Changing wheels, any implications?

[GolfMatchMK7]

Hi everyone,

I have a MK7 Golf Match TSI. I really want to change the alloys as the ones currently on now (16” Dover) aren’t really to my liking. I just want to upgrade to the 17” Singapore Alloys (on most GTD’s and R-Lines).

Is it as simple as swapping it over or is there anything else I need to do? Also, are there any implications with the 2 year warranty provided by VW Dealership? Will be going for genuine OEM (Pre-Owned) and not replicas.

Pretty new to all this type of stuff so would really appreciate your opinions and advice!

Cheers.

 

[Father Seth]

As far as I know, there shouldnt be any issue with swapping your factory wheels for factory wheels. Even if you went with aftermarket, I wouldnt expect there to be any issue unless your new wheels were stupidly sized and collided with the suspension or were offset extremely far.
I am in the US though so I'm not sure how different it would be in London.

 

[Mikeyd1]

No issues at all , I’ve changed wheels loads of times from 16 to 19 and back down again. Just reset your tyre pressure monitor after each change.

 

[GolfMatchMK7]

Tha

No issues at all , I’ve changed wheels loads of times from 16 to 19 and back down again. Just reset your tyre pressure monitor after each change.

Thanks for the reply bud. Some people have told me the wheels need balancing and re-alignment? Or is that nonsense? Also was there a reason you went back down again?

 

[NopeR]

Put em on. Enjoy.

/thread.

 

[GolfMatchMK7]

Put em on. Enjoy.

/thread.

Haha I wish it was that easy for me. I’m really paranoid about the smallest things plus dealing with Dealerships is a pain, they’ll find the smallest things to not deal with any issues on your car under warranty. I can just imagine them saying we can’t deal with whatever problem because you’ve changed the supplied wheels!

 

[Mikeyd1]

Tha

Thanks for the reply bud. Some people have told me the wheels need balancing and re-alignment? Or is that nonsense? Also was there a reason you went back down again?

Wheels won’t need a alignment unless your cars alignment is already out. Most used car wheels could do with balancing but if all tyres and wheels look in nice condition then you will probably be fine. And no reason coming back down from 19s I just get bored, I think the 17s and 18s are very similar so don’t worry enjoy your wheels , I’ve had the Singapore’s on my car before they are nice wheels and loads better than the 16s what come with the golf match.

 

[Mikeyd1]

Also no issues with warranty, dealership won’t even notice as the 17 inch Singapore’s was a option on your car. Enjoy

 

[golfdave]

Tell your insurance as the cost of a direct replacement car has now gone up....

 

[NopeR]

You're replacing an oem vw wheel with another oem vw wheel that is extremely comparable.. You're only going +1 over what it came with. Big deal. The dealership won't give a flying fuck. If they do, you need to go to a different dealer that doesn't go full retard.

 

[SnailpowerMk7]

Wheels won’t need a alignment unless your cars alignment is already out. Most used car wheels could do with balancing but if all tyres and wheels look in nice condition then you will probably be fine. And no reason coming back down from 19s I just get bored, I think the 17s and 18s are very similar so don’t worry enjoy your wheels , I’ve had the Singapore’s on my car before they are nice wheels and loads better than the 16s what come with the golf match.

But the real question is, how did performance differ based on wheel size? Which one felt better in a straight? I think we can agree the larger wheels felt better in turns... Anything else you notice or recommend for the sweet spot?

 

[GolfMatchMK7]

Tell your insurance as the cost of a direct replacement car has now gone up...

hi mate. Would this have an effect on the premium e.g price increase??

I looked into this and to be honest, as far as they know the wheels came with the car when I bought it and 17 inchers which you find as standard on most cars nowadays aren’t really considered a mod. One of my pals had a MK6 and put the GTD wheels on them, and after a huge accident they wasn’t concerned about the wheels probably because they were OEM and assumed that it came with vehicle as standard. Or are Insurance Companies really that clued up to know which exact models should come with which exact wheel? Let me know!

 

[Father Seth]

hi mate. Would this have an effect on the premium e.g price increase??

I looked into this and to be honest, as far as they know the wheels came with the car when I bought it and 17 inchers which you find as standard on most cars nowadays aren’t really considered a mod. One of my pals had a MK6 and put the GTD wheels on them, and after a huge accident they wasn’t concerned about the wheels probably because they were OEM and assumed that it came with vehicle as standard. Or are Insurance Companies really that clued up to know which exact models should come with which exact wheel? Let me know!

I think this is one of those "It depends" questions. I have two friends who have been in situations I feel are relevant:

Friend 1 - Had a GTI with Golf R pret wheels and did not have any sort of "modification" insurance or report the wheel change to his insurance. His car was hit, and they ended up giving him stock Austins, even though he told them they were factory wheels.

Friend 2 - Has BMW 335i with modified car coverage. He has a lot of suspension components from the M3, aftermarket wheels, and factory fog lights he got secondhand. They gave him money for the wheels, wanted to give him money for stock suspension, and told him he was shit out of luck for the fogs. He argued with them about the M3 suspension parts and they caved, BUT his factory option fogs since he bought them secondhand and never reported it to his insurance have not been covered.

So in general the insurance companies will try to get you back on the road but will try to pay as little as they can to do so, some companies will try harder than others to save money though. In OPs case, I would recommend contacting your insurance directly and get something in writing. Since some companies practice slightly different than others that's probably the best bet.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Tha

Thanks for the reply bud. Some people have told me the wheels need balancing and re-alignment? Or is that nonsense? Also was there a reason you went back down again?

Wheels definitely need to be balanced. The alignment won't change.

 

[SRGTD]

hi mate. Would this have an effect on the premium e.g price increase??

I looked into this and to be honest, as far as they know the wheels came with the car when I bought it and 17 inchers which you find as standard on most cars nowadays aren’t really considered a mod. One of my pals had a MK6 and put the GTD wheels on them, and after a huge accident they wasn’t concerned about the wheels probably because they were OEM and assumed that it came with vehicle as standard. Or are Insurance Companies really that clued up to know which exact models should come with which exact wheel? Let me know!

I’d inform the insurance company. You’ll probably find there’s a requirement to notify any modifications to your insurer in the small print of your insurance policy, and in the UK most insurers consider any change from the way the car left the factory production line as a modification, although there’s no standard approach by insurance companies. I‘ve read on some forums that some insurance companies also want to know about factory fitted options!

I've changed the wheels on the last three of my cars - twice for a different set of VW alloys and the third time for a set of aftermarket alloys. On the first and third times I changed there was no change in premium and the second time I was charged something like an extra £15 a year.

So for the sake of a phone call and possibly a small change in premium, IMO I’d tell them if you go ahead with the wheel change. If you didn't tell them and your car was damaged, involved in an accident or stolen and you claimed under your policy, it could affect the outcome of the claim - and not in your favour!