Help with alloy wheel changes

Dyilbar

Active Member
Dec 25, 2018
26
0
Westmidlands
Hi guys I currently have a seat Leon fr 2014 1.4 petrol with 18" alloys on and I'm looking to upgrade them to the 19" Cupra 280 alloys and I was wondering if they would be okay to just straight swap them my car is still stock and hasn't been lowered or modified in any type of way and won't be getting lowered in the future.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I'm not trying to change your plans, but I think that a few people with Cupras that came with 19" alloys have swopped them for 18" alloys to make the ride more acceptable.

I have an Audi S4 that came with 19" alloys which I keep on in summer and use 18" alloys in winter with winter tyres, the facelifted Audi S4 only came with 18" alloys, probably due to complaints from customers.

Don't get me wrong, my S4 feels and drives very well with its 19" alloys on as the S4 suspension is better thought out than the S-Line etc, maybe the same with Leons in as much as what is acceptable with Cupra suspension might not be acceptable with FR suspension even in its factory state.

Other than that I can't see any outstanding reasons why you can't just slap them on.
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
They should fit no problem.

All mk3 Leons have wheels with a 57.1 centre bore and a 5 x 112 PCD / bolt pattern, so it should just be a straight swap.

Assuming your existing wheel / tyre set up is 7.5j x 18” ET51 with 225/40 R18 tyres and the replacement wheels / tyres are 8J x 19 ET50 with 235/35 R19 tyres;
  • The inner face of your new wheels will be 5.3 mm closer to the suspension struts than before.
  • The outer face will ‘poke’ out 7.3 mm further than before.
  • You’ll get a small speedo reading error; at a true 60 mph, your speedo will be indicating just over 59 mph.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Doesn't the Cupra have adaptive suspension? If that's the case that'll be why it can get away with 19'' wheels. You can soften the settings at a touch of a button to compensate for the big wheels. Can't do that on an FR. I have an FR on 18s and, it's ok but I really don't know that I'd want to be driving around town on bigger.

A few years ago I dented a 16'' steel wheel on a pothole! Can you imagine what would've happened to a 19'' alloy?
 

Dyilbar

Active Member
Dec 25, 2018
26
0
Westmidlands
Doesn't the Cupra have adaptive suspension? If that's the case that'll be why it can get away with 19'' wheels. You can soften the settings at a touch of a button to compensate for the big wheels. Can't do that on an FR. I have an FR on 18s and, it's ok but I really don't know that I'd want to be driving around town on bigger.

A few years ago I dented a 16'' steel wheel on a pothole! Can you imagine what would've happened to a 19'' alloy?

Yeah they do have adaptive suspension on the Cupra and the 1.8 Leon fr so have adaptive suspension if I'm wrong correct me on the leon fr 1.4 they have 3 different modes sport eco normal and individual which also changes the way the suspension works, i may be wrong here too as im not too knowledgeable in this area
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Leon fr so have adaptive suspension if I'm wrong correct me on the leon fr 1.4 they have 3 different modes sport eco normal and individual which also changes the way the suspension works...

No, all the three modes on the FR do is change the engine profile and the steering weight. Oh, and make the light strips on the doors go red! The suspension doesn't change.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
I prefer 18’s to 19’s look wise on the leon

19’s make it look a bit like a roller skate imo
 

Dr.Dash

Active Member
Aug 30, 2015
342
73
Midlands
19's will do the ride and handling no favours on a Leon with the standard (non independent) rear suspension imo. It'll become crashy and easily upset on less than perfect roads, mid corner bumps will make it easy to unstick the rear, but not in a fun predictable way.

Presumably you like the look of big wheels, but perhaps getting the existing wheels refurbed and a colour change would achieve your goal?
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
It'll become crashy and easily upset on less than perfect roads, mid corner bumps will make it easy to unstick the rear...

I've just gone from a Golf with independent rear to Leon without and you notice this. Leon is on 18s. I really wouldn't want any bigger.
 

Invertigo

Active Member
Nov 19, 2019
169
77
I drove a Cupra round some pretty shoddy roads last weekend, and even in Cupra mode the suspension felt very compliant. Then again, I am coming from a BMW Z4 which has all the suppleness of a stampeding rhino.
 

Rainman

Active Member
Sep 25, 2018
58
8
Doesn't the Cupra have adaptive suspension? If that's the case that'll be why it can get away with 19'' wheels. You can soften the settings at a touch of a button to compensate for the big wheels. Can't do that on an FR. I have an FR on 18s and, it's ok but I really don't know that I'd want to be driving around town on bigger.

A few years ago I dented a 16'' steel wheel on a pothole! Can you imagine what would've happened to a 19'' alloy?

The DCC suspension was offered as an extra option in all FR models - Cupra thought it was standard equipment