Wheels Help - ET on wheel for a 16v 2.0 should be?

[StuartFZR400 0]

Im trying to go back ot standard. Off the top of my head I recollect the book saying 15" x 6j with ET35, or 6.5j ET33.

 

As the perfect rims never appear when you need them Im always asking my self would xyz fit my car. To answer this can anyone explain how the ET works and how i can tell if they fit my car, how they affect my cars handling.

 

Going by vw standard sizes, as above, I stupidly assumed that a wider wheel requires a small offset. Thus making a 7j requiring an et31 - is that correct or wrong?

Because when i sat down to figure it out, i came to teh conclusion that my current 7j's with ET38 fit nicely, as they do not stick out beyond the body.

 

In which case, it appears you increase offset when you increase width - but thats not what vw do....?!?!?!?!?!?

[StuartFZR400 0]

My limited understanding leads me to believe:

 

A bigger offset, moves the studs away from the HUB, thus moving the outer edge of a wheel away from your hub, and the car too.

 

Putting a wider wheel, 7j, in a simple world would mean you would need to move the wheel away from the car, to avoid rubbing on the arch i guess. Hence a larger ET required. However in reality you can afford to move just a bit over (not 0.5") and so increase ET only a bit.

 

Tyre contact with floor = handling

Lets say we keep the inner part of the wheel exactly in the same place in relation to the car [from above], and made the wheel wider; surely this makes the handling more stable?

However, if we moved the tyre in towards the centre of the car, would this make the car feel nervous / twitchy?

Then if we kept the wheel the same width, but moved that wheel away from the car, does that make it more stable or slower to turn?

 

 

I will leave Toe & camber to the specialists once wheels bought.

 

[all based on standard springs]

[StuartFZR400 0]

Ive seen a set of 16x7 with ET35. What would need doing to make these fit, and make the car feel ok?

[Jim 2]

I run those same size wheels with no fitment problems. The only thing i've found is that it seems to have introduced a lot more understeer when compared to my slightly wider with deeper ET BBS wheels!

 

They appear quite narrow from the back as well, but thankfully as the car is quite low it hides that. I'd say you want 7.5 wide ideally..

[Henny 0]

humm... 7.5x16? Where have I seen wheels that size before? ;)

 

7.5x16 et 30 or 35 fit onto an early valver or G60 nicely, look great and don't mess up the ride quality much too! 8)

[StuartFZR400 0]

Cheers jim; glad they work for you, however i need to know what that setup is doing to the car. You may well be right in that it works fine. Not sure i agree about needing 7.5's.... wide boy - drag racing here we come!!

 

Any experts about? pm's welcome

[Jim 2]

Simply put, the Corrado suits slightly deeper wheels. I find that my 7's (despite looking great from the side) just look a little too narrow when you look at them from behind. I'd go with Henny's sizing reccomendations - the Borbets on his Corrado look perfect!

[chrishill 0]

hennys are ET30 and IIRC hes used spacers to get them to ET35, although he'll probably correct me on that! Mine are ET35 (same borbet c's as henny) and make the car feel alot more stable than it did on the standard 7x15's. Ride wasnt that different on stock suspension, no more harsh really. I think its just the extra width in the tyres aiding the levels of grip that helps with stability.

[Henny 0]

chrishill, yup, Correction time! :lol: Mine are et30, with 11mm front spacers to get 'em to clear the Brembo calipers! :lol: so fronts are et19 rears are et30... ;)

 

I used to run on 'em without spacers before I went mad modding the car and they still looked and felt excellent then too! 8)

[Dec 1]

soooo!!

 

I've been looking for wheels to clear the same set of Ibiza Brembos (not fitted yet!!).....I found a good deal on a set of 16x7's...but with an ET of 42.

 

So then 23mm spacers would be required!!...is this possible/realistic/safe?

[chrishill 0]

have you had many problems running spaced fronts and not rears? i've got some 6mm spacers that I was planning to put on both front and rear, but the fronts are fine its just the rears that could do with sitting a little further out, wasnt sure if i'd mess the handling up if i did that though!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Not necessarily, get the wheels first and then figure out what spacers you need. It's not cast in stone that you need ET19 to clear Brembos, it's just what Henny found he had to do to get the spokes to clear. You might find your wheel design has more clearance and can therefore get away with a thinner spacer.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

have you had many problems running spaced fronts and not rears? i've got some 6mm spacers that I was planning to put on both front and rear, but the fronts are fine its just the rears that could do with sitting a little further out, wasnt sure if i'd mess the handling up if i did that though!

 

No it's fine. The front track is wider than the rear track by default anyway so more width at the front won't hurt.

[Dec 1]

Not necessarily, get the wheels first and then figure out what spacers you need. It's not cast in stone that you need ET19 to clear Brembos, it's just what Henny found he had to do to get the spokes to clear. You might find your wheel design has more clearance and can therefore get away with a thinner spacer.

Great, cheers!!

 

If I did have to put in a larger spacer such as a 23mm....it wouldn't be too wide to be safe etc?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

19 is too shallow for my liking but Henny gets away with it, so thumbs up!

[StuartFZR400 0]

Dec, are you sure about the ET?

I know most people dont care, but Im telling you it makes sense to ensure you get the right ET, within reason. That sounds like a big ET, doesnt that push the wheel outwards, beyond the skirt?

[Dec 1]

Yeah I thought the ET sounded larger than usual!

 

Will double check now...before I even think about buying them!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

ET42 means the inboard side of the tyre is likely to foul the inner arch on full lock on a G60/16V, but is in fact the factory ET for the VR6. Deep offsets pull the wheel into the arch and shallow ones push them away from the hub. Easy to remember - small ET = out, big ET = in.

 

If he wants them to clear the Brembos, then ET42 + spacers is absolutely fine.

[StuartFZR400 0]

chrishill, yup, Correction time! :lol: Mine are et30, with 11mm front spacers to get 'em to clear the Brembo calipers! :lol: so fronts are et19 rears are et30... ;)

 

So how does a 11mm spacer make ET30 fall to ET19? Are you saying a spacer makes the ET smaller?

That certainly changes my understanding. Confirm?

[Dec 1]

Isn't the ET the distance from the centreline of the wheel to the mounting face on the inside of the wheel? therfore a spacer will move the mounting face further towards the centreline and reduce the offset/ET?

[Dec 1]

This might be of some use :wink:

 

http://http://www.fourstarmotorsports.com/Cata ... ram_01_new[1].gif

[Geo 0]

Here's a diagram explaining the ET measurement. What Dec has said is correct. If you imagine a spacer next to the inner mating face of the wheel then the ET will be reduced....

 

[align=center][/align]

[Geo 0]

Damn beaten to it LOL!

[Dec 1]

Ahhh...my pic was too small anyway!!!!

[StuartFZR400 0]

EEk - its first day back to work and brians not in gear; of course offset is from centre line, my mistake.

 

However my first question remains... what ET can i use with a 6 or 6.5j wheel, yet keep super handling?