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Wheel help...

bearJW

Ready to race!
Location
San Francisco
So I had to buy new wheels for my car since I hit some severely nasty pot holes around Palm Springs, CA and bent my wheels. My tires were cupping and it was loud.

I should have just bought OEM wheels, but instead went on a well known wheel and tire website to purchase both wheels and tires.

I decided to go from 18" to 17" thinking it'd be a little softer and smoother...

I found a set of OEM looking wheels and bought a wheel and tire package, pre balanced, everything. I was told they'd fit fine by the chat person on the well known Tire and Wheel website.

The installation place installed them but it felt really weird and bad, turns out they needed to be balanced.They balanced the wheels but it felt like my GTI was ruined. It felt very strange and had weird vibrations... turns out they were installed without hubcentric rings.... went to another place to have the rings that the well known place sent put on. Didn't fix anything. Still weird vibrations and a thrumming sound.

At this point I brought the car to the local dealer thinking it was something with the car. Nothing wrong with the wheel bearings or suspension or anything.

Went to a buddy's that has a shop, the hub centric rings needed to be seated in the wheel rather than on the hub. He did this to the back wheels... it still feels funny.

I then contacted ECStuning. They suggested these other hubcentric rings that they say should make everything work.

This has been a huge hassle.

Should I just ditch these wheels and buy a set of used OEM ones?

Any thoughts? Can after market wheels with rings feel as good as wheels that just fit?
 
Last edited:

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Yes aftermarket wheels with rings can feel the same as OEM. I don't know why a different set of rings would do anything. They are either hubcentric or they're not. It sounds like they still aren't balanced properly. Go to a reputable tire store.
 

Wade_GT

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles
Car(s)
'17 GTI S 6M
What brand tires did you get out of curiousity?
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
I also went through this issues when I got my first set of aftermarket wheels.

There are, unfortunately, several variables here.

1. the wheels may require cone-seat lugs (OEM are ball-seat)
2. If you’re using plastic hub rings, order rings from BFI for the MK7. The Mk7 has a tapered hub that doesn’t play well with all hubrings.
3. Tires may be out of round
4. Get OEM wheels. There are tons for sale for cheap on this forum and vwvortex.
 

bearJW

Ready to race!
Location
San Francisco
Yes aftermarket wheels with rings can feel the same as OEM. I don't know why a different set of rings would do anything. They are either hubcentric or they're not. It sounds like they still aren't balanced properly. Go to a reputable tire store.
The tires have been balanced at 2 reputable shops, and one even remounted them. I am hoping the ECS rings solve my issues. I have seen videos on youtube where things got better when they got new rings?

We'll see!
 

bearJW

Ready to race!
Location
San Francisco
I also went through this issues when I got my first set of aftermarket wheels.

There are, unfortunately, several variables here.

1. the wheels may require cone-seat lugs (OEM are ball-seat)
2. If you’re using plastic hub rings, order rings from BFI for the MK7. The Mk7 has a tapered hub that doesn’t play well with all hubrings.
3. Tires may be out of round
4. Get OEM wheels. There are tons for sale for cheap on this forum and vwvortex.
I am going to be checking on the lugs.

Tire Rack sent metal ones, after not sending any... but obviously something is off still. Hoping the ones from ECS do it.

I've been told by two shops and my dealer that the tires are fine.

OEM wheels... this will be the final option. Then I'll have to sell the wheels/tires I already have. Which is a hassle I'd rather not deal with. But I may have to?
 

El_bigote_AJ

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
2019 GTI bunny
hub ring that fit right work perfectly fine... its not related to fitting on the wheel first or fitting on the hub first.

you didn't say what wheels you are using so we can even confirm what size OD the rings need to be, the ID will need to be 57.1.

also have you confirmed that the wheels are indeed 5x112 and not 5x114.3.
 

bearJW

Ready to race!
Location
San Francisco
hub ring that fit right work perfectly fine... its not related to fitting on the wheel first or fitting on the hub first.

you didn't say what wheels you are using so we can even confirm what size OD the rings need to be, the ID will need to be 57.1.

also have you confirmed that the wheels are indeed 5x112 and not 5x114.3.
The wheel size is 5x112, center bore of the wheel is 72.2mm.

The wheels in question are the Radius WI15. They looked kind of OEM so I went with those.

In any event the hub rings ECS said would do the trick did not fit and actually broke when we tried them out. The metal rings tire rack sent are all chewed up. I found Dallas wheels locally, so I am just going with that and will try to sell the tire rack wheels I guess. Kinda feel like I should have just gone OEM in the first place... and that Tire Rack sold me wheels that don't really work for my car. Live and learn I guess. The lack of customer support from Tire Rack (basically you have to do any leg work, and after 7 visits to tire shops recommended by TR that either couldn't care less about my issues, refused to do the test TR asked for, or just said everything was ok, I'm over it.

Just too much hassle.

In any event, my car will be nice again soon.

Thanks for the help everyone!
 

bearJW

Ready to race!
Location
San Francisco
hub ring that fit right work perfectly fine... its not related to fitting on the wheel first or fitting on the hub first.

you didn't say what wheels you are using so we can even confirm what size OD the rings need to be, the ID will need to be 57.1.

also have you confirmed that the wheels are indeed 5x112 and not 5x114.3.
TR specifically told me that the rings had to be put in the wheel first. Honestly I've learned a bunch from doing all this... maybe you are correct that it isn't related to in the wheel first, or on the hub, just repeating what I was told by the "experts".
 

bearJW

Ready to race!
Location
San Francisco
I also went through this issues when I got my first set of aftermarket wheels.

There are, unfortunately, several variables here.

1. the wheels may require cone-seat lugs (OEM are ball-seat)
2. If you’re using plastic hub rings, order rings from BFI for the MK7. The Mk7 has a tapered hub that doesn’t play well with all hubrings.
3. Tires may be out of round
4. Get OEM wheels. There are tons for sale for cheap on this forum and vwvortex.
I have gone with option 4. Just too much hassle to try and get this to work. Now I have the hassle of selling these wheels. Oh well!

Thanks for responding!
 
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