GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: jon87 on 24 July 2024, 15:16
-
Hi all,
Sorry if this has been discussed before. I am a newbie when it comes to changing rims on cars. Have always kept my cars stock in the past. I've got a Golf GTI pp 7.5 which has the original Brescia 19" wheels. I find the ride quite bumpy and firm as my previous GTD mk7 had 18s and the ride was much better. It actually feels like a pretty big difference to me.
I'm looking to change to 18s. Can anyone recommend wheels? I did get in touch with VW but their prices are more than I'm willing to spend as I won't be keeping this car for more than a year as I'm going to be getting the 8.5 too.
I have seen some original Austin wheels which are fully refurbished and they can do a straight swap with mine, however mine are in mint condition too and are probably worth more.
Also, if I move from 19s to 18s will it have any impact on the VW warranty? It has vw approved used warranty.
Thanks in advance.
-
I’m in the same position - see my wanted post in the sales section.
The ride on the 19’s isn’t too bad in my book but I’m sure it will be better (and handle better) on 18’s. I really like the Milton Keynes (Austins are for Mk7s aren’t they?) standard 7.5 alloys so am on the look out for some. Not to use all the time but to have for winter or track day use. Mint Brescias are worth quite a lot I think, probably at least 25% more than the Milton Keynes. A dealer local to me has a few sets of Brescias for around £1500 (with tyres).
My personal thoughts on the warranty are that if the wheels are OEM to the Golf then surely it can’t make any difference whatsoever. Maybe aftermarket ones could but only if they were deemed to have caused the fault. I can’t see how for example fitting different wheels would void the warranty of say the electric windows or a water pump failure.
The GTD 18” wheels would be an option if you like them, they seem to be a bit cheaper and are definitely more plentiful.
-
Mint Brescias are worth quite a lot I think, probably at least 25% more than the Milton Keynes. A dealer local to me has a few sets of Brescias for around £1500 (with tyres).
Would you mind sharing what dealer that is?
-
Yes, it’s GB Wheels in Newark. Advertised on Marketplace and EBay. He has some at £1500 but the better ones are £1650.
-
I’m in the same position - see my wanted post in the sales section.
The ride on the 19’s isn’t too bad in my book but I’m sure it will be better (and handle better) on 18’s. I really like the Milton Keynes (Austins are for Mk7s aren’t they?) standard 7.5 alloys so am on the look out for some. Not to use all the time but to have for winter or track day use. Mint Brescias are worth quite a lot I think, probably at least 25% more than the Milton Keynes. A dealer local to me has a few sets of Brescias for around £1500 (with tyres).
My personal thoughts on the warranty are that if the wheels are OEM to the Golf then surely it can’t make any difference whatsoever. Maybe aftermarket ones could but only if they were deemed to have caused the fault. I can’t see how for example fitting different wheels would void the warranty of say the electric windows or a water pump failure.
The GTD 18” wheels would be an option if you like them, they seem to be a bit cheaper and are definitely more plentiful.
The standard 18” alloys on the GTI are known as Milton Keynes in some sales territories; in the UK they’re known as Parker.
If I was looking for a set of alloys primarily for winter use, I personally wouldn’t be considering diamond cut Parker’s because of the generally poor durability of the diamond cut finish. The UK’s winter road conditions with the roads covered in salt, grit and slush aren’t kind to diamond cut alloys, unless you like the white worm corrosion look for your alloys. Some aftermarket alloy wheel retailers websites specifically filter out diamond cut alloys if you refine your wheel search to ‘winter wheels’, because of their poor durability and susceptibility to cosmetic damage.
I agree that I non-OEM alloys should only really be a warranty issue if a warranty claim can be directly attributed to the fitment of the non-OEM alloys. However, it’s always worth checking the small print of the warranty.
@jon87; not surprisingly, with VW’s Approved Used warranty being an insurance based product covering sudden electrical and mechanical failures, the actual wheels and tyres are excluded (‘What is not covered’ section on page 10). However, there’s an ‘interesting’ exclusion on page 11
‘This cover does not cover any injury, failure, loss or damage caused by, arising from or in connection with vehicles modified in any way from the manufacturer’s original specification’.
