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A couple noob questions

DasVader

New member
I just want to say up front that these questions will probably look really stupid to you. I was never really a car person so I don't know even the most basic things. If you can help out, I would really appreciate it.

I just got my 2010 golf, and I'm loving it so far. Loving it so much that I would like to do a few modifications to personalize it a bit. Right now I have the stock 15" steel wheels (awesome, I know). I'd like to maybe do an upgrade here.

So here are my potentially stupid questions:

1. If I get larger wheels (say 17") will I have to make any other modifications to the car, or can they just be put on in place of the current wheels?

2. If I just get 15" alloys I can swap just swap the tires right? Assuming its the right "sizes" or whatever.

2.5. Would 15" alloys look stupid?

3. How much should I expect to pay to have the tires and wheels mounted? (Also, I'd like to do as much on my own as I can since I am trying to learn).

4. Tire pressure monitor things: lets say I get a set or wheels with tires mounted and everything, how difficult would it be for me to swap tpm's from one set to another? Like if I got some nicer wheels with summer tires and swapped them out for winter tires when appropriate, should I get another set of tpms or can I swap them myself?

Be gentle.
 
Last edited:

2010 UG

Ready to race!
Congratulations on the golf, I'll see if i can help you some here.

1. you can fit a 225 wide tire on 17, 18, or 19 inch wheels without trouble so long as you dont drastically lower your car.

2. I'm unsure of the stock 15 inch tire size, but a direct swap should be possible

2.5 in my opinion if you're going to upgrade you may as well get something that sets your golf apart. I dont know that 15's would do the trick. Personally I love the look of 18's.

3. prices vary between tire shops, but I want to say I've payed $60 to mount and balance all four in the past. Some online tire shops will mount and balance for free if you buy both the wheels and tires from them. Doing it yourself really isnt an option here.

4. the easiest way is to get a separate set of TPMS sensors. without a second set your looking at having your tires removed every time you want to swap wheels. tire rack sells the sensors for $188 a set. it sounds expensive but paying to have your tires removed and rebalanced every season will add up quick.

5. Check out tirerack.com they have a cool wheel visualizer that allows you to see what different wheels will look like on your car. It is also one of the cheaper places to shop and a forum sponsor.
 

2010 UG

Ready to race!
If you want to save some cash and still upgrade you can check out the classifieds here and on other GTI/Golf sites. A lot of us are looking to upgrade and have no use for our stock 17's and 18's, so you can get some nice wheels with tires and sometimes TPMS for pretty cheap. in fact I'm thinking of selling my stock 17 inch wheels and tires if I decide to upgrade.
 

DasVader

New member
Thanks 2010 UG!

I have been checking out that tirerack site, I like that they have the option to get all the tires mounted and balanced (what does balanced mean, btw?).

So lets say I got a set of wheels and tires from them, mounted, balanced and with tpms, I could just jack up the car and replace the wheels myself then right?
 

2010 UG

Ready to race!
Tires have to be balanced to compensate for natural unevenness of their weight. If your tires are not balanced properly they will not roll correctly which can lead to a very rough ride and ultimately suspension damage. If you look at a wheel closely you will small little weights attached to either the rim of the wheel or the inside portion. This is to balance the wheel and tire.

If you have tires and wheels mounted, balanced, and shipped to your door then yes you can just jack up the car and put them on yourself. its just as if you are changing a flat, only you do it four times.
 
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