On this podcast, Scott and Rich talk about the best platforms for bolt-on performance gains. If you are looking to make serious power with simple modifications, what are some of the best cars that you can just add simple bolt-ons and get great horsepower & torque gains from? They guys mention platforms such as the Golf platform, WRX, etc. Sorry Honda guys this one might not be for you.. What are some of the platforms that you feel make the most power with just bolt-ons? Do you consider stuff like turbo upgrades to be bolt-on performance?
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When purchasing your wheels you may see a stamp that says something like “SAE, VIA, JWL or TUV.” So what do those stamps mean?
Wheel standards have been associated with a level of quality but that is not always the case. Most of these standards are built for a specific region so if you are living in those regions do you need that standard? Different regions will have different standards for reasons such as geographical factors ie: harsh winters and bad roads and politics and laws.
So how does a certain standard impact quality? A standard like JWL is a globally recognized standard for wheel manufacturing due to it’s stringent standards. However, a wheel can be stamped as JWL without being certified. That means that a manufacturer can go through their own testing for JWL standards and if met they can be stamped without a third party approval for certification.
Who cares? Well you might. Not having a certain stamp may give you the idea that some wheels are not made to a standard you are aware of. For instance TUV standards are basically only enforced in Germany. These standards require additional testing in order to qualify for TUV standards. Most other manufacturers will not bother with TUV standards because the additional testing cost extra money and if you are not catering to Germany then why would you? That doesn’t mean that wheels that are not made to TUV standard are inferior to TUV wheels (even though that can be true in some cases) but you wouldn’t know unless testing was done.
Now VIA is similar to JWL but unlike JWL in order to get a VIA stamp you need to have your wheels processed and approved by VIA themselves.
Now if you are reading this you are likely in the North America. For North America SAEJ2530 is our standard and is a globally recognized standard.
If you are concerned about a wheel standard, don’t be afraid to ask a manufacturer about their standards. A reputable company will be able to tell you about their standards and let you know if their standards live up to your expectation.
We got to take some time with Formula Drift PROSPEC driver Nate Chen at FDNJ!
Nate takes us on a tour of the Jerry Yang Racing pit space. We get to take a look at what a professional drift team program brings with them on an event weekend. Nate shows us around the trailer, pit space, and most importantly his pro car.
It was an incredibly hot day at FDNJ but the smell of burning rubber and revving engines is enough to help beat the heat. We thank Nate for taking spending some time with us.
For more on Nate Chen and Jerry Yang Racing: Nate’s Instagram: @ nathaniel.chen Jerry Yang Racing Instagram: @ jerryyangracing
On this podcast Rich and John talk about the 25 year old import law. Every year we get one year closer to being able to import your dream car. What cars would you go through the import process for? The guys talk about many cars they are just dying to see in the states. Some may be obvious and others are unique to taste. John and Rich have two very different takes on what non USDM cars tickle their fancy. Watch or listen to the whole episode now!
Thank you for Tuning in and please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels)
(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!
The GTI is has been the hot hatch for enthusiasts since the 80’s. If you have a GTI you may be looking into buying new wheels for your car for numerous reasons. Maybe you want to go with a different tire size or just want upgrade the look. Maybe your machined aluminum factory wheels are eaten up with curb rash. In our Fit Check series we like to breakdown our suggested fitment options into three categories, “No Hassle”, “Slight Flex” & “All The Wheel”.
Wheel fitment for the GTI has not changed much in a very Volkswagen fashion for almost 20 years. In this video we are going to cover fitment options for the MK5, MK6, MK7 & MK8 GTI (2006-2025).
All those these cars come with a hub size of 56.1mm and a bolt pattern of 5×112. The diameter range for these cars will be from 17″-19″.
No Hassle Fitment
The no hassle category is typically for those who want to keep their OE tire size and just want to change their wheels. Fortunately for most GTI owners the 225/40/18 tire that comes from the factory is a popular spec used for aftermarket wheels so your factory tires can be easily transferred.
The suggested range for the no hassle fitment would be from a 7.5″-8″ wide wheel with an offset from et40-et45. This slightly lower offset and wider width than what comes from the factory will help fill out the wheel well and minimize the sunken in fitment.
Suggested Fitment: 17 or 18×8 et45
Slight Flex Fitment
Our slight flex category is typically for those who are looking to take it a step up and change both their wheels and their tires. However for the GTI in particular, a lot of people like to keep their same factory tire spec even when moving to aftermarket wheels. The range for this fitment is going to be an 8.5″ with an offset range from et42 to et45. This is going to be by far the most popular fitment for these cars and is the bread and butter size amongst most enthusiasts.
Suggested Fitment: 18 x 8.5 et42/et43
ALL THE WHEEL Fitment
If you are looking to go all out and want your car to be as aggressive as possible then the “All the Wheel” category is the one for you. This category is quite literally all the wheel your car can take without having to do stuff like suspension modifications or fender rolling.
If the slight flex fitment didn’t satisfy your needs to look aggressive then this is the last stop. In the all the wheel category we push the fitment to it’s limit. We would suggest a range of sizes from 9″ width from a et42-et45 offset. The extra width might necessary for those looking to run a wider tire. This fitment walks a fine line between being the proper fitment and being too aggressive. We suggest you do not over tire these cars.
Be aware: Due to the aggressive nature of this fitment, modifications like camber adjustment or fender rolling will likely be necessary to avoid rubbing. Konig strongly recommends consulting a professional installer to determine the modifications needed for your specific setup.
Suggested Fitment: 18” x 9.5” ET35
Final Wrap Up
You may have made it this far and be thinking, “that’s a pretty small range of sizes from no hassle to all the wheel.” and you’re right. Fitment for the GTI has remained the same for quite some time now and these cars really do not take a large range of fitments.
We would like to stress that GTI owners with the performance package should be aware of brake clearance. Although the performance package brakes are not as big as some aftermarket options it may still prove to be problematic for some wheel designs.
Let us know what car you want to see on our next Fit Check video!
On this podcast Rich and Daut are joined by Formula Drift pro driver Mike Power. Mike is a Long Island NY native. If you didn’t know we are based out of Long Island NY. This is Mike’s first year riding for Konig and we are thrilled to have him on the team. In this podcast Mike talks about his road to Formula Drift and how he was able to take his program to a professional level. Mike has also been able to experience first hand the car scenes on the east and west coast. Which one do you think he likes better? The answer might surprise you! Watch or listen to the whole episode now!
Thank you for Tuning in and please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels)
(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!
