Fitting 18-inch Amarok steel wheels to a VW Transporter

The Problem

The owner wanted to fit 18-inch VW Amarok steel wheels and was unsure whether the original 16-inch steel spare wheel would still be usable in an emergency. There was no straightforward guidance on whether the size mismatch was acceptable for temporary use. Note that Amarok-to-Transporter wheel compatibility (PCD, offset and hub bore) differs between the T5, T6 and T6.1 generations, so the original article never made clear which generation the advice was based on — confirm the specification for your own generation before trusting any general fitment advice.

Solution

1. First confirm Amarok wheel compatibility for your specific Transporter generation (T5, T6 or T6.1). PCD, offset (ET) and hub bore are not guaranteed to be identical across generations, so check the exact figures for your van — ideally with a VW dealer or a specialist wheel supplier — before fitting (confirm this applies to your T6/T6.1 generation).
2. Fit the genuine VW Amarok 18-inch steel wheels in place of your standard wheels, using a tyre size confirmed as correct for your van.
3. Keep your existing 16-inch spare wheel as an emergency-only spare. The owner reported the overall rolling diameter difference between the two wheel-and-tyre combinations was less than 5mm — but the actual tyre sizes being compared were never stated, so this figure cannot be verified or replicated. Calculate the rolling diameter for your own 18-inch tyre size versus your 16-inch spare's tyre size before relying on it (verify the exact tyre sizes and recalculate before depending on this).
   • Running the spare briefly in an emergency to reach a tyre fitter is generally acceptable, but only once you have confirmed the diameter difference for your own tyres is genuinely small.
4. If you are running the van lowered and want the wheels to sit flush, the owner used banded Amarok steels at 8.5J rear and 9J front as a starting point. This was for one specific setup whose tyre size, exact lowering amount and Transporter generation were not recorded, so it cannot be replicated safely as-is — treat it only as a rough starting point and verify clearance, offset and tyre size for your own combination before ordering (verify for your generation, tyre size and ride height).
5. For a T5 LWB lowered 50mm running 235/55 R18 tyres, one specialist (Tamar Wheels) advised 30mm spacers at the rear and 15mm spacers at the front to achieve flush fitment. This figure is a single specialist recommendation for that one T5 LWB setup only — do not apply it to other Transporter generations (T6/T6.1), other lowering amounts or other tyre sizes without independent verification, as the required spacer thickness will change with offset, ride height and tyre size.