My New wheels rub sometimes? 18x8J ET 42?

[johnford60]

Any one got any other specs of wheels they have fitted please?

I spoke to company where i go them, and they said they have never had any problems with that size rubbing 

[Hurdy]

My only suggestion would be to do the front arch screw delete.

If you look under the front arch you can see a screw at the highest part of the arch. This is held in by a plastic retainer. Unscrew the screw and remove the retainer. Then, push the arch liner over the metal bracket that the screw went through. After this GENTLY press the metal bracket upwards into the arch. This mod gives you an extra few MM for the offset and the screw is usually polished if it is the screw what is rubbing

[johnford60]

Well done Hurdy, I'll hve a look tomorow, is this for all 4 arch's?....

[Hurdy]

Only the front two arches I'm afraid. The rear arches have very little lip on them and so don't accomodate a fixing point.  If the screw delete method doesn't work then it will be the offset and width that is doing it. The wheels at 8x18 and 42 offset will poke out an extra 15mm over stock wheels. Is there any marking of the tyres or arch liners?

Most offsets for replica's come in at 8x18 and ET45, which gives an extra 3mm clearance, but I would have thought that you shouldn't have issues as your ride height is stock!

[johnford60]

Only the front two arches I'm afraid. The rear arches have very little lip on them and so don't accomodate a fixing point.  If the screw delete method doesn't work then it will be the offset and width that is doing it. The wheels at 8x18 and 42 offset will poke out an extra 15mm over stock wheels. Is there any marking of the tyres or arch liners?

Most offsets for replica's come in at 8x18 and ET45, which gives an extra 3mm clearance, but I would have thought that you shouldn't have issues as your ride height is stock!

I'll have a good look tomorrow, thing is, its all 4 wheels rubbing when you go over big humps in the road that causes the car to bounce right down, and then they scrub. Its annoying as hell, only had them 2 weeks, and only noticed this weekend after a good drive . Thing is they where sold to fit Mk5 GTI, with ET45, and the box says 42!!!.... so they have been miss sold to me straight away!

[Hurdy]

The wierd thing is that 18x8.5 at et 45 would poke exactly the same as yours. The only thing I can give as an alternative is that at some point in the past your car has had it's geometry done differently and the camber has been reduced, this would alter the poke at the upper edge of the tyre

If you aren't happy try and get someone with 8x18's at 45 offset to pop their alloys on your car (front 2 would do) and see if you still get rubbing. If you don't then go with the mis-sold route. If they do then I'd go for a geometry check

[Sootchucker]

As mine are exaclty the same size as well, you may find you have the same issue that I and lots of other Golf owners had. It's the front wheels and they catch on the wheel arch liner mounting bracket that sits exactly at the top of each wheel arch at 12 O'clock.

Very simple fix, remove the screw (and discard, you don't need it), and carefully push the plastic wheel arch liner BEHIND the metal tab (you will see what I mean when you look at it). Did this to mine 4 years ago, and even fully laden and over speed bumps, never had another isuue of rubbing - ever !.

[johnford60]

I'll have a look and play shortley - bloody raining though, Bloody english weather

[johnford60]

Should I be running different tyres sizes now that ive gone from 7.5J 225 to 8.0J ?

[Hurdy]

Should I be running different tyres sizes now that ive gone from 7.5J 225 to 8.0J ?

No!