anjohn17 Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 I recently purchased a 2007 LGT on the stock 17's running winter tires. Rather than purchasing new summer tires, I was hoping to swap my summer wheels/tires from my 2001 VW Jetta. My Jetta has 18" 5x100 wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero 215/45-18's. I only ran them for two summers, which in northern Minnesota, is about 4 months. If I had to estimate, they probably have 12-15k on them. My questions: 1) Will these guys even fit right? I ran a tire size comparison and it looks like it would be an inch larger diameter overall. I compared to 215/45-17 which is the tire that the previous owner ran in the summer. So will a 1" larger rim cause me any rubbing? Tire Size Comparison Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference 215/45-17 3.8in 12.3in 24.6in 77.3in 819 0.0% 215/45-18 3.8in 12.8in 25.6in 80.5in 787 4.1% 2) How concerned should I be running these tires from a FWD car over to my AWD LGT? I know anything over 1/4" difference can make my diffs work overtime, but if these have limited miles and were rotated as suggested, should I worry? (tire wear appears normal) Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesedil Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 The overall diameter increase is an inch, but the tires will only poke an extra half inch into your wheel well. If you have a stock ride height, or a very modest drop, I'd be surprised if the extra half inch would cause rubbing. Keep in mind, however, that the 1 inch diameter difference will prevent you from using your spare tire in the case of a flat. You'll have to either attempt a repair or call a flatbed. The best way to find out if all of the tires are equally worn is to measure the treads on all 4. Either pick up a tire tread depth gauge or go someplace that has one to know for sure. One thing that you haven't mentioned is the width and offset of the 18's. The 215 tires on both sets of wheels imply that the 18's are the same width as your stock wheels, but if they're in fact wider and/or the offset is different, you'll want to ensure that the wheels won't interfere with your suspension. 215's are pretty narrow, so I'd be surprised if there's a concern, but you may want to double-check anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O.C.D. Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 In my attempt at almost purchasing some VW wheels I learned that they are not the same lug nut seat as a Subie. We have the conical aka, 60 degree lug seats. I believe the VW has a ball type that won't work with our cars. Maybe someone who knows more can chime in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anjohn17 Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 The best way to find out if all of the tires are equally worn is to measure the treads on all 4. One thing that you haven't mentioned is the width and offset of the 18's. That makes sense. I suppose the easiest thing is to just manually measure the tread on all four to be sure. For the life of me, I can't remember the width and offset on these wheels. I do seem to remember that the 215's replaced 225's that were on the wheels previously. I think the 215's are very mildly stretched. Guess I'll have to take some measurements or check out the manufacturer's website. In my attempt at almost purchasing some VW wheels I learned that they are not the same lug nut seat as a Subie. We have the conical aka, 60 degree lug seats. I believe the VW has a ball type that won't work with our cars. The lug nuts hadn't even crossed my mind yet! Good call. Although these are aftermarket wheels that I put on my Jetta along with 10MM spacers. I am pretty sure that the wheels do have a conical seat. I vaguely remember that since I had to purchase longer bolts due to the spacers. I'll have to check this when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1slowdriver Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Also, without the intention of adding confusion - are you aftermarket rims hub-centric, and do you have hub-centric rings compatible to your legacy gt? 2001 jetta mkiv has 57.1mm hub bore 05-09 legacygt has 56.1mm hub bore you would need/want the proper hub-centric rings to ensure balance and vibration reduction. I doubt that your aftermarket rims are lug-centric, but you would want to make sure. info for hub-centric vs lug-centric http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Hub-Centric-Vs-Lug-Centric info on jetta mkiv stuff http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1776138 http://tires.about.com/od/understanding_wheels/a/hub-centric-vs-lug-centric-wheels.htm cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drift Motion Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 the need for hub centric ring is minimal as the lug are conical seat, and will center itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1slowdriver Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 the need for hub centric ring is minimal as the lug are conical seat, and will center itself True, but not in this case. OP was referencing a set of aftermarket rims with prior use on a MKIV VW, which use ball-seat, which do not center, and have the potential for the lug nuts to walk out if OP re-uses factory LGT conical lugs. Although rings aren't necessary all the time with hub centric rims, discarding their use has the potential to allow unwanted humming and vibration at highway speeds. Depends on the rim, car, tire, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drift Motion Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 you shouldn't be mixing ball seat and conical seat in the first place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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