mk1 on 17's

Hi,
I know it's frowned upon, but I've got a mk1 golf with 17's and i have a few questions about lowering the car.

1. Do i HAVE to roll the arches?
2. Will 40mm in the back and 60mm in front be ok?
3. Is it just the springs i need or do i have to change the shocks too?
4. The wheels on the car seem to stand out more then other mk1's with 17's but have the same tyres (205/40/R17)…could it be spacers?

Atm theres some nasty cuts in the tyres from some heavy weight passengers, but I'm due for some new tyres so I'd like to sort out the car so that i don't mes up the new set.

Thanks in advance.

I would never go above 15" on a mk1...

it's not that it's frowned up. it's that 17" just dont work on a mk1 golf. they look wrong and destroy the handling.

you struggle to lower it over 17's without major work. the arches will have to be rolled.

you will still get rubbing though even with the lip gone.

as for sticking out. it's most likely the offset.

Does this apply to all golfs? I've noticed most of the mk1's on the forum are the older type.

I've got the chico ( 1998 ) which looks quite a bit different.

it has differences but the basics are still the same.

Do a search for The Highway Collective on Google and look at thier Mk1 Wheel Chart.

Anybody that thinks 17's on a mk1 is a good idea has issues!

I think there was one in the club section of E38 running 17's with a very low stance, didn't look to see how it was done.

16's will go on with work and a the right tyre ( I think 195/45/16 are usually run on 7" / 7.5" wide rims)

If your getting deep scuffs on the tyres there is some thing a miss. I have to agree that 15's are the best size for a mk1. If you want to lower the car then sell the 17's and have a look for some sweet 15's with a nice low profile tyre.

Also don't try just using a set of springs to lower the car, it will be awful.

Having been into other makes of cars when 17's first came to the fore I know how much it takes to get a car right on such big wheels, my pug 309 had to be knocked into shape around it's 17's and we got the rolling wrong on a mk 3 fiesta turbo and bent the front wing beyond repair…. it's not worth it!

Wouldnt 17's throw out the speedo and put extra wear and tear on the axles?