That suggests that VW could decline any claim under their Approved Used warranty if a vehicle has been modified, irrespective of whether or not the modification is the cause of the electrical / mechanical failure. IMHO that seems very harsh and I wonder if anyone has ever challenged that exclusion from a legal perspective; i.e. is it fair and does it satisfy the test of reasonableness?
Presumably that means modifications that are as per VW’s original spec wouldn’t be excluded. So if someone fitted a set of aftermarket alloy wheels to their car that are the same spec (e.g. diameter, width, offset, PCD) as the OEM factory fitted alloys, then presumably the exclusion wouldn’t apply.
-
Good post SRGTD.
I think the “in any way” exclusion is just a blanket starting point if indeed a claim is being rejected.
But I suspect that if the standard “mechanical” spec is unaltered and any vehicle modification unconnected with the warranty claim is even noticed then the claim will be accepted.
It’s a bit like the “proximate cause” principle in Fire insurance policies. Did the modification lead in an unbroken chain of events to the damage being claimed for.
Example: I have fitted an oem TCR lip spoiler but my warranty claim for a new water pump was accepted.
Mind you, it’s so subtle that no one would even notice it.
Caveat though ….. changing the size of wheels or changing to non oem makes just might be noticed and then we are in uncharted territory. Frankly unless the VW tech informs the service desk of an obvious change to original spec then I think there is a fair chance of mods not being flagged up unless of course they are a factor in the warranty claim being made.
-
Thanks. Some really good advice provided above.
Spoke to my local VW garage and they quoted me just over £1600 for 18" Pretoria wheels which includes fitting, but tyres would be extra.
I asked them regarding the warranty, but he mentioned it won't affect the warranty as your fitting genuine VW wheels from us. I'm still undecided though as it's a lot of money given my current tyres on the Brescia's still have a lot of thread left.
As an alternative, has anyone here experience of changing the tyres from the Perelli's to Michellin PS4S. I did a Google search to see if changing the tyres would help and it took me to a Porsche forum where people changed to PS4S which they found a lot more comfortable and softer. Seems to be a lot of people raving about them on there.
-
It would be a shame to move away from the Brescias as they’re a particularly good looking wheel that really suits the mk7(.5) shape.
I ran Michelin PS4S tyres for 3 sets of tyres and now back on factory fit Bridgestones. The PS4S were definitely more compliant and quieter (although noise does increase as they wear) than the factory fit Bridgestones and Pirellis I’ve had. Another tyre to consider would be the PS5 which is slightly softer again than the PS4S and has lovely looking sidewalls.
You *could* potentially go to 235 35 19’s which would offer slightly more compliance again but would require an insurance notification. I wouldn’t overthink the warranty with the slight tyre size change, and the gearing would be fractionally different. You’d get more kerb protection but if you’re into really hard cornering you’d find the tyre would roll on the rim a little more than a 225. Personally this would be my route but it’s not for everyone.
-
It would be a shame to move away from the Brescias as they’re a particularly good looking wheel that really suits the mk7(.5) shape.
I ran Michelin PS4S tyres for 3 sets of tyres and now back on factory fit Bridgestones. The PS4S were definitely more compliant and quieter (although noise does increase as they wear) than the factory fit Bridgestones and Pirellis I’ve had. Another tyre to consider would be the PS5 which is slightly softer again than the PS4S and has lovely looking sidewalls.
You *could* potentially go to 235 35 19’s which would offer slightly more compliance again but would require an insurance notification. I wouldn’t overthink the warranty with the slight tyre size change, and the gearing would be fractionally different. You’d get more kerb protection but if you’re into really hard cornering you’d find the tyre would roll on the rim a little more than a 225. Personally this would be my route but it’s not for everyone.
Thanks Exonian.
Just been looking at the PS5 and people have rated it highly for comfort so will consider those.
Also, I just checked my Pirelli tyres on the 7.5 and it seems they are the original tyres as the manufacturing date is from early 2019, so they are over 5 years old. The previous owner never changed them as the car had only done 15k miles and still has over 5mm thread. I think with all four tyres being over 5 years could be having a big impact on comfort. There is an offer on Michellin tyres at ATS Euromaster so a set of 4 PS5's come to just over £500 which isn't bad for 19" and I'm really tempted.
-
Hi all, a little update, I bought a set of genuine VW 18" Pretoria's. Got a bargain price for 4 Michelin PS5 tyres which actually worked out under £100 per tyre after claiming the cashback offers.
