Wheel upgrade....your advice please.

[nat225]

go 18" Tempe bling bling wheels & tyres and chinese Brembo caliper covers for look :p

and dont forget to lower the car, King Spring race proven, else it will look like a SUV

---------- Post added at 08:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:04 AM ----------

but honestly, just go with 18" VMR wheels, Kumho KU31 and a set of H&R or ir VWR or Eibach springs (plus stock GTI shocks if u want nicer handling on the 77tsi).

that will make your car look decently modified for aesthetic and a bonus better cornering / handling but firmer but comfy ride

[zhifchik]

For a DD the upsized wheels and wider tyre are fine. In a 77TSI performance and additional unsprung mass are not the issue.

Even in the Golf R, the difference between the 19" stock with 245/35 and 18" Enkei with 225/40 is amazing. 3/10 sec in 1/4 mile times and way more on the track. Around town, give me the wider heavier tyres/wheels for both looks and comfort.

My 2c

[brad]

makes little effect when he is travelling from a to b.
in a performance car, for sure, everything counts at the track, but honestly, this guy will drive around, be stuck in traffic and thats it. going up sizes in wheels for him is basically for aesthetics. the plusses and minuses that come with it are miniscule.
people are thinking too deep into this. the overall financial cost is pretty insignificant, he could save more by changing insurance cover if finances are the issue

But it does have an effect. All my traveling is from a to b, I drive conservitavley & rarely get the opportunity to exercise the right slipper. The difference to fuel costs on my car is significant when you are doing 25k per year & your economy deteriorates 10%. The OP was quite specific in saying he couldn't afford to lose too much economy.

Personally, I figured paying $400 for $1000 of tyres was enough savings to offset the increased fuel consumption but when these tyres are worn out I'll be trying to drop a few kg off each corner.

Keep in mind that where the extra weight is situated is just as important as how much weight. The further away from the centrepoint, the greater the effect.

I understand some people just want to fit wheels for looks & don't care about performance but it is wrong to say that it will make no difference.

[OYE]

honestly, the weight difference going from a 15" to a 17" oem rim would be about 2-3 kg a tyre/rim, thats about 10-15kg total. which is a load of shopping, which is buggerall. u could even out the "fuel consumption" by driving more efficiently, inflating ur tyres, etc.
ride will become a little harsher, but seriously, how cushy do u want it?
i went from the 17" denvers to a 19" oz racing rim. sure its a little stiffer, but ive driven performance cars (evo9, s2000, wrx, etc) for many years, so driving a "euro" is like heaven for me, the ride comfort is that much better than any of the previous japanese cars ive owned, even with the 19" rims and rubber band tyres.
ur two main concerns are fuel use and ride quality, which are understnadable, but to me thats a none issue, fuel use can be negated by driving smarter and keeping ur car serviced and running well at all times. upgrading rims and tyres will have minimal effect, maybe half a litre per 100km. ride comfort, thats also a non issue for me, if u have ever driven ****boxes and japanese cars, then the golf in itself is a great place to be sitting.
the positives of going to a bigger rim outweigh the negatives, better contact patch and better handling from more rubber.
tyre cost will be at most $200 extra every 40000km, 15" tyres are about $150-200, 17" tyres are $200-250.
think bigger picture please

Hmm....food for thought. Thanks walbjj

[jlswadling]

good way to put it walbjj,

iv got a 90tsi, and thinking about putting 18"s on it, after reading abit concerning the weights it made me worry but i guess there isnt anyhting to worry about, i drive respectable and economy isnt a worry for me, i just gotta find a nice set of 18"s to get!

[OYE]

good way to put it walbjj,

iv got a 90tsi, and thinking about putting 18"s on it, after reading abit concerning the weights it made me worry but i guess there isnt anyhting to worry about, i drive respectable and economy isnt a worry for me, i just gotta find a nice set of 18"s to get!

18's on standard suspension may look funny though..you thinking of lowering it?

[jlswadling]

yeah mate, iv bought the 18" wheels and ordered 225/35/18 tyres for it, im gonna get VWR springs installed which will lower it just a lil, and do an ECU remap, which will help havin larger wheels and make her abit more zippy. the wheels wont get fitted till december cause im overseas for another 30 days! cant wait !!

[nat225]

yeah mate, iv bought the 18" wheels and ordered 225/35/18 tyres for it, im gonna get VWR springs installed which will lower it just a lil, and do an ECU remap, which will help havin larger wheels and make her abit more zippy. the wheels wont get fitted till december cause im overseas for another 30 days! cant wait !!

make sure the 88 load rating or less wont get you into any troubles

[jlswadling]

make sure the 88 load rating or less wont get you into any troubles

wat do u reckon nat225, the recommended tyre for my wheels is 225/40/18 ? but i thought if i went 225/35/18 id reduce the odds of rubbing when i lower it 20mm roughly with the VWR springs, iv only booked in to get my new wheels fitted, still got time to change the tyres,
i told the tyre franchise my car and wheel size and they said they could put 225/35/18s on it.

any advice? cheers mate

[DonJuan]

Will be a different rolling diameter so speedo reading will be different and you may need to consult local laws regarding wheel size differences allowable from stock.

[jlswadling]

yeah im safe with the wheel size, im just trying to figure out the best tyres for my new wheels. to go the ratio of 35 or 40, with 40 the rolling diamter is like 1mm off, but the 35s im more safe in regard to Rubbing hey? can u change the rolling diameter settings in the ecu remap if i go with the 35's?

[AdamD]

yeah im safe with the wheel size, im just trying to figure out the best tyres for my new wheels. to go the ratio of 35 or 40, with 40 the rolling diamter is like 1mm off, but the 35s im more safe in regard to Rubbing hey? can u change the rolling diameter settings in the ecu remap if i go with the 35's?

Forget rubbing for a moment; you need to select a tyre size that closely matches the rolling diameter of the stock fitment wheels and tyres for your car, otherwise your speedo will be off, and the car will be defectable (and insurance may not cover you in an accident, etc etc). The laws used to be state-based but I have a feeling they've gone national now. In SA at least, last time I checked, the maximum allowable variation was 2% or 30mm circumference - whichever is less.

The stock size for the 90TSI is 205/55 R16 - rolling circumference is 1985mm. 225/40 R18 is 2002mm, or 0.8% larger (so, legal; your speedo will read under by less than 1%). 225/35 R18 has a circumference of 1931mm, which is 2.7% less than stock, and therefore not legal (assuming the 2%/30mm law applies in your state).

You can't change the rolling diameter settings with VCDS or any other tool that I'm aware of. Your best bet with respect to avoiding rubbing is to get your ride height correct.

[jlswadling]

Cheers adamD appreciate the advice! Im not gonna name names but ud think the tyre shop would cover this stuff with me !!! Time to make some calls. Appreciate it lots !!

[Guest001]

Cheers adamD appreciate the advice! Im not gonna name names but ud think the tyre shop would cover this stuff with me !!! Time to make some calls. Appreciate it lots !!

Tyre shops are there to sell stuff Some will sell you what they want you to have regardless of it being the best or even legal for your car.

As the owner its up to you to make sure that the wheels and tyres comply with regulations as to size and load and speed ratings.

In most States you cant UP the DIAMETER by more than 26mm and the width by more than 25mm??? over the largest stock size for the vehicle, if I remember correctly

[Diesel_vert]

Note that a 225/35 R18 tyre has a load index of 83 (standard load) or 87 (extra load).