Alloy wheel help

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RichTea
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Alloy wheel help

Post by RichTea »

Hi guys can anyone help me out. I've got a 2019 polo gti thats been lowered 35mm all round, would 18" 8.5j rub the archs at all?
SRGTD
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by SRGTD »

You always need to consider the wheel’s offset in conjunction with the width of the wheel. Irrespective of the offset, I’d say that with an 8.5J wheel, there’s a very real risk it’s going to be too wide on your lowered car for you not to experience rubbing issues, especially when you factor in the wider tyres that you’d be likely to need (probably 235mm width?). Too aggressive an offset, and the tyres will rub the wheel arch, a less aggressive offset and there’s a risk the inner face will foul the suspension struts.

I can vaguely remember a post on the forum (think it was sometime last year) where another forum member tried an 8.5J wheel on their car and it wouldn’t fit - don’t know what the offset was though; I think they had issues with insufficient clearance between the inner face and suspension struts.

Any specific reason why you want to go to 8.5J?
RichTea
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by RichTea »

Ok thanks for the information. Only reason is that most of the wheel designs i like are that size :( what about 8j? Or would that kind of be the same?
SRGTD
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by SRGTD »

RichTea wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:43 pm Ok thanks for the information. Only reason is that most of the wheel designs i like are that size :( what about 8j? Or would that kind of be the same?
Offset will be the main factor that’ll determine whether or not an 8J x 18” wheel will fit without any issues (assuming the bolt pattern and centre bore size are correct for the current (AW) Polo). Pretty certain that some forum members have fitted 8J x 18” on their GTI / GTI+ without issue, although they may not have been lowered.

On many of the on line alloy wheel retailer web sites such as Rimstyle, Wheelbase Alloys, Tyre Leader, if you input details of your car, it will display all the wheels that are suitable for your car. If there are any 8J x 18 wheels with an appropriate offset that are suitable for the current VW Polo GTI / GTI+, it will display them.

Bear in mind that the wheels displayed will be for cars with the standard ride height, so assuming you see something that you like, you would probably need to contact the retailer to check and see if they would be suitable for your car with the lowered ride height.
RichTea
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by RichTea »

Cheers mate, thanks for your help :)
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l3rady
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by l3rady »

I'm running 8jx18 ET45 alloys with 3mm spacers on the rear so the brakes clear the inside hub of the alloy. Another mm out on any of the corners and the tyres would certainly protrude too far out. I plan on running 35mm lowering springs in the future and there are a number of members on the forum that run 8jx18 with lowering springs just fine.

If you do plan on adding custom alloys make sure you check brake clearance before lowering your car down and driving off. I left it to my local garage to fit the wheels and they didn't check, I ended up getting a nice scored ring on the inside of the rear alloys where the brake callipers made contact.
RichTea
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by RichTea »

Thanks again for all your help guys, wheels are now on with no problems 👍
IMG_20200110_184653.jpg
POLO Clive
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by POLO Clive »

That looks good RichTea 8)
RichTea
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by RichTea »

POLO Clive wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 7:36 pm That looks good RichTea 8)
Cheers pal 👍
MattHGR
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by MattHGR »

Loving the drls.
Are they a different colour LED, or have you put a colour filter on there ?

Sent from my SM-N9750 using Tapatalk

RichTea
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by RichTea »

MattHGR wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:24 pm Loving the drls.
Are they a different colour LED, or have you put a colour filter on there ?

Sent from my SM-N9750 using Tapatalk
They look a lot better in person as well. I bought red tint film from ebay and cut them to shape. I also stuck two sheets on top of each other as it looked to pink with just the one
SRGTD
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by SRGTD »

RichTea wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 6:53 pm Thanks again for all your help guys, wheels are now on with no problems 👍
IMG_20200110_184653.jpg
They look good. Which wheels are they and what size and offset did you eventually go for?

As for your coloured front DRL’s; please be careful. If you’re stopped by the police, they may prosecute you as it’s illegal under the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 to have front facing red lights, and I wouldn’t want to think a fellow forum member received a ticket / fine for changing the colour of their DRL’s to red. The Regulations actually state;

No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing a red light to the front

Whether or not fitting a red filter would be considered the same as fitting a lamp that’s capable of showing a red light is unclear, but I think there’s a fair chance that if you’re stopped and your car has front facing red lights, at the very least you’d be asked to remove the filter there and then.
silverhairs
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by silverhairs »

Why do you want red DRL's in the first place, I think you'll find SRGTD correct in his post. get a copper on an off day, not only will you have to remove the red plastic film, but end up with a fine.
You could be coming round a bend with a "T" junction and your going straight on. And he see's only one of your DRL's he might mistaken that as your indicator (though it's not flashing). Although the driver should wait for you to start turning before he starts pulling out (some don't) you have an accident, who's going to get the full blame, him for pulling out, or you with a red/orange DRL?
Cpt_graybeard
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by Cpt_graybeard »

RichTea wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 6:53 pm Thanks again for all your help guys, wheels are now on with no problems 👍
IMG_20200110_184653.jpg
Really nice one..

question.
The red light. How do you turn them on? i cant seem to find the knob, or can´t i turn them on when i have led?
POLO Clive
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Re: Alloy wheel help

Post by POLO Clive »

Cpt_graybeard wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:51 pm The red light. How do you turn them on? i cant seem to find the knob, or can´t i turn them on when i have led?
You don't get them if you have LED headlights mate, see here > viewtopic.php?f=71&t=74175
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