Haven't driven it much yet as just got them installed today, but absolutely love the new look. The Brescia's looked great too and filled the arches better but I'm not a massive fan of diamond cut wheels and these sterling silver Prets are such a clean design and work really well with the Indium grey paint. The photo doesn't do it justice, looks even better in person. They are shiny though, but wonder how long that will last :rolleyes:
I will be selling my original Brescia wheels eventually when I manage to take some photos, they are in very good condition. They are on Pirelli P-Zero tyres and all have over 5mm thread remaining.
I had considered the Pret style wheels from CMwheels which would have been considerable cheaper, but my main reason for going with genuine 18" Prets is when I checked with my local dealer if extended warranty would be affected by switching from 19s to these 18s he said no because these are VW approved and suitable for the car after he checked using my reg. I also phoned VW extended warranty to double check and they also confirmed that any future warranty claims will not be affected by changing the wheels to these.
My previous car a MK7 GTD had a whole load of issues from new I.E it needed a new DSG gearbox which cost £3,300 and luckily the warranty covered it, had a oil leak and had one of the electric units fail. All was covered so that was why I was double checking before switching to these wheels, as don't want them to use an excuse to try and not cover something.
(https://i.postimg.cc/LhdtF9yg/pretoria-wheels-18s.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dZBk8YcJ)
-
Looks really good. Silver wheels against the indium grey paint, and in my biased opinion the Pretoria really suits the Mk7/7.5.
We made the same change on our mk7.5, went from the 19" Brescia's to genuine 18" Pretoria wheels (but dark grey in colour) and it improved the ride. The wheels are roughy 1kg lighter per corner, I guess that also helps.
Also with the appalling state of the roads at the moment, hopefully the 18" wheels will last longer.
-
They look great, I’m considering picking up some 18 prets myself although they are from CM. I love the look of 19s but as we move towards winter they don’t feel like the right choice.
-
Hi all, a little update, I bought a set of genuine VW 18" Pretoria's. Got a bargain price for 4 Michelin PS5 tyres which actually worked out under £100 per tyre after claiming the cashback offers.
Let us know about how the car feels, the new wheels should be (much) lighter
-
Apologies for the delay in replying. It is a huge difference! Feels so much better. Not sure how much of it is down to downsizing the rims and how much is down to the new PS5 tyres.
On smooth roads, there doesn't seem to be much difference in the ride quality TBH, apart from the road/tyre noise decreasing by at least 50%. Noise from the tyres is massively reduced.
Rough roads and bumps is where you definitely feel the difference in ride quality. Doesn't feel anywhere as harsh. Feels like a completely different car and much smoother. Best decision I have made to move to 18s. I just think they look better in person too.
I had a 8.5 GTI on order as I wasn't previously happy with the ride of the 7.5 but have now cancelled the 8.5 (partly due to them increasing the discounts AFTER I ordered it) and am happy to keep my 7.5 for the foreseeable and won't be changing it as love the difference the wheels and tyres have made.
-
Having decided to hang on to my car indefinitely, I am now tempted for the first time by the oem 18 inch Prets.
Is there a section on VW website where these show as available and prices?
Are the Prets lighter than the standard 18 Parkers?
Are the Prets diamond cut or painted?…..and do they come in a choice of colours of silver & grey?
-
Having decided to hang on to my car indefinitely, I am now tempted for the first time by the oem 18 inch Prets.
Is there a section on VW website where these show as available and prices?
Are the Prets lighter than the standard 18 Parkers?
Are the Prets diamond cut or painted?…..and do they come in a choice of colours of silver & grey?
Link to 18” Pretoria alloys on www.volkswagenpartsuk.co.uk website;
https://volkswagenpartsuk.co.uk/parts/category/wheels-accessories/alloy-wheels/
The prices shown are for a set of four and centre caps are included in the price.
Four different colours for the 18” version; silver, gloss black, galvano grey or dark graphite. Don’t know if the 18” version is lighter than the standard Parker alloys. They’re either painted or powder coated (definitely not diamond cut), so they’re much more durable than Diamond cut alloys - no issues with white worm corrosion. Note that all colours of these 18” Pretoria alloys are shown as available on back order on the linked website, so none in stock, although some dealers might have stocks locally.
