I am thinking of changing my 2024 19 inch alloys to 17 inch. I can cheaply refurbish old alloys so was wondering what old skoda, vw, audi etc wheels have the same 5 x112 45et offset in 17 inch wheels. Then I can look for them in salvage/reclamation sites. Getting new tyres to keep the same rolling diameter.

Most VAG stuff is between ET45 and ET50 and will all be the same PCD, centre bore, etc.

Just like on a recent post about part-worn tyres, there is a strong argument against used wheels. If they're in good condition then sure, get them checked and whack them on. If they're needed decent refurbishment then maybe think again - you've no idea their history.

Thanks for reply. I was tempted by wheels off a Yeti but et was 33, don't want spacers. I may end up buying new but cash asked for some is out of my budget.

4 hours ago, jimairi said:

Then I can look for them in salvage/reclamation sites.

for wheels? It depends how much you value your life and that of the people in the car with you.

I totally understand that you get what you pay for. Any secondhand wheels would go firstly to a diamond cutting wheel specialist to be fully refurbished and coated to the colour I wanted. Any faults cracks or previous poor repairs would on their say so be binned or repaired to oem standard, with full guarantee. Thanks for your concern, and it is fully agreed with. My problem is some brand new aftermarket alloys are unfit for purpose dependant on where they are manufactured.

8 minutes ago, jimairi said:

My problem is some brand new aftermarket alloys are unfit for purpose dependant on where they are manufactured.

Not surprised.

There are two sides to the coin. What's better, banged up OE alloys, or a set of Romac wheels? I know what my money would be on.

I personally wouldn't be keen on salvage/reclamation wheels as these can have issues that you can't see with the naked eye. It's not so much about obvious cracks and poor repairs as it is any micro-cracks or defects that have occurred as a result of the age. Lightly worn OE wheels are another story however - wheels that are a few years old with kerb marks are likely a decent bet.

I personally wouldn't cheap out on wheels, but I'm also the kind of person to put on the best tyres possible and wait until the engine oil is hot before accelerating with any intent.

Something like Bola are probably worth looking at, although as with all of these they'll need spigot rings and they aren't really the best. On my vRS I'd only run Revo or Racingline - something reliable with a 57.1mm CB from factory. That said, anything from TD, OZ, Rotiform, etc are fine too - I just have this thing against spigot rings.

On a Karoq, I could probably be persuaded to stick on some options from Bola or the like, although this is assuming the car isn't towing anything, blah blah. There is a reason why OE wheels cost so much compared to aftermarket stuff. That said, 17 inch shouldn't be too bad. If you don't care about getting current Skoda wheels, you should be able to pick up some 17" SEAT wheels for a reasonable price.

Looking at Premium-Wheels of Germany bit the smallest is 18 inch. They do come wheel and tyre make and model specific.

Yes - a company like that is a good port of call. I think we/I thought you were on about a breaker up north with a few blurry photos on eBay. They're good for some things, but not wheels.

Something like this is very smart - https://premiumwheels.de/en/17-Zoll-Felgen-original-VW-Tiguan-II-2-Galway-5NA601025AL-Al/171738500

I did also see 16 inch wheels for something Skoda SUV-y. It might just be something you have to wait a little bit for (drop them a line).

Thanks, just really don't like the 19 inch currently on mine. Fair bit of curb rash and although probably best for handling. Miss Daisy would beat me in a race so not so important as comfort. I know Karoq's previously came on 17inch wheels but can't source skoda originals on line.

