polo 1.6 tdi mk5 ALLOYS

[BrennB]

Hi everyone i am new to the Volkswagen scene i did own a 14 plate audi but decided to sell it and buy a vw polo 1.6 tdi. I am looking at buying some new wheels but have no idea where to start. I know my wheels are 5x100 but cannot seem to find any (ebay, gumtree, facebook).. I am looking for 5x100 17" would this be a good place to start? I do really like the 18" r32 wheels or diamond cut gtd ones but not sure if 18" would fit.. Any advice on wheels/alloys would be appreciated, My budget is around £300 atm.

Thanks

[iichel]

Yes 18 inch should work, as long as you fit the correct tires and don't go mad on width and ET value. I'd say, stay in the 7-7,5 inch width and ET 40-45 mm range.
Tires around 215 30 R18 or 215 40 R17 (17 inch)

[RUM4MO]

The thing is, if your budget is tight, looks like £75 a wheel to me, then I'd avoid any/all diamond cut alloys simply due to them being very prone to damage, so at the age and price you have set aside for them they would need refurbishing to get rid of the "white worm rot" look, and that would break your budget.

As you go up tyre size so does the tyre price, so why not look into 16" 5 spokes like Rivazza and 215/45 tyres?

[BrennB]

Thanks for your reply and advice its appreciated, I have set a budget but am happy to go up depending on how much i like the wheels. I want wheels to make the car look a bit smarter. The ones you posted to me look like default polo wheels. Hopefully you can see the ones i have posted below might show what i am looking for, Thanks

https://ibb.co/8PKRxj1
https://ibb.co/5MjwYtZ
https://ibb.co/V22t82q

[SRGTD]

Both the mk5 Golf R32 and mk6 / mk7 Golf GTD alloys will have a PCD of 5 x 112 so they won’t fit the Polo which has a PCD of 5x100.

Be aware that you will also need to consider the width and offset of wheels when deciding whether or not they will fit your car; if they are too wide and / or have too aggressive an offset then you’re likely to experience ‘rubbing’ issues. There’s a very useful wheel fitment calculator on the ‘Will they Fit?’ website (www.witheyfit.com) - if you input the size and offset of your existing and new wheels, it’ll calculate the differences in clearance between (a) the wheel’s inner face and suspension strut and (b) the outer face and wheel arch of your new wheels compared to your existing wheels.

If it was me, I’d steer clear of diamond cut wheels. They look good when new, but ;

• they aren’t as durable as alloys with a powder coated or painted finish and many on-line alloy wheel retailers state on their websites that diamond cut alloys aren’t suitable for winter use because of the ‘fragile’ finish.

• they’re are susceptible to white worm corrosion if the clear lacquer coating becomes damaged, and water ‘creeps’ under the surface, creating a spidery milky coloured pattern that can only be removed by getting the wheels refurbished.

• they’re more costly to refurbish than painted / powder coated alloys; a good quality refurbishment of a diamond cut alloy will cost in the region of £90 plus VAT compared to around £70 + VAT for a wheel with a painted / powder coated finish.

• the process to refurbish diamond cut wheels involves re-cutting the face of the wheel. As this removes a layer of metal from the wheel, diamond cut wheels can usually only be refurbished a maximum of two times; any more than this and the structural integrity of the wheel can be compromised.

• they are easily damaged by careless tyre fitters and poorly maintained tyre changing equipment.

I’d also steer clear of cheap Chinese imports and stick to wheels from reputable manufacturers; e.g. BBS, Borbet, Ronal. There are also many other reputable manufacturers, but these three also make OEM wheels for VW, and their wheels will have been subjected to stringent quality control testing and certification (TUV certified or similar).

When you find a set of wheels you like, ensure you ask the seller if they’ve ever suffered any damage (buckling or cracking) and been repaired. if they have, then I’d suggest you look for an alternative set.

Good luck. I hoe you find what you’re looking for.

[BrennB]

Thanks for taking the time to write that all info helps and i will definitely be making checks when finding a set i like. Could anyone recommend some decent 5x100 sets for a polo that are quite common/look like the links i posted just so i have some ideas if possible. Thanks alot

[RUM4MO]

I'd try to keep the "spoke count" down to 5, have you ever tried keeping 10 double spoke wheels clean?

My S4 has 7 double spoke 19" wheels for summer use, and they are nasty enough to keep clean, unfortunately I ended up with 7 spoke 15" alloys for my winter's car in winter - but they are easier to clean than 7 double spoke ones!

[BrennB]

Yeah my Audi also had multi spoke alloys and they look so good i am not too bothered about the cleaning part i just personally think 5 spokes look like stock wheels and i already have them lol, I keep looking on ebay, facebook daily so i am sure something will pop up soon..

[BrennB]

Keep seeing r32 wheels pop up, I have tried using the willitfit website but not sure how it all works lol.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-G ... SwNDFbaWbz


Would these fit straight on my polo ? Thanks

[SRGTD]

Pretty certain the mk4 Golf R32 alloys are 7.5Jx18 ET38. Bolt pattern is 5x100 and centre bore 57.1 which is the same as the Polo. The link in your last post states the size of the tyres on the R32 wheels is 225/40 R18

You’ve not said what size wheels your Polo currently has - I’m assuming they’re either;
6J x 15” with an offset of ET38 (tyre size 185/60 R15)
or
6J x 15” with an offset of ET40 (tyre size 195/55 R15)

Putting the above details into the ‘will they fit’ calculator, the differences compared to your existing set up would be as per the ‘Your Results’ information on the left hand side of the screen at the links below;

If you have 6Jx15 ET38 and 185/60 R15 tyres;
https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?w ... offset2=38

If you have 6Jx15 ET40 and 195/55 R15 tyres;
https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?w ... offset2=38

If your existing wheels and tyres are a different size to the above, re-run the calculator with the correct details.

The overall rolling radius of the R32 wheels with 225/40 tyres is larger than your current wheels+tyres. With the larger rolling radius, combined with the extra ‘poke’ you’d get with a 7.5J wheel with an ET38 offset, the new wheels would protrude a further;
19 mm if your existing wheels are 6Jx15 ET38
21 mm if your existing wheels are 6Jx15 ET40

An additional 19-21mm of ‘poke’ is quite a lot, and with the larger overall rolling radius of the R32 wheels+225/40 tyres, you could experience rubbing issues, especially on cornering, going over speed bumps, if you have a car full of passengers or you’re carrying heavy a heavy load in the boot. With a larger overall rolling radius, you’ll also get a speedo reading you’ll be travelling slower than the indicated speedo reading.

I think that with the potential rubbing issues with the mk4 R32 wheels, I’d look for an smaller alternative set. I’d personally not go any larger than 7.5Jx17” and I’d stick to an offset that’s not too aggressive (the Polo GTI standard 17” wheels have an offset of ET44 and the Blue GT, an offset of ET46.

Remember that you’ll need to inform your insurer if you change your wheels, as this is classed as a modification for insurance purposes.