If you do an internet search on the part numbers quoted on the website, you may well find a set cheaper. I’ve seen VW dealers selling sets of brand new OEM VW alloys on eBay at less than the official VW prices.
-
There is a really good website here for looking at OEM alloy wheels. It shows part numbers and approximate weight
https://www.original-felgen.com/vw/golf/7/3
Assuming you are looking at the page using microsoft edge, just right click and 'translate to english'
The genuine 18" Pretoria's we had weighed roughly 10.6Kg, I'm not sure what the 18" Parker wheels weigh.
-
There is a really good website here for looking at OEM alloy wheels. It shows part numbers and approximate weight
https://www.original-felgen.com/vw/golf/7/3
Assuming you are looking at the page using microsoft edge, just right click and 'translate to english'
The genuine 18" Pretoria's we had weighed roughly 10.6Kg, I'm not sure what the 18" Parker wheels weigh.
Thanks for sharing that, that's a good website.
Looking at it the Parkers weigh 13.3kg so the 18" Pretoria's are lighter.
-
I think 18" Parkers were 12kg+ when I changed mine about 3 years ago, but others (thanks Jon - above) may have a more accurate number.
-
Thanks for all that great info everyone. I can see the Prets are a couple of K lighter.
Interestingly I see the Mk7 Austins are lighter as well. Always felt the Parkers looked and felt heavier but disguised by the black gloss parts.
VW Accessories site makes no mention of whether fitting is included although OP got this in the price. Anyone else know about fitting?
Finally, is there much value/demand for the Parkers in reasonable nick??
-
There is a really good website here for looking at OEM alloy wheels. It shows part numbers and approximate weight
https://www.original-felgen.com/vw/golf/7/3
Assuming you are looking at the page using microsoft edge, just right click and 'translate to english'
The genuine 18" Pretoria's we had weighed roughly 10.6Kg, I'm not sure what the 18" Parker wheels weigh.
Very interesting site, thanks
Parker / MILTON KEYNES 13.3kg
AUSTIN 12.4kg
Brescia 13.3kg
PRETORIA 18" 11.6kg (rudedog below measures 10.2kg)
PRETORIA 19" 12.8kg
SANTIAGO 13.5kg
Belvedere 8.8kg !!!
SEVILLA 12.6kg
-
I bought a set of the OE 18" Prets in Matt Dark Graphite at the end of last year, I was prepared for a longish wait as they were on back order (along with my TCR rear spoiler) but in the end they came only a severals months later at the beginning of this year.
Originally I used the code number found in the Golf 7.5 accessory catalogue which said they also came with tyres so cost only about £50 more for each alloy - I got a call about a month later to say that they were no longer sold with tyres so got some money off the order.
I think I paid just over £2K for alloys plus spoiler which I paid off using Bumper repayments.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CLdf0YHm/temp-Imagehgw-If7.avif) (https://postimg.cc/SJFKLBPM)
I've fitted my spoiler but shamed to say I still haven't fitted the alloys yet.
-
They were the ones we had on our Golf and they were made by Ronal. I understand the manufacturer can vary?
(https://i.postimg.cc/656g2sDL/20210723-155606.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mhq8JnZt)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pTYcrkC6/20210723-155615.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KkjDsPdP)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VkpVVJ5D/20210723-155625.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4YvPKN69)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7hHs27QY/20210723-155632.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/62Pfs7XD)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gJPBG1Vh/20210723-155639.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qtjGLbZB)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3wGc53v7/20210723-165036.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PLt41syF)
(https://i.postimg.cc/HLtb7KGX/20210723-175011.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CZzR3cxx)
Rudedog, would love to know what the weight of a single wheel is if you get chance.
The website linked above varies from 10.6Kg (black) to 11.6kg (silver and grey).
-
Ok I've just weighed a single bare alloy and I was very surprised to find that it was ....... 10.2 kg!
Mine are painted dark graphite inside and out (Ronal's - Poland) - just realised the centre badge that came with them I think it is of a slightly newer font so I may have to reuse the originals.
-
Thank you Rudedog. :smiley:
That's fairly light for an OEM 18" cast alloy wheel.
-
Thanks, I've updated my post with your info
-
Some interesting posts here on the weights of the various wheels!
