Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

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6666
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Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by 6666 »

I got a 2019 Polo used from hertz which is great except it has in my opinion horrible 15-inch alloys I want to switch out, I was looking at wheels like this: https://www.volkswagenpartsuk.co.uk/par ... -machined/
These are 17s which is the size I want but the tyre size they take is 205mm instead of the 185 that I have now. Will they fit okay or do I have to look at 16-inch wheels that take the 185 tyres? Also, does anybody know a good place to get Volkswagen alloys for cheaper than the site I sent?
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OomStu_ZA
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by OomStu_ZA »

Maybe consider selling you current rims and tyres and then off set the cost against a new set of rims and tyres?
SRGTD
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by SRGTD »

@6666; I’m not aware of any dedicated VW alloy wheel retailers. You can always order OEM alloys for your local VW dealer’s parts department, but genuine VW alloys aren’t cheap! 17” alloys with 205 section tyres will fit your car without any issues. With the lower profile tyres that you’ll need compared to your existing wheel / tyre set up, you will notice a firmer ride.

Be aware that the 17” Bonneville alloys for the Polo at the link you’ve posted have a diamond cut / machined finish which looks good, but won’t be as durable for all year round use as your existing wheels which will have a painted / powder coated finish.

It’s not unusual for diamond cut alloys to succumb to white worm corrosion after a couple of years if they’re on a car that’s used as a daily driver, especially during the winter months. Quite a few owners over on golfgtiforum.co.uk have had this happen with the factory fit diamond cut alloys on their Golf GTI’s; some have opted to get them refurbished in a more durable and hard wearing powder coat finish rather than getting them re-done in the original diamond cut finish. Two of the diamond cut alloys on my mk6 Golf suffered from white worm corrosion at 2.5 years old, in spite of them being cleaned every 7-10 days, being well protected with sealant and wax every 3-4 months and any stone chips repaired pretty much as soon as they happened. My neighbour’s BMW’s diamond cut alloys also suffered from white worm at around two years old. Also, be aware that diamond cut alloys are more expensive to get refurbished if they get damaged or corrode.

In your position, I’d consider looking for a set of alloys with a more durable finish if you’re planning on keeping the wheels on your car all year round - in fact that’s what I’ve done; swapped my diamond cut wheels for a powder coated set 🙂.
Andy Beats
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by Andy Beats »

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it clearly does, but out of umpteen cars with diamond cut wheels the only car I've had affected by the dreaded 'white worm' was my Nissan leaf, and that was only one wheel.
I don't take any particular care of wheels, nor do I change to steelies for the winter.
It's not hugely expensive to fix IF it happens, so I wouldn't put anyone off DC wheels, as they do look the best by a mile.
You'd have to be very risk averse to avoid wheels you want on the offchance it might happen. :shock:
The thought of my wheels in one colour makes me shudder....yuck.... :oops:
SRGTD
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by SRGTD »

There’ll always be differing views on a subject such as this and on other car-related topics (e.g. DSG v’s manual, ICE v’s Electric, premium unleaded v’s standard unleaded, leather v’s cloth upholstery, one tyre brand v’s another tyre brand) which is a good thing IMO, and if we all liked the same things, life would get boring very quickly.

Agree that some designs of diamond cut alloys wouldn’t look good in a single colour. However, there are many single colour alloys that IMO look very good and for me, durability is equally as important as aesthetics. It’s very much a personal preference thing though, and given the choice between diamond cut and painted / powder coated alloys, I’d always choose the latter.
Andy Beats
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by Andy Beats »

I think we can all agree wheels make or break a car though.
Nothing worse than seeing an otherwise nice car teetering around on teeny wheels.
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by SRGTD »

Andy Beats wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 5:09 pm I think we can all agree wheels make or break a car though.
Nothing worse than seeing an otherwise nice car teetering around on teeny wheels.
Absolutely! 👍
6666
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by 6666 »

SRGTD wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 2:36 pm @6666; I’m not aware of any dedicated VW alloy wheel retailers. You can always order OEM alloys for your local VW dealer’s parts department, but genuine VW alloys aren’t cheap! 17” alloys with 205 section tyres will fit your car without any issues. With the lower profile tyres that you’ll need compared to your existing wheel / tyre set up, you will notice a firmer ride.

Be aware that the 17” Bonneville alloys for the Polo at the link you’ve posted have a diamond cut / machined finish which looks good, but won’t be as durable for all year round use as your existing wheels which will have a painted / powder coated finish.

