Alloys, tyres and sizes

Lawless2k12

Driving an '09 Seat Ibiza at present with standard wheels with rotten plastic hub caps. 15" wheels. Was thinking of getting new alloys for it but have a few questions that I need help with if people would be so kind

1. Can I put 16", possibly 17" alloys on it? If I order them off the internet and when they arrive I can just slap them on without much hassle like?

2. Tyres: Thinking Toyo. Not too sure though as I have never used them before. Plus I know nothing about tyre choice so I'm fairly useless... Don't wanna go overboard money wise, but don't want them exploding and wearing quickly ya know?

3. What do you think of these choices? They are all for the type of Seat I drive and I have the tyre choice included. Looking at black and silver alloys due to silver car colour (All silver would be boring)

And please, no comments saying "Why do up a seat" or "Why waste money on alloys for a seat" thanks.


15" alloys:
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/15_Inch_MSW_24_Gunmetal_Alloy_Wheels_with_195_55_15_VR_Toyo_Proxes_T1-R_Tyres__P5705_6071
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/15_Inch_Wolfrace_Nitework_Alloy_Wheels_with_195_55_15_VR_Toyo_Proxes_T1-R_Tyres__P2215_6071


16" (Maybe, if they would fit without hassle):
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/16_Inch_MSW_20_5_Stud_Black_Alloy_Wheels_with_205_45_16_VR_Nankang_NS-2_Tyres__P2699_4623
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/16_Inch_MSW_24_Gunmetal_Alloy_Wheels_with_205_45_16_VR_Nankang_NS-2_Tyres__P5706_4623


17" (If they fit without hassle):
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/17_Inch_Dare_Ghost_Alloy_Wheels_with_205_40_17_WR_Toyo_Proxes_T1-R__P2166_252
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/17_Inch_ZCW_Punk_Alloy_Wheels_with_205_40_17_VR_Nankang_NS-2_Tyres__P983_248


Let me know what you think people's. Just nothing too harsh okay? :L

enumbers

If there was any original fit alloys you liked they would be far better quality than aftermarket wheels. I think 16 would be a good compromise looks vs comfort

Lawless2k12

enumbers wrote: »

If there was any original fit alloys you liked they would be far better quality than aftermarket wheels. I think 16 would be a good compromise looks vs comfort

Oh sweet jaysus you're probably gonna laugh your a$$ of me but... am.... or the ones above original fit or aftermarket? They're made for Seat? :L

mathepac

What do the guys on the website mean by a "fitting kit"?

Toyo tyres all the way over everything else I have fitted to cars; they're brilliant.

Can you post the dimensions of the original tyres fitted to the car and I'll give you exact the dimensions for the replacement tyres (15s or 17s)? This is assuming the car isn't lowered of fitted with aftermarket suspension.

Can you post four measurements from the wheels :

• Number of studs / wheel-nuts (probably 4, but may be 5)
• PCD - usually and number like 110, 100, 112, 116
• Offset a number like 35, 40, 42 or 45
• Rim width e.g. 6J, 6.5J, 7J, etc

All of these are in an effort to ensure that the new wheel & tyre package doesn't foul the body-work or suspension.

The tyre dimensions are on the tyre - something like 195/40/15 for example and the other numbers should be stamped on the inside of the steel rims - check the spare (if it's not a bicycle tyre type).

Lawless2k12

Car is totally standard. No kits or cut suspension or anything hence why I want something to take away the granny look. May add more and more on as time goes by though...
195/55/R15 85V. 5-nuts
As for being stamped on the rim: 6J x 15 H2 ET43 (Have not a clue what this is so I hope it's making sense to you)

Thanks for any help and advice you can give me mathepac! And thanks for the re-assurance on the tyres. I was just going by their descriptions :P

EDIT: I think the "Fitting kit" is just the basic tools to remove and put on the wheels... they make it sound a lot better than it really is I think :L

Supergurrier

Bear in mind larger wheels especially if heavy alloys will put your clutch under extra strain

Lawless2k12

Supergurrier wrote: »

Bear in mind larger wheels especially if heavy alloys will put your clutch under extra strain

By the sounds of things I might just stick to a maximum 16" alloy... but I don't think they do Toyo in that size on the site

joe 77

Those prices seem very steep to me , did you try proparts.ie ? Richie is sound to deal with or Keith over in alloy-wheels.ie. FK performance have some nice wheels to and are competitive price wise. Worth giving them a shout

mathepac

Supergurrier wrote: »

Bear in mind larger wheels especially if heavy alloys will put your clutch under extra strain

True enough, but the dearer alloys are actually lighter than the factory-fitted steelies + hub-caps, but the new tyres will probably be heavier (reinforced side walls (XL) extra load-bearing capability and higher speed-rating). Overall it should probably balance out from an unsprung weight perspective.

