Agressive wheel fitment concerns

Let me just start out by saying I'm a fitment noob... however, recently a set of wheels with rather aggressive fitment have been offered to me for a good price- 18x9 ET30 on 215/35/R18 tires. From what I understand this is doable on a mk6 gti especially with that kind of stretch on the tires.
I'm seriously considering getting them but I have a few concerns. First off, will I have to roll my fenders that much? I've never rolled/pulled fenders before and I was wondering if it's too challenging of a task to do myself (especially for a first timer). Second, I'm worried about the front wheels rubbing (or rear ones) as I understand that is quite wide for the front . I'm currently on stock height but I'll probably pick up a set of raceland coilovers and drop it a few inches if I get the wheels. Third, I'm wondering how much camber I'll need but I'd also like to keep the amount of camber to a minimum. Finally, I was wondering if I could get away with not having to pull the rear fenders because quarter panels are seriously something I'd hate to mess up.

So should or can I do it? I'm pretty sure it would work but I always err on the side of caution and figured I needed some good advice. Also, anyone else running a similar setup? Thanks.

I'm running 18x8.5 et35 with 235/340/18 tires, and I have no rubbing right now.
I'm also on Raceland Coilovers, so I think the biggest thing that is going to be important is how many doors and how many people are going to be in your car. The springs are pretty soft, so if you get more than a couple people in my 4 door car, the car gets lower by a decent amount and it rubs (depending on height, at least with 235). Back when I had 215, it never rubbed, so I don't think you're going to have a problem.

Fender rolling - I would recommend that you get a professional to do it. It's not hard, but if you don't want to mess it up, then just hire a pro. Especially if you don't already have a fender roller, it will be probs around the same amount if you just hire someone.
Camber - I have -2 degrees, which is impossible to notice, and it stopped all rubbing on 235s. For 215, not sure, but if you want to again err on the side of caution, you can pick up camber plates, but you probably don't need them.
Fronts - Just roll the fenders, you don't need anything else but that and the fender screw mod. I don't think fronts are that big of a deal.

If you really want them, then go for it! I think if you really love the wheels then do it, you're going to regret not doing it if you end up with wheels you don't love. If these are more just picking them up for a cheap price, don't. It's too much regret if you mess up your car for wheels you don't really like.

Thanks for the great reply! Yes i do like the wheels very much- they are alzor 020s so they're pretty concave which is a look I love and they also have only 3k miles on them. I was wondering how much lower you are from stock ride height and if the Raceland coils are any stiffer than the stock suspension. My car is a two door and I'm usually only by myself.
I understand you say that you don't have any rubbing- but these wheels have over 10mm more poke than yours and I'm still a little concerned about the rubbing- or does that even matter because the tire is what is going under the fender not the wheel?

P.S.- I peeped your build thread and I love it! :thumbup:

Drew_mk6GTI said:

Thanks for the great reply! Yes i do like the wheels very much- they are alzor 020s so they're pretty concave which is a look I love and they also have only 3k miles on them. I was wondering how much lower you are from stock ride height and if the Raceland coils are any stiffer than the stock suspension. My car is a two door and I'm usually only by myself.
I understand you say that you don't have any rubbing- but these wheels have over 10mm more poke than yours and I'm still a little concerned about the rubbing- or does that even matter because the tire is what is going under the fender not the wheel?

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The coilovers are not really stiffer than stock suspension. I made a thread here about how I thought they rode, and 1000 miles later, I still think they ride like stock, which I liked bc it was comfortable. I also have a four door & sunroof, which adds a decent amount of weight.

When I had 215, I was three quarters of the way down on the rear (a little bit of tucking) and half way down on the front. My measurements were 23.5 FTG all the way around. Now, I raised my car around .75 inch all the way around to fit 235, so they don't rub. I think it looks fine, here's a link to a current picture if you want to see how high that is.

For the rubbing - the biggest thing I think is tires, because those the ones that end up rubbing against the fender liner. Unless you go completely slammed like ~23 FTG, when your rim is going to hit the fender, you will be fine, so unless you want to go super low, you should be fine. On the other hand, you can only pull off the BBS LM look if you're slammed, imo.

PS: I had just made a thread asking about getting Alzors, and the community recommendations were not great. Especially with such a wide wheel and pretty low profile tires, I would maybe double think of it, especially depending on how the roads are in your area.

Drew_mk6GTI said:

P.S.- I peeped your build thread and I love it! :thumbup:

Click to expand...

Thanks man! It's not even close to updated though, so I'll be adding some stuff soon:thumbsup:

Yeah I've been concerned about the quality of the Alzors because I've heard similar things. Also roads where I live aren't the best. I mean they aren't apocalypto had, but definetly not lowered car friendly. I've heard from friends that it's not that bad, while others say it's awful, lol. I just was seriously considering those wheels because I'm on a fairly limited budget and I like the look. I did like the look of VMR V701s and Bola b1's for the longest time. Do you have some recommendations for good quality yet affordable wheels/brands?

I've never heard of Bolas so I would stay away. Also they look like bad Rota Grid reps.

I think the best thing for you would be search on craigslist. Just look out for some deals you gotta be patient. I got Niches with new tires for 380 from craigslist, which imo was a pretty good deal, and the rims weren't bad in terms of quality. After a year, no paint fade, no cracked rims, so...
I now have VMR V710s, which are way better, but obviously more expensive. Your budget probably matters the most out of everything.

Yeah i actually found those alzor 020s on Craigslist. Part of the reason I was considering them so much is because it's rare to see wheels that even have the same bolt pattern as the mk6 for sale in my area...lol. But nonetheless I agree with your advice. I found those Raceland coilovers on Craigslist for $150 and they don't even look that old/worn.