Aftermarket rims

[SOHC]

yea i would go for 16' on my car... but thinking of the ride and still quite unsure what I want... and bigger rims causing me wanna lower my ride, which I really couldn't, bloody driveways , but I did like some deep dish steelies

[brackie]

As for the "try before you buy", can you really do that with wheel shops? Or did you just mean ask for a drive from a friend who has that kind of set up?

Yeah. You might be a bit pushed but perhaps someone on this forum lives close enough for you to take their wheels for a spin

[Water Boy]

I personally would go 16's because you can get heaps of different rubber for them, they are cheaper and you may not have as many probs as 17's

Just my opinion hope it helps

[evorobin]

Hmmm I've just got some 205/40/16 tyres. Waiting to see what the ride turns out like tbh LOL

[moto]

Car companies (especially VW/Audi) put millions of $$$s into R&D and then design chassis and suspension to get the model to handle, brake and corner as safely and reliably as possible. It's a great thing to mod your car to make it look good and comply with the latest fashion trends, but you have to be careful not to go to extremes as you may compromise the original design goals of the manufacturer. Wheel diameter and tyre profile are a case in point as the "looks" benefit and sharper handling is somewhat reined in by a harsher ride. It would also be a huge disappointment if you went out and spent 1000s of $$$s and found that you didn't like what you got. Try before you buy if you can

This is right. I've gone back to standard wheels on my Golf 3 after trying lots of so called enhancements. If driving is your thing, changing wheel size is not the way to get a better experience. Spend the money on superior tyres, struts and springs.
As well as the problems described above, fat tyres will give you "tramlining". This is when the car begins to follow the ruts in the road you'd never seen before .. an unpleasant thing especially when braking. Once you go past a certain size - someone here might know what it is - the tyres do not clear the back guards under load and the steering lock is reduced as well. I had these problems at 17x8. (The car looked a joke too)

Finally there's cost. Bigger wheels are just the beginning. Tyre prices go up exponentially as you begin to increase the size. A lot of people running big wheels end up compromising with lousey el-cheapo tyres. That's a mistake.

[rayray086]

Thanks for your insight moto. I actually experience some "tramlining" on braking on a few roads in Sydney (though rare), but I think it's tyre problems in my case. These are on my standard wheels too.

Actually, I don't even know if my wheels are standard - they're Enkei alloys, but I also see them on other Mk3 Golfs around Sydney. Were they actually factory upgrades, or just a common aftermarket upgrade?

Cheers for the help and opinions guys. I think I'm gonna try and settle my mind for 15's and 16's, just a compromise between ride quality and looks.

[Golfer]

Hey guys, I'm going for wheels very, very soon. Please let me know what you think of these in 16"?

http://www.bsawheels.com.au/users/Pr...il.aspx?id=359

I know bsa make cheapies, but i really like the black with machined lip look. This is the closest to perfect i have found...

[Golfer]

Remembering that i have a white car, so i can't play with light coloured alloys.?.?.?.?.?...

[rayray086]

Cool, you got almost an identical Golf to me! I was also thinking of black rims too, but I'm scared they'll be too much of a contrast. I've opted for black, gunmetal, or a white finish.

Those look decent, though IMO, I think single spokes look better on the Mk3. Only my opinion!

Also, got any other sites for Aussie vendors doing rims?

[Golfer]

There are plenty, but over a pretty broad range of prices. How much are you looking at spending?
Performance Wheels Australia have some nice designs in the style you might like with a little bit of dish. They are pricier than BSA, but are made in Oz, not china. Plenty of 4x100 designs avaliable. Speedy have some good 17" designs if you feel like getting your teeth rattled out. Many O/S brands are avaliable in Oz, but at a price.......