MkV wheel/tire fitment guide

[GDL GTI V]

Tires

Thanks that guide help me alot!
I just purchased new 19" wheels and they recomend me 222/35/19 so I guess will be fine, even when I lower the Car 1" or 1.5".

 

[thez19]

Dunno if this was posted before, but what is the stock bolt size to fit on our hubs? Is it 16mm or 18mm? Not sure

 

[RedRabidRabbit]

Stock thread pitch is 14x1.5 mm

Stock head size is 17 mm

 

[thez19]

Ok, im sure ill get flamed by someone for asking this, but could you or someone explain those two bolt terms to me, describing the sizes, etc. and what they are, maybe some kinda pic. I mean, I know what my bolt looks like, im pretty sure i know what the head is and i know about threading..

P.S. I ask mainly cuz I just bought a set of Merc wheels off someone from Ebay for cheap for winter wheels to fit with my 17" snow tires. The bolt pattern is 5x112, size is correct and everything, however after trying to get NTB to install them, after they mounted n balanced them with my snow tires they found that my reg bolts I use to fit my gti hubs are too BIG for these wheels, and they said that if I used a smaller bolt that they wouldnt fit my hubs then. So i thought i was screwed and they said the only option i may have is to take em to a machine shop close by and have them bore out the bolt holes larger to fit my bolts. But then i talked to my local tune shop whom i have do most of my mods, and they told me thats bull and that all i prob need is a set of bolts with a diff size head or something. Im hoping this is true, but how can it work?? If I get a smaller bolt to fit thru the merc wheel bolt hole, it will wobble around in the hub and not fit right, right? I guess im just still confused as to the whole bolt setup.

Learn me RRR

 

[RedRabidRabbit]

Tuner shop is wrong. The problem is not the head of the bolt as if the wheel was a tuner style wheel (one with two bolt patterns in it) in which case the head size is the problem... They have made special small headed tuner bolts for this situation for years. Your problem is the bolt diameter itself, nothing to do with the head.

Most Merc's use a 12mm bolt. Our cars use a 14mm bolt, which is a larger diameter. Because of this, your stock bolts will not fit through the hole in the Mercedes wheel. If you use the smaller bolt that the Mercedes would normally use, it is too small for the holes in the hub and will not thread in.

I don't know if someone makes a stud conversion for the car that will bring the stud size down to 12x1.5, but that is the only way you're going to get those wheels on the car without having to visit a machine shop. Actually, you'd have to use a 12x1.5 conversion and then use Honda style ball seat nuts to fit the ball seat Merc wheels.

 

[EL PAALO]

should've taken my deal of not posting for a couple weeks and me selling you my sport editions for 300.

 

[thez19]

Tuner shop is wrong. The problem is not the head of the bolt as if the wheel was a tuner style wheel (one with two bolt patterns in it) in which case the head size is the problem... They have made special small headed tuner bolts for this situation for years. Your problem is the bolt diameter itself, nothing to do with the head.

Most Merc's use a 12mm bolt. Our cars use a 14mm bolt, which is a larger diameter. Because of this, your stock bolts will not fit through the hole in the Mercedes wheel. If you use the smaller bolt that the Mercedes would normally use, it is too small for the holes in the hub and will not thread in.

I don't know if someone makes a stud conversion for the car that will bring the stud size down to 12x1.5, but that is the only way you're going to get those wheels on the car without having to visit a machine shop. Actually, you'd have to use a 12x1.5 conversion and then use Honda style ball seat nuts to fit the ball seat Merc wheels.

Thanks RRR, actually, I was the one who was wrong. I went to my shop today and they checked out the wheels and came to the conclusion that a 12 to 14mm stud conversion is the way to go. The merc wheels are 12mm bolts, so they ordered special studs that will screw into the hub with 12mm threading for the wheels to sit on, then a set of 5 each locking nuts that screw onto the 12mm end that sits thru the wheel. Im only explaining it like this cuz im still hazy on what its all called. But theyre sure itll fit and work just fine, they said itll actually be even easier to take the wheels off with this setup then with reg bolts. So its cool, i got it worked out and the wheels will be on my car prob by next week and fit fine. Only shitty thing is the locking nuts are bout 2 bucks each, so that brings my total cost for parts and their labor to bout 100 bucks. But its still a good bit less then it would have been getting new stock wheels or something else, thisll be about $340 total, wheels, parts, labor. Funny thing is, I first took these wheels and tires to NTB and before they figured the bolts were too big, they mounted n balanced the tires on the wheels. Then they went and put them in the tire rack bags I had for them. So they did all that and said they werent gonna charge me then, and i said ok, after I get the wheels machined out ill be back..HAH So i got them mounted n balanced basically for free. If ida gotten new stock wheels, gone and paid for all this labor at NTB or something, itd have been around $515 prob atleast total.

So im happy :happyanim:

P.S. And Paolo, it still woulda cost me more with your wheels, cuz itd be $300 plus bout $85+ to mount n balance n shit at NTB, etc. So thats still $340 with my setup and $380+ with yours. And honestly I really just wanted a beater set of wheels, these are fairly beat up, but theyre still straight n true, no bent areas, just real dirty and some chips. But this way I dont have to give a shit if they get fucked up in the winter =)

 

[Benjamin T]

18x9 +38... too much poke or rubbing on the inside?

 

[jabtsi]

18x9 +38... too much poke or rubbing on the inside?

I have the same ???????? 18x9+38 on a 2" drop???????????

 

[OneFastSicilian]

this thread just answered all my questions... thanks!

 

[kidthunder]

the chartshows 18x8 +45 wheel i can run a 225 40 r18 tire with a 2.5 drop has anyone had experince with this set up and wil i be rubbing at all

 

[RedRabidRabbit]

the chartshows 18x8 +45 wheel i can run a 225 40 r18 tire with a 2.5 drop has anyone had experince with this set up and wil i be rubbing at all

I run this same setup, except in 19" (45 offset w/ 35 series tire, probably closer to 3" drop) if you do the screw fender mod you will be ok, may have slight rubbage on larger bumps. I don't rub on bumps, but it rubs the fender turning into angled driveways.

 

[kidthunder]

i only thinking of doing a 2.5 drop at the most we wil see how it goes when i get my coils put on right now i have a 215 40 18 tire and i was just woundering if i would be able to run a wider tire for better traction

 

[762]

Well all my suspension is here so it is time to set out on tire choice.

I will be running eibach sportline springs(1.8F 1.6R on 06-07 1.2F 1.0 R on 08) on bilstein struts.

The wheels are offset 18x7.5 et 35

Should I look at running 245/35/18, 225/40/18 or 235/40/18

This is a track/spirited driving set up so maximum contact patch is preferred.

What will not rub?

Thanks

 

[EL PAALO]

A track setup would be more like 17x9 +40.

Stick with the 225/40 18 on the skinny wheel since the other tires don't fit a 7.5 properly and also to give you more clearance to the fender with a low offset since you're actually pushing the car.