Steel wheels and tyres for Rapid Sport

[Rednaxela]

Hello all,

Could anyone offer me any advice on how easy it would be to change the 17" alloys for 15" steel wheels?

My wife is killing the alloys and I'm fed up with it.

I would not know where to start.

Many thanks in advance. Alex

[Rednaxela]

Oh, I did find this website that assisted, however I have no idea if the technical bit is right.

Would the ride be softer on 15"? Our rapid is the family car.

[camelspyyder]

There are VW factory 6.5 x 16 inch steels for the golf 4 / Bora / Octavia  / Beetle they're 5x100 and should fit perfectly

 

5x100 stud pattern (PCD)

 

 

 

 

 

 

ebay "5x100 steel wheel 16" to see loads

Edited 12 September, 2015 by camelspyyder

[The Plumber]

Rims to meet manufacturers spec should be;

 

6Jx15 ET38

 

Bolt spacing; 5x100

 

Spigot; 57

 

 

Tyres; 185/60 R15 84H

 

 

Ride wise you will find it quite soft and the handling will not be as positive as on the 17" rims. Have run ours on this set-up but with winter pattern tyres and personally I prefer the 16 or 17" options but they do invite kerbing with the rubber band tyres, as obviously your finding.

 

 

TP

[camelspyyder]

If you go for 6.5 X 16 you will want ET42 or 43.

 

15's look very small on a rapid in those huge arches.

[Rednaxela]

Many thanks all, I shall have a look.

[chrisgreen]

Lots of 6j15 ET38 steels on eBay at the moment.

[Rednaxela]

I assume the 15" wheel and tyre will be the same total diameter as the original 17" and tyre.

[chrisgreen]

They should be, more or less. IIRC The steel spare is a 15inch on 1856015 rubber regardless of factory alloy size, suggesting the rolling circumference of all the factory wheel options are roughly the same.

Running on 1856015s (as I already do) will soften the ride and make it a bit less 'crashy' over bumps and potholes.

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[Nels]

You can buy wheel protectors, I think they are made of plastic they go on the outside, they clip on, they come in all colours so they would match the rims you have, they would also hide the existing damage, can't remember what they are called though, I'm sure someone on here would.

[chrisgreen]

You can buy wheel protectors, I think they are made of plastic they go on the outside, they clip on, they come in all colours so they would match the rims you have, they would also hide the existing damage, can't remember what they are called though, I'm sure someone on here would.

Personally, I think they look awful (and when you kerb them, are expensive and fiddly to keep replacing).

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[Stormchaser]

Those Sport wheels do scratch easy. They're a nightmare.

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[NigNB]

Sometimes you can get a deal on the Skoda full size spare with tyre...... Might be worth chancing your arm for a set?

[Guest]

Remember that you may experience a much rougher, less performant ride with steel wheels. Alloys, along with being pretty offer very functional weight reduction in the amount of "unsprung weight" on the car. Also its more difficult to both speed up and slow down as the rotating mass is a bit more.

 

So ride, breaking and acceleration will all suffer.

[Rednaxela]

Thanks for that info, I didn't realise.

[Miller73]

Buy your wife a crappy run about or make her pay for the repair of the wheels.

[camelspyyder]

Has anybody with diamond finish Rays not kerbed them?

[Guest]

OP, why not just go with 15" standard alloys with standard tires. Problem solved.

 

17" alloys have been a learning experience for me. As pretty as they are they are far to easy to scuff up and once that happens they just make the car look rubbish.

My better half scuffed one of mine literally minutes after leaving the forecourt. And it could just as easily have been my own doing.

 

After having a fabia for the weekend with 15" alloys and regular tires the lack of stress of not having to worry about kerbing them makes them worth the cost to the overall look of the car.

The rapid is here for the next 4 or so years, but after that its something with more driving comfort and less concern about what it looks like from the outside.

[camelspyyder]

 

The rapid is here for the next 4 or so years, but after that its something with more driving comfort and less concern about what it looks like from the outside.

 

OK, hands up, who else bought a Rapid because it's "really good looking" (like Zoolander) 

Edited 16 September, 2015 by camelspyyder

[Guest]

OK, hands up, who else bought a Rapid because it's "really good looking" (like Zoolander) 

the sports pack (black glass roof, 17" wheels etc is a lot better looking than the Yeti or fabia but im convinced both are better cars.

Il conceed that it wouldnt be the Jessica Alba of the car world, prob equivalent to one of the ok looking ladies from a daytime soap opera, but you cant remember their name, who you know as  "yer wan from Coronation St who works in the pub".

[camelspyyder]

I find the 17's just about mitigate the stretched out wheelbase on the Spaceback, and truly there are a few really good looking ones about - like kenreid7's red one.

 

But on 15's its proportions look very wrong, and I'm surprised a European manufacturer didn't get the looks spot on before putting it on sale.

 

I expect Chinese, Korean, Malaysian & Indian cars to be deficient in the visual department but not euro market VW products.

[camelspyyder]

As an aside I'm having trouble telling Skodas apart these days - if I see an Octy 3 from the front I cant tell if its a Rapid or not, and yesterday saw an Octy 3 wagon (I thought) which turned out to be a Superb.

 

Is this a good thing Skoda?

[chrisgreen]

No - from the front the current range is really difficult to tell apart.

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[PerArdua]

No - from the front the current range is really difficult to tell apart.

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I'm quite happy for all the folks at work to compliment me on my new Octavia...

And there is a 14 plate Skoda in the car park accross the road from my office which I still haven't figured out if it's a Rapid or an Octavia yet. All the big bosses have Superb saloons as company cars (in fairly boggo spec) and there are a lot of similatrities. Skoda are no different to Audi or VW in this regard - the photocopier (just adjust the scale to 70, 80 or 110%) school of design.

 

I haven't scuffed my 17s yet (had the car 2 weeks) but the diamond cut sports wheels will be pretty much impossible to repair. The Dunlop Tyres they are shod in do have a rim protector of sorts which might help. I don't intend trying them though.

[shorty]

camelspyyder, on 16 Sept 2015 - 12:48, said:

 

Has anybody with diamond finish Rays not kerbed them?

 

I've not kerbed mine yet, 12,000 miles and 7 months so far....shouldn't have said that should I.... 

Edited 17 September, 2015 by shorty