The calculations are aimed at keeping the overall height of the new wheel and tyre combination as close as possible to the original for a number of reasons:

• to ensure the tyres don't foul the body-work / suspension when the steering is at full lock
• to ensure the tyres don't foul the bodywork when the suspension is compressed (heavy braking, cornering, bumps, etc)
• to avoid additional strain on the drive-train / transmission (as mentioned above)
• to avoid losing torque & power by having additional weight to turn before the tyre transfers it all to the road
• to ensure that the rotational difference between the old & new is minimised so that the speedo and odometer readings are still accurate (+/- 2% is deemed acceptable by the experts I believe).

To move from your current set up
195/55/R15 tyres on 15 X 6J rims, I believe you'll need
205/45/R16 tyres on 16 X 6.5J rims (-0.22% difference) or
205/40/R17 tyres on 17 x 6.5J rims (+0.05% difference) (or maybe 17X7J) .

Can some-one check my sums please? I run my Fabia vRS on Bridgestone 17s and would encourage you to run 16s just for comfort.

I'd also encourage you to visit a local bricks-and-mortar business to check stock and prices and to avail of pre- and after-sales service you won't necessarily get from interweb guys.

To-day is Sunday, why not take the other half on a tour of the nearest Halfords and browse the wheel-tyre packages they have on sale and ask lots of questions?

If you want to be an expert like me (:rolleyes:) and spout wisdom and waffle in equal measure, here is the only web-address you need. He's a nice guy and responds to emails and stuff.

HTH

Lawless2k12

Wow... never knew there was so much to choosing the right set of wheels. Think I may have to just go somewhere local that can help in person because these PCD numbers, offsets and everything else is fairly tricky to deal with for someone that's clueless... although that link above in mathepac's post is very helpful!

And thanks for the suggestions joe. They don't have exactly what I'm looking for though and they're prices aren't a whole lot cheaper than the ones above as their alloys are around €100 dearer than the site I was gawking at but they are in Ireland so that's a big plus... Won't be buying them until the new year anyway so I've another month to decide as my current tyres are still legal

sean1141

Do you know what pcd the ibiza is? You could always look on done deal etc if you knew what other wheels would fit. I would say ones on a golf etc would be the same.. Try stick to a good brand as the cheaper one tend to crack and buckle easier.

A fitting kit is usually new bolts/nuts

dgt

Try this OP, its a plus sizing calculator

Light Switch

OP best bet is get original Alloys.
Anything aftermarket looks a bit **** IMO.

Your PCD is 5x100 and Offset 30-45 would be okay, Center bore is 57.1.

So alloys from a Mk4 VW Golf will fit straight on, Bora will fit too

Cordoba alloys would fit too and alloys from a Mk2 Toledo would also fit.

Best bet is go buy a second hand set from a breakers etc.....

Lawless2k12

Light Switch wrote: »

OP best bet is get original Alloys.
Anything aftermarket looks a bit **** IMO.

Your PCD is 5x100 and Offset 30-45 would be okay, Center bore is 57.1.

So alloys from a Mk4 VW Golf will fit straight on, Bora will fit too

Cordoba alloys would fit too and alloys from a Mk2 Toledo would also fit.

Best bet is go buy a second hand set from a breakers etc.....

The only problem with that is most originals that I have looked up are just standard silver. I'm set on black and silver tbh. And any adverts that I've seen are all like "Fairly good tyres" or "30% front tyres but 80% on back". From buying the alloys to getting new tyres put on there would only be a couple hundred in the difference at most and I probably wouldn't be as happy with them as the ones above.

Is there any difference in quality between originals and the ones I have linked above? I've heard Wolfrace are a good make... rumours aren't always wise though...

colm_mcm

N offence, but all the wheels you linked will look terrible on an Ibiza.

sean1141

I would say any original alloys would be better quality than the ones you have listed. Would you consider all black alloys?

enumbers

enumbers wrote: »

If there was any original fit alloys you liked they would be far better quality than aftermarket wheels. I think 16 would be a good compromise looks vs comfort

As i said already have a look at factory wheels gonna be far less trouble and will generaly suit the car better

Lawless2k12

Okay so by the sounds of it I'll be going for original fit :L Anyone know any sites with a large range of original alloys in Ireland?

