Models Covered in This Guide
2015-2021 Sportwagen and Alltrack
Brake Clearance Information
All of our VW Flow Formed SM-10 and Forged VS-5RS wheels will clear the standard Golf R and GTI Performance Package brakes with ease, as well as a variety of aftermarket BBK's. To see if these wheels can clear your specific BBK, please check out our brake clearance database at the end of this guide.
Fuel-filler Hose Clearance
It is important to note that the MK7 Golf R has a factory relocated fuel-filler hose that improves rear-inner clearance compared to standard Golf and GTI models. Please read the respective fitment notes if you are interested in running the 18x9" ET42 with 265 or wider tires on your standard Golf or GTI, as more aggressive tire sizes/compounds can potentially come into contact with the rear fuel-filler hose on those models.
Bolt Pattern
5x112
Centerbore
57.1mm
Lug Seat
R13 Ball Seat
Thread Pitch
M14x1.5mm
Easy upgrades for street-driven cars
These fitments are ready-to-bolt-on, typically without any modifications, and provide a meaningful increase in wheel width over stock. Available in both 17" and 18" diameters, the fitments listed in this section are an ideal choice for the enthusiast who regularly drives their VW on the street but still wants to participate in a few HPDE's as well. These fitments are a great match for a completely stock or lightly modified MK7 VW.
Wheels
Front & Rear: 17x8.5” ET43
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: 235/45-17
Wider Alternative: 245/40-17
Slimmer Alternative (OE width): 225/45-17
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x8.5” ET43
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: 235/40-18
Wider Alternative: 245/40-18
Wider Alternative 2: 245/35-18
Wider Alternative 3: 255/35-18
Slimmer Alternative (OE width): 225/40-18
Wider fitments for enhanced performance
These fitments are the perfect match for weekend track warriors and hardcore racers seeking to maximize the wheel and tire size that they can fit on their MK7 VW. These aggressive wheel specs will typically require supportive modifications commonly found on track cars. Available in both 17" and 18" diameters to cater to a variety of performance-focused tire sizes and compounds. With a focus on brake clearance, both our 17" and 18" fitments are able to clear the standard Golf R and GTI Performance Package brakes with ease, as well as a variety of aftermarket BBK's. To see if these wheels can clear your specific BBK, please check out our brake clearance database at the end of this guide.
*Important note for all non-R MK7 VW models (including standard Golf, Sportwagen/Alltrack, and GTI)*
On the non-R MK7 Golf, Sportwagen/Alltrack, and GTI the OEM fuel filler hose limits rear-inner clearance for wider aftermarket wheels and tires. On the Golf R, VW relocated this fuel filler hose to allow for additional inner clearance to support the wider wheels and tires that come standard. While we developed our performance track and race fitments with lower offsets to help address this concern on the non-R Golf variants, certain suspension and alignment configurations can potentially still allow for rubbing on the fuel-filler hose when using more aggressive tire compounds. Due to this, we recommend doing the fuel-filler hose relocation modification to provide you with enough rear-inner clearance to support a 265 or wider rear tire.
Wheels
Front & Rear: 17x9” ET42
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: 255/40-17
Slimmer Alternative: 245/40-17
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x9” ET42
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: 255/35-18
Wider Alternative: 265/35-18
Slimmer Alternative: 245/40-18
Wheels
Front & Rear: 17x8.5” ET43
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: 235/45-17
Whether you are a casual weekend track warrior that still enjoys your car on the street, or a hard core racer competing for a spot on the podium, negative camber is a vital part of chassis setup that has many benefits. Not only will adding negative camber create more room for wider wheel and tire configurations, it more importantly improves handling, turn-in and tire longevity. Learn more in our blog article, The Positives of Negative Camber.
Fill out our Fitment Recommendation form Call us: 925-245-0773 Email us: support@apexraceparts.com