UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hello.

I was looking around some sites for a set of 18" rimes and tyres. And notice that after i put in that it's for a 2018 Polo GTI, some sites comes up with rimes as wide as 8"x18" with tyres that are 225x40x18. While others say 7.5"x18" with 215x40x18.

Can anyone confirm that the 8"x18" rim with 225x40x18 tyres can even fit on a GTI?

Paland49 wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:43 pm Hello.

I was looking around some sites for a set of 18" rimes and tyres. And notice that after i put in that it's for a 2018 Polo GTI, some sites comes up with rimes as wide as 8"x18" with tyres that are 225x40x18. While others say 7.5"x18" with 215x40x18.

Can anyone confirm that the 8"x18" rim with 225x40x18 tyres can even fit on a GTI?

Brescias are 7.5 × 18. I am aiming to put 225/40 tyres rather than 215/40 At replacement time because the 215s are very expensive due to being nowhere near as common as the 225. In Costco I can get Michelin Pilot Sport 4 for about £101 each fully fitted (minus £80 a set if I time it right for the cashback promotions). 215 same tyre model is about £140 each.

I'm not sure it can be done without spacers to bring the rears out a bit as there is a tiny gap between the rear offside wheel arch lining and the inner surface of the tyre where the fuel tank filler tube is covered. I haven't measured it accurately but it looks somewhere between 6 and 10mm. If you've got 5mm extra tyre width at the back edge (and another on the front edge for your 10mm extra width) and a generous lip that these XL tyres have - they may rub the wheel arch lining.

The Golf uses 7.5J wheel width for their 225/40 R18 tyres.

Don't forget wheel nut config is different for Polo and UP! vs larger VWs - Polo is 5 x 100mm, Golf is 5 x 112mm. You can't put Golf wheels on a Polo, and fewer places make 18" wheels in 5 x 100 wheel nut configuration.

@Paland49; Rimstyle.com suggest 215/40 R18 tyres for 8Jx18 wheels to fit the current model Polo, as does Wheelbasealloys.com. In addition to wheel width, diameter and tyre size, don’t forget to also consider the offset (ET), the pitch circle diameter/bolt pattern (PCD), the wheel load capabilities and the centre bore size when looking at possible alternative wheels for your car.

Reputable aftermarket alloy wheel websites should only list those wheels that are suitable for your car, and should take into account all aspects of the wheel fitment, such as width, diameter, PCD, ET and load capabilities. They should also supply a fitting kit, that include the bolts with the correct seating profile, and spigot rings to reduce the centre bore size to the Polo’s centre bore size of 57.1.

Offset; be aware that many aftermarket wheels have more aggressive offsets than OEM wheels, so if the offset is too aggressive - especially with wheels that are wider than the factory fit wheels, you could experience rubbing issues with the tyres fouling the bodywork when cornering and when the car is fully laden.

Wheel load; All wheels will have a load limit (measured in kg’s). If the axle load limit of a car exceeds the load limit of the wheels you’re putting on the axle, you’ll put more strain on the wheels than they were designed to take, which could result in the wheels bucking or cracking in normal use. In the UK, you could also invalidate your insurance if a car’s axle limit is greater than the load limit of the wheels on the axle.

There’s a useful calculator on the ‘Will they Fit’ website which will calculate any changes in clearance / any speedo reading changes that result from fitting a different wheel and tyre set up to the OEM wheels and tyres fitted to a car. Link to website;

https://www.willtheyfit.com

^ That offset configuration is going to be hugely important, given the lack of clearance that the official VW Brescia option has on that driver's side rear wheel arch lining, even with a generous offset of ET51. Spacers get around that problem, but they're extra expense.

Thanks for all the ansaws