Rims, Tires, & Offsets (Fox)

[mr.kyle.henderson]

IDK what rim size to pick IDK which tires to pick and IDK what offsets I want.

I DO know I want my rims to be light, affordable and durable. I like the stretched look but I don't like the staggered look. I don't like low pro but I do want wider rims and tires, without affecting the performance of the vehicle. I want to drive my vw like its meant to be driven.


Any advice? Any pics? I'm curious what other fox owners put on their cars.

[sippin.fnordies]

wait...stretched but no low profile?? I dont think you get one without the other...

Foxes seem to look best with 13-15" wheels with relatively high offsets. I have personally run 15x5.5 et37s, 13x5.5 et35, and 14x6 et38. Most of these are similar to factory wheels for offsets etc. I know you can get away with wider rims, but fitment on a fox is tight. the 14x6s rubbed on the rear over bumps with 195/60-14s.
If you are really interested in performance then the MUCH lighter (and cheaper) 13's are the way to go. Unfortunately there is a shortage of options for performance tires in 13" sizes.
15's are heavier generally, but have much more inexpensive performance tire options.

your list of wants is very contradictory...
light, cheap, and durable- pick two-you can't have all three (unless you find a good deal on used wheels...)
stretched tires are by definition low profile and wide rims WILL poke a bit on the Fox. In fact, the rear wheels track is about 15mm wider on the rear of a Fox so you get a free staggered look...

IMO if you want a Fox that drives like it should, stick with OEM VW wheels in 13, 14, or15 and spend your money on tires. If you want wide with stretch you won't get a VW that handles well...just one that looks like it does.

here is 15x5.5 et37 on 195/50-15s:
[img=http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5816/0601121729.th.jpg]
and this one is 13x5.5 et35 on 185/60-13s
[img=http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/5983/1101111109.th.jpg]

[mr.kyle.henderson]

[QUOTE=sippin.fnordies;78768328]wait...stretched but no low profile?? I dont think you get one without the other...


IMO if you want a Fox that drives like it should, stick with OEM VW wheels in 13, 14, or15 and spend your money on tires. If you want wide with stretch you won't get a VW that handles well...just one that looks like it does.


Thanks for taking the time to explain that to me. I guess its safe to say IDK what I want haha
I think Im gonna get some nice VW wheels and tires and call it a day. Do you think 6 inches wide is too much? Im concerned it will be much harder to turn my car...no power steering.

[sippin.fnordies]

6 inches is fine, most oem vw alloys are 5.5 to 6 inches wide. if you go back through the pics thread you should be able to get a good idea of what will fit...there is also at least a couple other threads about what wheels fit Foxes well. tons of good info in these.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ls-Need-Advice

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...e-Fox-go-round...

[Mr Roo]

I ran g60 wheels for years. I believe they are called sebrings. Anyway, I ran 195/50/15 and then 205/50/15 and never had any issues. This was on stock suspension, but the 205 always filled the car out and look really good. BTW, I got my g60 wheels at a local junk yard.

[QuantumSyncro]

[QUOTE=mr.kyle.henderson;78780293]

wait...stretched but no low profile?? I dont think you get one without the other...


IMO if you want a Fox that drives like it should, stick with OEM VW wheels in 13, 14, or15 and spend your money on tires. If you want wide with stretch you won't get a VW that handles well...just one that looks like it does.


Thanks for taking the time to explain that to me. I guess its safe to say IDK what I want haha
I think Im gonna get some nice VW wheels and tires and call it a day. Do you think 6 inches wide is too much? Im concerned it will be much harder to turn my car...no power steering.

I have 195/60r14 tires on 6" wheels offset 45 and my steering is very easy.

Your choice of rim width will in some ways dictate what you can and can't do with the offset.

Only other advice I have is to avoid 5" width wheels...

Steve

[mr.kyle.henderson]

I ran g60 wheels for years. I believe they are called sebrings. Anyway, I ran 195/50/15 and then 205/50/15 and never had any issues. This was on stock suspension, but the 205 always filled the car out and look really good. BTW, I got my g60 wheels at a local junk yard.

thats a good idea...i didnt even think about it
thanks

[redone17]

I'm on a hunt for a good set of 15x6-7 from the 80s.

