Volkswagen Golf V (2004 - 2008) - spacesaver wheel

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Tue 1 Dec 2009 20:57
spacesaver wheel - willboy
I would like to substitute my space saver spare wheel with a full size steel wheel and a non-directional tyre( £60 for the wheel)(the road wheels are alloy with directional tyres). VW say NO I must only use an alloy(£350). Are they correct? Don't VW fit steel wheels to any of their cars?

The wheel diameter will fit the well but will be above boot floor which doesn't bother me.

Tel
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Tue 1 Dec 2009 21:02
spacesaver wheel - daveyjp
Ask them why, but it may be to do with the studs used to attach the wheels which may not be compatible with non standard spares.
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Tue 1 Dec 2009 21:14
spacesaver wheel - gordonbennet
Have a browse round some used Golf's (with a view to buying of course) to see if the alloy wheeled cars really do have an alloy spare, you may find they have a steely lurking in the well...if they do have a steely, inspect the wheelbolt holes to see if they have (like Pug) a welded collar on the steely boltholes enabling the longer alloy bolts to be used.

If it's the case that they are supplied with an alloy spare then you may have to get the shorter correct wheelbolts to suit the steel spare too...or poke nose round fleabay for a proper alloy wheel, bound to be some floating about.
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Wed 2 Dec 2009 12:58
spacesaver wheel - idle_chatterer
My experience is that only Audi in the VAG group provide full size alloy spares as standard, our Golf IV had 16" alloys and a 16" Steel Spare with full size tyre so I guess it had the same offset / 'J' rating.

Not sure why VW won't sell you something similar today, Ford certainly will for £30 on the price of a new car.

Now having one car with run flats and the other which came with a can of gunk but we 'upgraded' to a spacesaver (Honda charged £100 btw) I'd ask why a spacesaver isn't sufficient, I drive about 30K miles a year and I think I had my last puncture in 1998....
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