@Sean: I'd much prefer black and silver (Gleaming would be nice too ). All black might do if they were nice and had a good set of tyres

sean1141

There is only 2 places you will get original alloys. New of a main dealer or second hand of the likes of done deal. If you can get a nice set of rims you can put tyres on them after.

The reason I said black was because you could spray a set in black easily. Two tone would be a lot harder.

Hailhail1967

Lord above no offence OP but I looked at two sets of alloys you posted and i couldn't face looking at the rest, surely you don't like any of them things, they are really shocking.

There is nothing wrong with aftermarket alloys, just don't buy any of those poo brands, either get an original set of something maybe an inch bigger or else get onto an owners site and see the types of alloys people use. Usually they know what they are talking about and are clued into decent brands, sizes etc for yur particular car.

Lawless2k12

Right I'm gonna go eat a box of chocolates because I'm upset at my inability to choose a decent set of wheels
But thanks for the advice guys. Totally changed my mind now... I have a good while to search for a good set anyway so there's no rush. Might post up a few new choices if I find any nice ones (in my opinion) and see what ye think if ye don't mind

Hailhail1967

Try find pictures of them on actual cars, gives yourself a much better idea of the finished look.

Lawless2k12

If only there was loads more people doing up Seat Ibiza's (And not the old bangery ones with massive body kits and OTT spoilers)

colm_mcm

What you need s a 5 spoke silver wheel with a split spoke. Looks really good on ibizas

Lawless2k12

^That's the exact type of car and colour (Quoting a pic obviously)

Changed my mind again btw. Been looking at a few nice pics of Ibiza's with silver alloys and they actually go well together... I thought it wouldn't look as good as black and silver multi toned alloys but its nice actually! Might have to do a couple of extra things to the car along with the alloys though such as lowering as it's fairly high off the ground from a first glance...

irelandspurs

I had same car and colour in 2004 and was just standard,I put 16" fox evo 3 on them and i thought it improved the look a lot.Don't think you can buy them now but there are similar.Team dynamics do similar

R.O.R

The good lady had an 03 Ibiza, so the same shape as your's OP. That was running on 17" TSW Pace wheels (now discontinued)


I thought it looked cracking, but it did also have the full SEAT Aero kit.; Only issue we had was when there was a flat and we had to stick the 14" Spare on to drive to the tyre shop. Got there OK, but wouldn't fancy that for any length of time - looked a bit weird too.

There are similar style wheels available in Black (http://www.tsw.com/alloy_wheels_mallory_4.php). Antan in Ballymount are listed as the TSW dealer for Ireland.

Wish I'd kept some pics of the car

mathepac

sean1141 wrote: »

... Would you consider all black alloys?

Anthracite

The Real B-man

Wouldn't go for more than 16" i had 16" on a 1.2 Ibiza bad idea Performence was affected unless you are driving a 1.9 Tdi, 1.4 Sport or FR, Cupra stick with 16" or less

Lawless2k12

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/16-SEAT-IBIZA-WOLFRACE-TRIAD-SPLIT-5-SPOKE-ALLOYS-/280860090179

Thoughts on these? This is going by Colm_mcm's advice and tbh.... me likey! Even if they aren't original...

irelandspurs wrote: »

I had same car and colour in 2004 and was just standard,I put 16" fox evo 3 on them and i thought it improved the look a lot.Don't think you can buy them now but there are similar.Team dynamics do similar

R.O.R wrote: »

The good lady had an 03 Ibiza, so the same shape as your's OP. That was running on 17" TSW Pace wheels (now discontinued)

The multispoke alloys don't really do much for me tbh... they're nice but I wouldn't jump at them. I just think rally cars when I see them :L Saw some pics of that Aero kit as well and dang I wish I had it

The Real B-man wrote: »

Wouldn't go for more than 16" i had 16" on a 1.2 Ibiza bad idea Performence was affected unless you are driving a 1.9 Tdi, 1.4 Sport or FR, Cupra stick with 16" or less

My number 1 choice is 16", number 2 is 15" and I'd be very reluctant to go outside that. Don't wanna get something that's gonna foul the bodywork or suspension... Moving up an inch should be graaand though by the sounds of things

The Real B-man

http://www.aez-wheels.com/AlcarKonfigurator/alloyv3/index.php?lcs=onz2sm13at&lng=en