Slim pickins.

[novws]

I have 6x14" BMW bottle cap wheels on one of my Foxes. The offset is 35mm. They work well, but I did have to roll the rear fenders a little. These wheels are easy to find and cheap to purchase.

[QuantumSyncro]

I'm on a hunt for a good set of 15x6-7 from the 80s.

Slim pickins.

Get yourself a set of 15" LeCas wheels from someone in Canada or perhaps the 15" Estoril 5 spoke? I've always liked both of them. Not sure how the Estoril would look on a Fox though.

Maybe a set of Borbet type C's in 15x6?

Steve

[voxwagen88]

15" Le Castellets

[QuantumSyncro]

15" Le Castellets

Saw those in the pic of your car at the show....very nice! Are they clear over the polished face or raw?

I'd love to find a set of the Estorils but you don't see any of them down this way, and it's tough to get wheels shipped out of the north country now, transport costs are just too much everywhere.

Steve

[mike in SC]

It took me 2.5 years to find a complete set of 14 inch Le Castellettes (sp???) They need some attention, but I know they will look good on the wagon. Currently have snowflakes on the wagon now.

[voxwagen88]

Steve-
Clear over polish.
I think there are both Estorils and LeCastellets in the 4X100 classifieds right now. And the seller is in the US.

Mike-
Snowflakes work on the car.
I'm keeping half an eye out for a set of 14s as well... maybe for r compounds or 14's on one car 15s on the other....

[QuantumSyncro]

Steve-
Clear over polish.
I think there are both Estorils and LeCastellets in the 4X100 classifieds right now. And the seller is in the US.

I found someone in the 4x100 forum selling Estorils as Imolas...but they won't ship and a person would have to polish them to make them usable.

I have several sets of 14" wheels and not really looking to accumulate any more at this time. I have a set of 14" Imolas that I'm thinking of sticking on the Fox to see how I like them.

My new house has a small garage and so I have to divest of some of the crap I've kept over the years. Last week I hauled a set of marginal avus (snowflakes) to the scrap yard because I couldn't sell them locally and shipping now is cost prohibitive.

Steve

[bluetoes591]

Yeah, the guy who won't ship has a set of the 15" Le Castaletts. http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ne-VW-amp-RARE!

Plus the 15" Estorils. http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...8#post78787458

[mr.kyle.henderson]

I'm on a hunt for a good set of 15x6-7 from the 80s.

Slim pickins.

Yeah, your not joking. A set of 4 in decent condition is difficult to find.

[QuantumSyncro]

It took me 2.5 years to find a complete set of 14 inch Le Castellettes (sp???) They need some attention, but I know they will look good on the wagon. Currently have snowflakes on the wagon now.

Same here, took several years to get all four. I found two at one time and then about a year later another, and then finally found the last one about a year after that. The first two came from an '88 Carat, the third from the remnants of a B3 Passat and the last one was hanging on the fence at a local small JY.

[mr.kyle.henderson]

I have 6x14" BMW bottle cap wheels on one of my Foxes. The offset is 35mm. They work well, but I did have to roll the rear fenders a little. These wheels are easy to find and cheap to purchase.

Okay, I got my bottlecaps.
I just sent then to the powdercoater. (Lime green)

What are the tire specs in these pictures??

[myboxyfox]

Lime green? Wow, can't wait to see those on your Fox! Good choice on the wheels too!

[novws]

The tires were 185/60/14 BF Goodriches that were nearly new at the time the photo was taken.

The masochist in me can't wait to see pics of your car with lime green wheels!

[mr.kyle.henderson]

The tires were 185/60/14 BF Goodriches that were nearly new at the time the photo was taken.

The masochist in me can't wait to see pics of your car with lime green wheels!

I'm excited, thanks for the info.
After countless hours on the tire calculator I decided I want a very small amount of stretch and ended up with 170/65r14
Call me crazy, but at the end of the day, this is the setup I chose. I get the rims back next week and imma grab some tires on Friday(pay day) pics will come.

[mr.kyle.henderson]

Well my girlfriends pos Chevy cobalt is in the shop so those rims are just sitting in the garage (bugging me so bad) once I get some extra cash ill get some new rubber and pick up those rims