Decent alloys

[sm57ruo]

Looking for some decent cheap alloys, to put on my vw polo 2012 1.2 TSI, any ideas?


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[SRGTD]

Cheap won’t necessarily be decent. If something’s cheap, it’s usually cheap for a reason.

Are you considering new or used? Whether new or used, I’d avoid cheap Chinese imports that are often sold on well known online auction sites, as the quality (quality of finish and structural integrity) may be questionable. I’d always go for wheels that are made by a reputable manufacturer- e.g. BBS, Ronal, Borbet; these three manufacturers make many of the wheels that are original equipment on new cars, and they’ll have been subjected to stringent safety and quality tests (TUV, ABE, JWL or equivalent). The rear of the spokes will be stamped with the relevant safety mark.

Also consider the following;

• changing the wheels is considered to be a modification for insurance purposes, so you’d need to inform your insurer who may charge you an increased premium.

• Don’t forget that you may need to budget for new tyres. If buying used and tyres are fitted, ensure the tyre’s size, speed rating and load index are correct for your car; fitting unsuitable tyres can invalidate your insurance.

• I’d avoid wheels with a diamond cut finish, as the finish isn’t very durable - especially during the winter months. Many diamond cut wheels succumb to white worm corrosion after a couple of years and a good quality refurb costs in the region of £80 or more, plus VAT per wheel.

• If you’re considering used wheels, always get the seller to confirm they’ve not been damaged (buckled or cracked) and repaired, as the structural integrity of the wheel might be compromised. Also, if they’re being sold as ‘genuine’ VW / original equipment, check the reverse side of the spokes for details such as manufacturer, wheel spec details (wheel size, width and offset), VW part number.

• Wheels must have a PCD (bolt pattern) of 5x100, otherwise the bolt holes in the wheels won’t line up with the bolt holes in the car’s hub assemblies.With genuine VW wheels designed for the 6r/6c Polo, you should be able to re-use your existing wheel bolts. With aftermarket wheels, you may need new bolts as the profile of the bolt holes in the wheel and the bolts must be the same. With aftermarket wheels, if the wheel’s centre bore is larger than the Polo’s (57.1), then a set of spigot rings must be used to ensure the wheels fit snugly onto the car’s hub assemblies.

• All wheels have a load limit. The combined load limit of a pair of wheels fitted on a car’s axle shouldn’t be less than the axle weight of that axle. Fitting wheels with an inadequate load limit could have safety and insurance implications.

• If you go for larger wheels than your current set, ride quality can be affected. Similarly, if you go for wider wheels and / or wheels with an aggressive offset, you may experience ‘rubbing’ issues - especially if your car’s lowered or if you’re considering lowering it. There’s a useful calculator on the ‘Will they Fit’ website, that calculates the clearance differences between your current and wheel/tyre set up for standard ride height. Link to website; https://www.willtheyfit.com/

[sm57ruo]

Any recommendations?
What inch alloys should I get?
Should I lower my car, or just get bigger alloys, so it covers the gap?
Sorry I’m kinda new to this


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[2226]

Larger wheels (rolling diameter) is going to affect your gearing which in turn affects your acceleration, fuel consumption, handling, etc.

Pick a wheel close you the rolling diameter of your current wheels. Look up a plus sizing calculator online.

If all you are concerned about is filling the wheel gap then get a lowered suspension kit from the likes of Eibach or H&R.

Buying cheap stuff is great; it allows you to pay for a more expensive coffin later.

[sm57ruo]

Any sites you’d recommend to buy alloys wheels (used ones) apart from eBay?


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[2226]

https://www.willtheyfit.com/
https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/

I found these quite useful for judging the effect of a different wheel size. Of course it doesn't help when it comes to the weight of a larger wheel.

[2226]

Any sites you’d recommend to buy alloys wheels (used ones) apart from eBay?


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No, can't help you there. I'm not in the UK unfortunately.

[sm57ruo]

No worries thanks for the help


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[2226]

I just googled UK used wheels and it looks like there are a couple of places that specialise in pre-owned wheels. You might get lucky there, but just look the OEM and branded wheels. Even try gumtree.

My age might show now, but I recall Demon Tweeks from my days in the 90s reading the likes of FastCar. Lol. Look on their site, maybe something fits your budget.

At least you guys have access to decent brands there. Our market is a flood of Chinese junk unless you have a ton of cash to get original brands.

[SRGTD]

Any recommendations?
What inch alloys should I get?
Should I lower my car, or just get bigger alloys, so it covers the gap?
Sorry I’m kinda new to this


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Sorry, no recommendations - it’ll largely depends on what style / colour you’re looking for. Can you give some idea of your preferences?

Getting larger alloys won’t reduce the wheel arch gap size; larger alloys will have lower profile tyres so a larger wheel with a lower profile tyre will have pretty much the same rolling radius and circumference as your current wheel / tyre set up. By keeping the overall rolling radius the same, it minimises the amount of any speedo reading error.

If your existing wheel / tyre set up is 6Jx15 ET38 wheel with 185/60 R15 tyres (I think this is the standard fitment on a 2012 Polo 1.2TSI), then comparing them to the wheel / tyre set up on my Polo GTI (VW Motorsport alloys - 7Jx17 ET46 with 215/40 R17 tyres), the differences are as per the screenshot below (from the Will they Fit website calculator) - the larger wheels / lower profile tyres on my car have almost exactly the same circumference and virtually no difference is speedo reading than a Polo with 185/60 R15 tyres on 15” wheels. There’s less than a half a millimetre difference in wheel arch gap too;

[sm57ruo]

Would something like this fit?




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[2226]

The PCD is correct, but you'll need to check a few things to determine if they'd fit.

Check with the seller on the following:
- wheel centre bore
- wheel offset
- wheel width

The Polo has the following:
- centre bore 57.1mm
- offset I think 38-43mm stock
- wheel width 6-7.5 inches

Judging by what's listed in that picture, those wheels might not have the correct centre bore size. So check with the seller to be sure.

[sm57ruo]

How would I know the sizes for my polo?


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[sm57ruo]

Okay thank you for your help


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[SRGTD]

Forum member 2226 has beaten me to it , but I’ll post anyway. They have the correct PCD (bolt pattern) of 5x100 for the Polo. If the seller hasn’t given details of the offset or centre bore size, I’d ask them for that information, along with confirmation of no cracks, buckles, repairs.

From a quick Google search, I think the spec of BBS RZ 409’s is as per below, but get the seller to confirm the spec.
Width; 6.5J
Diameter; 15”
PCD; 5x100
Offset; ET43
Centre Bore 57.1

If your existing wheels are 6Jx15” ET38, and the spec of the BBS wheels is as above, then they should fit. The difference between your existing set up and the set up with the BBS RZ alloys would be as per the screen shot below (assumes you’d be using your existing 185/60 R15 tyres). A 185 width tyre on a 6.5J wheel is probably the minimum width tyre for a wheel of that size - see second screen shot below;