It’s not unusual for diamond cut alloys to succumb to white worm corrosion after a couple of years if they’re on a car that’s used as a daily driver, especially during the winter months. Quite a few owners over on golfgtiforum.co.uk have had this happen with the factory fit diamond cut alloys on their Golf GTI’s; some have opted to get them refurbished in a more durable and hard wearing powder coat finish rather than getting them re-done in the original diamond cut finish. Two of the diamond cut alloys on my mk6 Golf suffered from white worm corrosion at 2.5 years old, in spite of them being cleaned every 7-10 days, being well protected with sealant and wax every 3-4 months and any stone chips repaired pretty much as soon as they happened. My neighbour’s BMW’s diamond cut alloys also suffered from white worm at around two years old. Also, be aware that diamond cut alloys are more expensive to get refurbished if they get damaged or corrode.

In your position, I’d consider looking for a set of alloys with a more durable finish if you’re planning on keeping the wheels on your car all year round - in fact that’s what I’ve done; swapped my diamond cut wheels for a powder coated set 🙂.
cheers lad for the advice! my heart is kind of set on the bonnevilles after seeing them in person so I guess I'll just have to put up with the diamond coats. I have sassari wheels on at the money and I can hopefully sell them for 100 pound each so I'll only have to pay 369 for the set. trying to convert this car out of rental car spec has been a bit of a nightmare lol just have to sort out the infotainment next
MilgeS
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by MilgeS »

Been decades since I sourced wheels but do you have a breakers yard that might have a set off a crashed car(s), or even order a set off Ebay from a breaker at lower cost?

I'm clutching at straws here but if anyone does know if there are breakers online, they might be able to recommend one for you.
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by Andy Beats »

MilgeS wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:02 pm Been decades since I sourced wheels but do you have a breakers yard that might have a set off a crashed car(s), or even order a set off Ebay from a breaker at lower cost?

I'm clutching at straws here but if anyone does know if there are breakers online, they might be able to recommend one for you.
Ebay is the sales outlet for breakers these days.
Simonz
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by Simonz »

I would try Ebay, lots come up and it's the most common option now for buying wheels. A decent set of 16 would be an improvement on the awful 15 inch standard wheels - like the ones fitted to SEL or Beats, R Line? There is a lot you can do to upgrade the look using tints, trim off GTI and such like to improve the looks.
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by SRGTD »

If buying used alloys off sites such as eBay, always check with the seller that the wheels haven’t suffered any structural damage, haven’t been buckled, or have had structural repairs. Also, always ask to see pictures of the reverse side of the wheels so you can check out the identifying marks stamped into the back of the spokes (e.g. size and offset details, manufacturer’s name, safety certification marks etc.) so you can ensure - as far as possible - that they’re genuine and not cheap Chinese copies where the structural integrity can be questionable as can the quality of the finish.

If buying used diamond cut / machined / polished alloys, ask the seller if they’ve been cosmetically refurbished and the number of refurbs. The refurb process of this type of alloys involves re-cutting the face of the wheel and removes a layer of metal in the process. Because metal is removed, these wheels can usually only be refurbished a maximum of two times; more than twice and too much metal may be removed which would affect the structural integrity of the wheel, which has safety implications as the wheel could fail when subjected to impacts or stresses (e.g. potholes, raised drain covers etc.).
Andy Beats
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Re: Base Model Alloy Wheels Upgrade

Post by Andy Beats »

SRGTD wrote: Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:59 am If buying used alloys off sites such as eBay, always check with the seller that the wheels haven’t suffered any structural damage, haven’t been buckled, or have had structural repairs. Also, always ask to see pictures of the reverse side of the wheels so you can check out the identifying marks stamped into the back of the spokes (e.g. size and offset details, manufacturer’s name, safety certification marks etc.) so you can ensure - as far as possible - that they’re genuine and not cheap Chinese copies where the structural integrity can be questionable as can the quality of the finish.

If buying used diamond cut / machined / polished alloys, ask the seller if they’ve been cosmetically refurbished and the number of refurbs. The refurb process of this type of alloys involves re-cutting the face of the wheel and removes a layer of metal in the process. Because metal is removed, these wheels can usually only be refurbished a maximum of two times; more than twice and too much metal may be removed which would affect the structural integrity of the wheel, which has safety implications as the wheel could fail when subjected to impacts or stresses (e.g. potholes, raised drain covers etc.).
A breaker will obviously be aware of any visible dents/buckles, but won't have a clue if the owner of the written off car has had them refurbished before at all, never mind how many times.
Worth remembering the buyer is the king on ebay (much to the annoyance of sellers :roll: , but that's another story...).
The OP could have the wheels checked out as soon as he receives them and would be issued with a full refund if he wants to return them, or a partial refund if he wants to keep them but feels compensation is due.
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