Replica VW OEM Wheels

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6666
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Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 3:37 pm
Drives: Polo Mk. 10 95PS
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Replica VW OEM Wheels

Post by 6666 »

Was looking to replace the 15in wheels my Polo has with a set of 17in VW wheels, since the OEM parts are so expensive I saw a local shop were doing replica wheels with tyres for a good price. Does anyone in here have experience with the replica wheels and otherwise is there anything I need to do for fitment with the new wheels or am I good to go just swapping them over. Here's a set I was looking at
https://www.proparts.ie/product-page/vw-arteon-style.
Cheers
SRGTD
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Posts: 3508
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2015 9:40 pm
Drives: 2020 AW Polo GTI+, Pure White.
Location: UK

Re: Replica VW OEM Wheels

Post by SRGTD »

6666 wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 10:45 pm Was looking to replace the 15in wheels my Polo has with a set of 17in VW wheels, since the OEM parts are so expensive I saw a local shop were doing replica wheels with tyres for a good price. Does anyone in here have experience with the replica wheels and otherwise is there anything I need to do for fitment with the new wheels or am I good to go just swapping them over. Here's a set I was looking at
https://www.proparts.ie/product-page/vw-arteon-style.
Cheers
Many of the alloys described as replica or ‘VW style’ are imported from China and the quality and finish can be questionable - e.g.
  • structural integrity can be below-par, making them more susceptible to damage (cracking or buckling) through impacts with potholes, raised or lowered drain covers and other similar road hazards
  • diamond cut alloys like those you’re interested in may succumb to white worm corrosion after a relatively short period of time due to the poorer durability of the diamond cut finish compared to a painted / powder coated finish. This is particularly so if they’re on a car all year round that’s used as a daily driver, as the weather conditions during the winter months aren’t kind to diamond cut alloys when salt and grit is spread on the roads. It only takes a small stone chip to the lacquered finish on the diamond cut surface which, if left unprotected, water, road salt etc. will get under the lacquer, resulting in white worm corrosion which will creep over the polished metal surface. White worm can only really be successfully removed by getting the wheels professionally refurbished, which typically costs around £90 or more (plus VAT) per wheel, and the refurb may only last a couple of years before it needs doing again.

    Also, be aware that diamond cut alloys (OEM or aftermarket) can only be refurbished a maximum of two times. The refurbishment process involves re-cutting the face of the wheel on a CNC lathe, removing a layer of alloy in the process. Any more than two refurbs and the structural integrity of the wheel is likely to be compromised because too much metal will have been removed, requiring the wheels to be replaced.

    Diamond cut alloys also seem to be particularly susceptible to damage by over zealous tyre fitters or poorly maintained tyre changing equipment. There’ve been a number of instances highlighted on forums over the years where owners have had their wheels damaged when having new tyres fitted, requiring an expensive refurb to remove the damage.

    I’d personally avoid any alloys - replica or otherwise - with a diamond cut finish (also described as ‘polished’ or ‘machined’), for the reasons outlined above.
  • replica alloys may not have been subjected to the same quality testing standards - TUV, JWL, ABE or equivalent - as alloys from reputable quality manufacturers such as BBS, Borbus, Ronal etc.
Also, it’s not unusual to only be able to buy replica alloys as complete sets of four, so if you damage one, you may need to buy a whole new set of four replacements, rather than just one new one.

As for whether or not they’d be a straight swap;
  • I’d be wanting to know the specific details of the width and offset of the wheels, to confirm there wouldn’t be any rubbing issues. Aftermarket alloys usually have a more aggressive offset than OEM alloys
  • new wheel bolts may be required - most aftermarket alloys use bolts with a tapered seat whereas VW OEM alloys use bolts with a radius seat, and it’s really important from a safety perspective to ensure the correct type of bolts are used. You may also need spigot rings if the centre bore size is larger than VW’s centre bore size of 57.1
  • with many aftermarket alloys, the standard VW centre caps won’t fit due to the different (larger) centre bore size
If you were planning on buying these wheels with tyres fitted, I’d want to know what brand of tyres would be used. There’s a chance they may be cheap, budget brand tyres - often known as ‘ditch-finders’ for good reason (poor grip, unpredictable or poor handling). IMHO good tyres are essential for good handling and safety and 215/40 R17 size of tyres fitted by VW to 17” wheels isn’t one of the more common tyre sizes, which will be reflected in the prices charged (typically £100 - £130 per tyre fitted for a premium brand, and £80 - £110 for a mid range brand).

From a personal perspective, if considering buying non VW alloys, I’d buy a set with a painted / powder coated finish from a reputable known manufacturer, such as BBS, Borbet or Ronal who do also make many of the OEM alloys for VW and other car manufacturers (there are other reputable alloy wheel manufacturers too). Also, don’t forget that changing your alloys is a modification from an insurance perspective, so you’d need to inform your insurance company.
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