7Jx17 ET45 5/112 57.1 alloy rims (from Audi Q2)

81A601025A 8Z8

81A601025B 8Z8

81A601025C 8Z8

81A601025D 8Z8

81A601025AJ 8Z8

81A601025AK 8Z8

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/audi/RDW/AQ2/803/6/601/601070

7Jx17 ET45 5/112 57.1 alloy rims (from VW T-Roc)

2GA601025B ZD8

2GA601025N FZZ

2GA601025P XM4

2GA601025K XZ6

2GA601025A 8Z8

2GA601025J DM9

2GA601025R FZZ

2GA601025AF FZZ

2GA601025AG FZZ

2GA601025AC 8Z8

2GA601025AR FZZ

2GA601025M 8Z8

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/vw/RDW/TRO/813/6/601/601060

7Jx17 ET45 5/112 57.1 alloy rims (from Karoq)

57A601025C 8Z8

57A601025F 8Z8

57A601025H FL8

57A601025AB

57A601025AR

57A601025B

57A601025AA

57A601025AT

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/skoda/CZ/KAR/834/6/601/601065

7Jx17 ET45 5/112 57.1 alloy rims (from Yeti)

5L0601025 7ZS

5L0601025N HA7

5L0601025A 7ZS

5L0601025H 7ZS

5L0601025B 7ZS

5L0601025F FL8

5L0601025G 8Z8

5L0601025L 8Z8

5L0601025Q FL8

5L0601025S FL8

5L0601025K 8Z8

5L0601025AC HA7

5L0601025AB FL8

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/skoda/CZ/YET/666/6/601/601070

Edited 16 April16 Apr by Carlston

12 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

I personally wouldn't be keen on salvage/reclamation wheels as these can have issues that you can't see with the naked eye.

I was in Jaguar R&D at the time Ford owned them, looking at their commuter simulation system.

They showed what the computer did if you added a crease or bulge to the bonnet.

The computer did the lot... wind/drag analysis. Both externally and internally to the engine bay. All the finite stress analysis on the "new" bonnet, how that played into the crumple zone. This was apart from the weight change and weight distribution and how it affected the hinges.

They do the same sort of thing on their wheels. Full stress analysis, they know all the weights of wheels, tyres, and the cars, speed, handling, loadings, tyre combinations etc even for Škoda aerodynamics and wind resistance (they all do that). How many third party wheel makers do this for their wheels? They do for F1 and some other classifications where there is money involved.

I have seen people design wheels "artistically" and I am sure the software does have checks and rules so it should flag problems. That is, assuming you have told it precisely the parameters the wheel needs to meet.

Do those doing refurbishment of wheels do a full analysis of them? Have they been over stressed at any point? Are there any fractures, visible or not? I forget what it is called but you can do a form of x-ray probing on them to look through the metal to look for problems, many of which will not be visible to the naked eye.

Given, it is the wheels and tyres that keep you safe, it might be foolish to use refurbished/reclaimed wheels of un known or untested provenance.

Thank you Carlston for that extensive list that gives me plenty of scope. Chills I think you may be talking about dye penetration check. The company that I would go to carry this out also with sounding checks. Amongst many other checks truing etc. Any refurbishment carried out is guaranteed. As I've said I would not fit inferior or damaged wheels to my car but many thanks for your concern. Others may read the post in the future and stuff any old salvaged wheels on without getting them properly assessed by a professional.

Not all used wheels and tyres are bad news. I have two sets of wheels for my karoq, both sets bought secondhand. My winter set came with the car, the factory fitted 18s with about 1/2 worn tyres which got removed and fitted with2 new and 2 used vredestien winters. They have now done 2 winters, probably about 7000 miles the wheels had done 52000 miles when I bought the car. The summer set were bought 4 tears ago,off aguy who had them on a vw transporter. They had eent Michelin cross climates on two and two new kormoran when I bought them. They did 24000 miles on my yeti, and another 8000 on the karoq. The Michelin have just been replaced with the best two Bridgestone I removed nearly two years ago. I have had no problems.

Now my question to those who would not use used wheels or tyres is, if you were to buy a 5 year old car with 52k covered as I did would you then change all 4 tyres with new immediately, or evenchange all 4 wheels and tyres immediately? After all you don't know the history of then, could have been kerbed or buckled or punctured and repaired poorly but look brand new.

6 minutes ago, daviemck2006 said:

Now my question to those who would not use used wheels or tyres is, if you were to buy a 5 year old car with 52k covered as I did would you then change all 4 tyres with new immediately, or evenchange all 4 wheels and tyres immediately? After all you don't know the history of then, could have been kerbed or buckled or punctured and repaired poorly but look brand new.

