Wheels - the rules, the law and you...

[99gti]

This is an exert from the Vehicle Standars Information booklet, Rev 4, Nov 2003. After recieving a defect, I wanted to know what I had to do to make my wheels legal. To make life easy, here some of the usefull info I discovered. Questions should probably be best directed towards the RTA of your state.

Document located here

Other usefull document relating to vehicle standars located here

Sometimes the range of wheels listed by the manufacturer may appear to be limited. While it is recommended that you only fit these wheels, the RTA does not oppose the fitting of wheels outside the range providing they are safe for the vehicle.

Minor changes to wheels
Wheels up to 26mm wider than the largest optional wheel recommended by the vehicle manufacturer for the vehicle can be fitted without the need to notify the RTA. The outside diameter of the wheel and tyre combination must be no more than 15mm over the largest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle and not more than 15mm below the smallest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle.

Replacement wheels requiring an engineering certificate.
Wheels that exceed the diameter and width limits for minor wheel changes must be assessed by a signatory. If the signatory finds that the wheels are safe for your vehicle, you will be issued with an engineering certificate.

Vehicles built after 1/1/1973:

Unladen weight | Max width
Up to 800kg | 26mm (1 inch)
801 to 1200kg | 39mm (1.5 inch)
1201kg + | 51mm (2 inch)


Front wheels
Front wheels shall be:
• No wider than the maximum permitted for rear wheels on your vehicle or 204mm (8 inches).
• No narrower than 70% of that fitted to the rear wheels.
• No narrower than a standard wheel fitted to the your vehicle as original equipment.

Front wheel drive vehicles
Except where the original manufacturer provides to the contrary, front wheel widths shall be no more than 26mm greater than the widest optional wheel offered by the vehicle manufacturer. This requirement also applies to fourwheel drive vehicles with constant front wheel drive.


Additional requirements for replacement wheels
When wheels and tyres outside the manufacturers recommended range are fitted to a vehicle the following requirements must be met:
• The wheel rim width must not be less than the minimum width fitted by the vehicle manufacturer for the particular model.
• The wheel and tyre must be contained within the body work or mudguards (including any flares) when the wheels are in the straight ahead position.
• The wheel and tyre must not foul any part of the body or suspension under all operating conditions.
• All wheels and tyres fitted to an axle must be of the same carcass construction, diameter, offset, width and mounting configuration (except for spare wheels used in an emergency situation).
• The wheel must not prevent the wheel nuts from fully engaging their studs.
• The wheel rim must not have a circumferential weld other than that which attaches the rim to the wheel centre.
• The wheel must be one designed for the particular hub/axle in respect to bolt pitch circle diameter and wheel nut tapers. Wheels with slotted stud holes are not permitted.
• Speedometer accuracy must be maintained for the selected tyre and rim combination.
• The fitment of wheel spacers (or adaptors for dual wheel conversions) between the wheel mounting face and the road wheel is not permitted unless fitted as original equipment by the vehicle manufacturer.

[VW GTI]

How wide are your wheels, Neil?

[BL33SU]

these rules do not apply for some of us

[99gti]

How wide are your wheels, Neil?

I have 10's on the rear. The largest that came on the mk4 were 7.5x18 ET38 5/100 Oz-Design (R32).

I intend on pulling them apart anyway for a little cosmetic work, so I might get new barrells from BBS and shrink them down a bit...

Then get them engineered so I can flash around a pretty piece of paper that says it's all legal...

[velly_16v_cab]

sorry dude but this thread sucks

[99gti]

sorry dude but this thread sucks

So does the defect notice I got

[ScienceVR6]

woot victoria FTW!!!

(the rules are probly the same though.....)

Standard rims FTW!!

[OEM G60]

This does suck majorly, sorry to hear about that Neil

Good info though .......

[rayray086]

Ah man When was this Neil, and where? Did they just pull you over specifically for that?

[99gti]

Ah man When was this Neil, and where? Did they just pull you over specifically for that?

This morning, just around the corner from where I live too

No fine, just a stern talking to.