Cupra Leon ST VZ rim/tire with Akebono

Oct 9, 2025
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Hello!

I am getting my facelift Leon ST VZ (333hp) with the akebono brakes soon. The dealer says 18" is impossible with the Akebonos, and that I have only these options:

235/35 R19 on 8Jx19 ET49 (summer)
225/35 R19 on 7.5Jx19 ET46 (winter)

The manual says nothing about tires/rims, except that snow chain can only be used on 245/40 R19 which makes no sense to be honest...

Does anybody have a 18" with Akebono brake? What do you use during winter?
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
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Sorry, can’t answer your question, but even if 18” wheels would physically fit on the car, once balance weights have been fitted to the barrels of the wheels, it’s possible there may be insufficient clearance between the large(r) front brake callipers and the wheel balance weights for the wheels to rotate without the balance weights fouling on the brake callipers.

I had a VW a few years ago with large front brakes and almost had this issue; with my car there was just a few millimetres clearance between the wheel balance weights and the brake callipers, but the clearance was sufficient for the wheels to rotate freely.
 
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Oct 9, 2025
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Sorry, can’t answer your question, but even if 18” wheels would physically fit on the car, once balance weights have been fitted to the barrels of the wheels, it’s possible there may be insufficient clearance between the large(r) front brake callipers and the wheel balance weights for the wheels to rotate without the balance weights fouling on the brake callipers.

I had a VW a few years ago with large front brakes and almost had this issue; with my car there was just a few millimetres clearance between the wheel balance weights and the brake callipers, but the clearance was sufficient for the wheels to rotate freely.

thank you for the answer! that's what I am afraid of as well. The last question is size of the 19" winter tires. Currently I lean forward to use 235/35 R19 for winter too, because it has slightly taller aide wall than 225/35 R19.
 

Oldbutswift

Active Member
Mar 23, 2016
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I have recently got the same car as the OP and had asked myself the same question,since I was thinking about getting another set of wheels for the winter and wondered if there was enough clearance for 18 inch ones.
There does appear to be more than a half inch gap between the rim and the brake caliper…but unless someone can come up with a definite answer I’ll go with 19s.
Sadly I had a set of 18s which I let go a few months ago ( from a Octavia vrs) that I could have used for a trial fit.
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
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Something else to check would be to ensure there’s adequate clearance between the reverse side a wheel’s spokes and the face of the brake calliper.
 
Oct 9, 2025
4
0
I have recently got the same car as the OP and had asked myself the same question,since I was thinking about getting another set of wheels for the winter and wondered if there was enough clearance for 18 inch ones.
There does appear to be more than a half inch gap between the rim and the brake caliper…but unless someone can come up with a definite answer I’ll go with 19s.
Sadly I had a set of 18s which I let go a few months ago ( from a Octavia vrs) that I could have used for a trial fit.
congrats for the car :) like it?
 

Oldbutswift

Active Member
Mar 23, 2016
285
91
Something else to check would be to ensure there’s adequate clearance between the reverse side a wheel’s spokes and the face of the brake calliper.
Agreed, fortunately after market wheels tend to have more offset,e.g.ET 40 or 45 ,so I would think that it would not be a problem whilst avoiding the trap of too much offset and the issues that brings.