Fair point, but if the car is in reasonable condition the wheels should be too. You can make a judgment call.

However, if it is reclaimed/reconditioned wheels, you have zero idea about the car, or cars, they came off

Here we go again...

When buying a used car I change the tyres immediately, however this is generally due to them being main dealer cars with very new but rubbish/unmatched tyres on them. If they were good condition, high quality tyres I'd probably run them for a bit, but if there was anything suspect with them I'd change them.

I also check the alloys for any obvious repairs, etc, however as @chills says, if the car is in good condition then it is unlikely to have any real issues as far as the wheels are concerned. That said, I haven't bought a car with more than 20k on it, so maybe if it's a bit older I would consider getting them checked.

The issue with secondhand wheels is that someone is selling them for a reason. Maybe they're just surplus to requirements, maybe they upgraded or maybe there are other reasons - the point is, you don't know.

As has been discussed on another post, second hand tyres aren't worth it. It takes a lot to buckle an OE wheel - it doesn't take a lot to mess with a tyre. That's not to mention that wheels are (generally) good for immense numbers of miles, heat cycles, etc. Tyres are not.

I'm in the position that I can afford to buy quality brand new tyres for my car. If I wasn't able to afford them, as has been said on other posts, I would reconsider my ownership of the car. My road tax is very nearly the price of two decent tyres - how could I possibly justify the potential compromise on safety, for such a small price.

TLDR - used wheels, within reason, are generally safe bets. OP will be getting them stripped/inspected which is even better. I personally wouldn't use second-hand wheels that I don't know the history of, but that's just me.

There are so many people on this forum that rant on about used tyres. If they want to do that then that's fine - but why don't they also use part-worn windscreen wipers, part-knackered batteries and part-used engine oil. It is exactly the same principle.

Sure, people have used part-worn tyres for years! People have also ridden mountain bikes for years without proper equipment - until one day you go into a tree and end up in a wheelchair.

When I'm in the outside lane, doing exactly the speed limit, with the car full, my girlfriend next to me, in heavy rain at night, I take comfort knowing that my brand new Michelin PS5s will offer me the very best chance in stopping and resisting aquaplaning. If you want to mess around with part-worn tyres, then that's up to you.

I'm the sort of person that puts a new purchase up on the ramp and spends several hours checks over the condition of everything, just to be sure. Every few weeks, I'll go around the car quickly and check that everything is as it should be, just to be sure. I carry a first aid kid, LED road flare and other safety items too in the boot, just to be sure.

Driving is dangerous enough without having my car trying to kill me too.

The cross climates I've just dumped were dated 3519. Covered approx 30k all on the front of my two sodas. They had 4mm of tread left but had horrendous cracking tound the rim, most of the side walls and most of the tread so had to go. The kormorans done the same milage with me, dated dated 1521 have 7mm left and no cracking and had one puncture repair. The Bridgestone I've just fitted are from 4522 and we're on the car when I bought it June 23. I took them off and they were stored inside and refitted last week. I used to use part worns quite regularly, but their prices are getting so high by the time ie collected them then pay to fit and balance them are not worth it now. My 2nd cr, a golf m4 1.9tdgt recently needed two tyres, I went to the tyre shop, asked for 2 mid range tyres that they would use themselves and came out with two nexensfitted for £120. On Ebay most part works were80 for a pair plus postage usually extra cos I'm north of Aberdeen would have costmore than that.

The good Highlands and Islands postage…

I get faster internet in Lossiemouth than I do in London… utter scam!

2 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

The good Highlands and Islands postage…

I get faster internet in Lossiemouth than I do in London… utter scam!

I actually never buy anything that saus free postage then charge £15 or more for postage to me cos I'm highlands and islands, or I'm not mainland UK. Last time I looked there is no sea between Macduff and mainland UK. An AB postcode sometimes is main̈land and sometimes not. It's a con.