16" wheels for a mk3

[BBS_mk3]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to do my suspension on my mk3 shortly, so before I do I want to upgrade my weedy 14" wheels to some nice 16s.

It seems pretty difficult to find a nice set of wheels that don't cost the earth in a 16" 4x100 configuration. A lot of the mainstream outlets seem to only stock 17" or bigger or the wheels they have are particularly nasty designs. If only I could afford to splurge on a nice set of deep dish 3 piece splits from Image Wheels with colourcoded black centres.........*drool*....

Anyyway back on the topic... I found a set of 16x7 ET38 wheels which look okay and I was wondering if this offset will work on my car? Will this offset sit further in or further out of the wheelarch compared to the factory wheels? and finally what is the perfect offest for a 16x7 wheel so that they don't foul the guards but fill them nicely?

Sorry for the 1001 questions guys - thanks for your assistance!

[Tim]

ET38 should be fine.

Do you know the offset of your current wheels. Its usually stamped on them somewhere. You will be able to use that to calculate the difference

[rayray086]

ET38 on a 7" is fine. The fronts are still tucked in and you won't have rubbing issues at all on 195's. Stock 14's are the same offset but 6", so to give you an idea, the wheels will be 12mm wider towards the inside and outside of the car. No issues, you're clear!

[BBS_mk3]

Thanks Ray. I know anyone on the forum can always rely on you for information when it comes to wheels! You've had like 6 sets on the mk3 already right???

I don't suppose you know of any good places in Aus (prefereably Sydney) to find a decent selection of 16" wheels?

ET38 on a 7" is fine. The fronts are still tucked in and you won't have rubbing issues at all on 195's. Stock 14's are the same offset but 6", so to give you an idea, the wheels will be 12mm wider towards the inside and outside of the car. No issues, you're clear!

[Tim]

i looked for a long time to find some decent 16" rims. I even have a friend in the trade and he said that there just isnt enough interest in them anymore.

If you keep an eye on ebay things tend to pop up from time to time though.

[BBS_mk3]

That's the impression I got too. I keep a pretty good eye on "the bay". I unfortuantely let a perfect set of BBS 16x8's slip through my fingers 6 months ago and I haven't forgiven myself yet

i looked for a long time to find some decent 16" rims. I even have a friend in the trade and he said that there just isnt enough interest in them anymore.

If you keep an eye on ebay things tend to pop up from time to time though.

[Golf Houso]

Mine are 7 inch 16's with a 38 offset. Running on a 40mm drop with 205's... Never rubbed and they've been on for 12 months

Get some rims with some dish, like I never done

[rayray086]

I've never looked into new wheels before. Those that are worth getting are usually in the $2000+ range before tyres, and those that are around $1000 new are usually cheap rip-offs or low-quality. Don't get me wrong, they can look good, but you'll instantly tell the difference when you lift them up. That said, Rotas is a great brand that makes mostly replicas.

I've found most of my wheels on eBay, but have bought from parts shops, like UpGarage at Ingleburn. They're a drift workshop that imports parts from Japan and usually have hundreds of sets every quarter year. But because it's a drift shop, most wheels are for Jap fitment only, but there is the odd 4x100 and 5x100 wheel lying around. Have a look around! firesport.com also has quite a few wheel listings.

[Golf Houso]

I'd get nice wheels if I had a decent car... Can't justify it otherwise... Or if I knew I could sell them or use them afterwards.

[BBS_mk3]

Yep most of the wheels I'd like to get seem to be of the expensive deeped dish variety such as.....



and....

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g.../psr16inch.jpg

too expensive for my pocket at the moment. I'm getting married in November so funds are unfortunately tight!