I fitted the 18” Pretorias last year (along with the TCR rear silencer) and the car felt more nimble to drive but I wasn’t sure if that was a placebo effect.
-
I think that less unsprung weight as a result of lighter wheels should benefit ride, handling and feel.
Any opinions?
I am sorely tempted to change my Parkers to 18 inch Prets.
As I asked before, does the VW Accessories price include dealer fitting? Otherwise I guess re-fitting existing tyres will add a further 4 x £30 ish which takes the total cost nearer £2K. Ouch.
-
The difference is most notable with the corners I feel. I wonder if there is a weight reduction with the TCR silencer also?
The dealer I purchased the wheels from swapped over my tyres and fitted the wheels but didn’t charge extra.
-
This topic has opened up into a very interesting area on bare wheel weight. I see that if I swapped my Parker’s for 18” VW Prets I would save between around 2k to 3k a corner. Let’s call it 10k total.
Not much if it’ was sprung weight but it’s not, it’s unsprung weight.
That leads me down a huge rabbit hole of on-line opinion as to the pros (mainly) and cons (v little) concerning reduced unsprung weight as it affects steering, response and handling feel.
TBH I was quite taken aback to see how heavy the Parkers are…..heaviest 18” GTI alloys ever?
So losing at least 2k per wheel seems likely to yield “hidden” benefits beyond simply looking nice.
(I’m trying to justify to myself spending the money……. :whistle:)
Opinions and experiences on wheel weight would be most welcome.
-
Alarmingly, the price on the VW website for “official” 18 inch Prets seems to be increasing as we speak.
Mmmmmm
I’m def not one for anything but kosher VW stuff.
-
I think the VW Rotary wheels are a good looking 18 inch and come in at 10.5kg.
-
I think the VW Rotary wheels are a good looking 18 inch and come in at 10.5kg.
I agree. I had them on my mk6 GTD and I preferred them (I still do) to anything that VW fitted from the factory. Unfortunately, they’re not shown on the VW Parts UK website and I seem to remember that Rotary’s haven’t been produced for some time now. So unless a dealer has a set in stock that are gathering dust, it wouldn’t be possible to buy a new set.
https://volkswagenpartsuk.co.uk/parts/category/wheels-accessories/alloy-wheels/?swoof=1&orderby=price-desc&really_curr_tax=38-product_cat
-
Just reviving this topic….has anyone run the Racingline Cup Edition 18” alloys?
And, does anyone have good shots of them, especially on an Indium Grey GTI?
I would prefer them in silver but they only come in a sort of gunmetal shade.
-
Aren’t those just rebadged Team Dynamics Pro Race 3’s P6GTD?
I had a set in anthracite on my mk6 GTI way back when.
You can order the wheels from TD in all sorts of colours and fitments even specifying what size centre cap if you want to run OEM VW caps, or at least you could back then.
-
^^I agree, def look like Team Dynamics, which are nice wheels, strong (they used to run them as standard wheels in a few championships mini or Ginetta I think). Also the weight was pretty low if I remember, but like Exonian says I would just get them from TD.
The only critique I would say is that because the spokes don't go to the wheel edge they can look smaller than they actually are.
-
Thanks. Don’t think they are the same wheel. Different width, different offset, different weight.
Unless the info on websites is wrong.
They do look very similar though. Racingline a good deal more expensive.
Interesting comment on appearance.
I was attracted to Racingline as their stuff is pretty high quality and associated with VW.
-
On looking closely at pictures of both wheels, they are conclusively different.
TD have developed the wheel for Racingline but aesthetically the RL wheel is better I think.
If anyone has these RL wheels I would be interested in opinion.
-
Lovely new 18” launched by Racingline today.
Very light (9.5kg) but competition standard strong so safe.
Not cheap at circa £1600 but very desirable.
Interesting colour finishes too.
-
Lovely new 18” launched by Racingline today.
Very light (9.5kg) but competition standard strong so safe.
Not cheap at circa £1600 but very desirable.
Interesting colour finishes too.
I like those :cool:. Of the four available colours (white, gloss black, matte bronze or matte gunmetal grey), it’d be the matte gunmetal for me.
-
The bronze looks good on the grey Mk8 Racingline GTI (more good shots on Racingline Flickr.com),but would be slightly too “bling” for me I fear.
The gunmetal looks class.