently added 17x7 with 205x40 toyo proxes on my 1997 gl. On a smooth surface they are great, much better than stock. One problem...there are no smooth roads in Brisbane, basically it has trashed my ride and I can actually hear my car falling apart. It has 212,000 on the clock and I'm adding k's quickly but it's geting so bad i'm thinking of cutting out my second muffler to add note so I dont have to hear my passenger side door card rattle. I'm sure 16's must suit the car better. The 17's do look good though.

[rayray086]

Damn.. I'll have to keep that in mind when I go looking around.

You put up a good point there brackie; it's not like they design a car and then just chuck it out on to the market. The Golf is my first car though, so I really wanna try out what it feels like to customise your own car a bit.
As for the "try before you buy", can you really do that with wheel shops? Or did you just mean ask for a drive from a friend who has that kind of set up?

[Tim]

On a mk3 its widely accepted that 16" rims give a nice compromise between performance and comfort. Only probly is the range of 16" rims available in australia is quite pathetic! I went to the trouble of importing my own in a style i liked.

[SOHC]

yea i would go for 16' on my car... but thinking of the ride and still quite unsure what I want... and bigger rims causing me wanna lower my ride, which I really couldn't, bloody driveways , but I did like some deep dish steelies

[brackie]

As for the "try before you buy", can you really do that with wheel shops? Or did you just mean ask for a drive from a friend who has that kind of set up?

Yeah. You might be a bit pushed but perhaps someone on this forum lives close enough for you to take their wheels for a spin

[Water Boy]

16's

I personally would go 16's because you can get heaps of different rubber for them, they are cheaper and you may not have as many probs as 17's

Just my opinion hope it helps

[evorobin]

Hmmm I've just got some 205/40/16 tyres. Waiting to see what the ride turns out like tbh LOL

[moto]

Car companies (especially VW/Audi) put millions of $$$s into R&D and then design chassis and suspension to get the model to handle, brake and corner as safely and reliably as possible. It's a great thing to mod your car to make it look good and comply with the latest fashion trends, but you have to be careful not to go to extremes as you may compromise the original design goals of the manufacturer. Wheel diameter and tyre profile are a case in point as the "looks" benefit and sharper handling is somewhat reined in by a harsher ride. It would also be a huge disappointment if you went out and spent 1000s of $$$s and found that you didn't like what you got. Try before you buy if you can

This is right. I've gone back to standard wheels on my Golf 3 after trying lots of so called enhancements. If driving is your thing, changing wheel size is not the way to get a better experience. Spend the money on superior tyres, struts and springs.
As well as the problems described above, fat tyres will give you "tramlining". This is when the car begins to follow the ruts in the road you'd never seen before .. an unpleasant thing especially when braking. Once you go past a certain size - someone here might know what it is - the tyres do not clear the back guards under load and the steering lock is reduced as well. I had these problems at 17x8. (The car looked a joke too)

Finally there's cost. Bigger wheels are just the beginning. Tyre prices go up exponentially as you begin to increase the size. A lot of people running big wheels end up compromising with lousey el-cheapo tyres. That's a mistake.