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YOUR RESEARCHWhat's wrong with 17" wheels?
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Run 17's
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Leading evidence: 'Run 17's' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace 17"' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Suggestion
I prefer the look of the 18's and I dont like the look of the 19's (in person, not in pics) Many if not all race cars are running 18's - They have ran 17's in the past and I think they still worked......
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Except for style points, is there any advantage having 18" wheels. They were offered as an option on my '01 C4 Cab but was there a reason Porsche preferred to put 17" wheels as stock on the car. A Porsche salesman says I shouldn't change them because I won't like the handling. Any of you guys had 17" wheels on the track? Which do you prefer? I live on dirt roads and I think the 17" would probably be advantageous there. I'm about to change tires so I need to come to a conclusion as to changing wheel sizes. Style ain't everything.
IMO - there is nothing wrong with 17's for daily driving and they most likely offer a cheaper tire solution, more selection and slightly higher profile which should equate to a softer ride on rougher roads with less chance of the wheels hitting something.
I have ran 17's on my car and had no issues. I prefer the look of the 18's and I dont like the look of the 19's (in person, not in pics) Many if not all race cars are running 18's - They have ran 17's in the past and I think they still worked......
my .02
There's nothing wrong with 17" wheels and tires. In fact, they can often offer a big advantage in reduced unsprung weight over an 18-19" setup. Seems like a lot of people automatically assume that "bigger = better".
Tire technology has moved on significantly since the 996 was first introduced. The compromises are much less than they used to be.
The current generation of 3.5" sidewall tires (225/40, 265/35, 295/30, etc) ride as well as and handle much better than 4.0" sidewall tires (205/50, 255/40) from 5-10 years ago.
It's also interesting that Porsche will not go below a 3.5" sidewall. The new cars that have 19" wheels go up in diameter, rather than using a lower profile. Pretty well indicates what the sidewall sweet spot is.
from the success I had selling my 17" inch wheels for close to nothing... I would say there is EVERYTHING wrong with them simply due to the fact that now one wants them at all.
Not a thing. I still run 17"s, but would like to use them for my winter sneaks, and find some decent 18" for the summer. No question that tire prices jump, but improved looks and tire patch would be nice.
Tire size have their purpose. Smaller and light wheels/tires puts less stress on suspension (unsprung weight). Lighter often means faster, but that having said, the P car requires lots of grip with wide rear tires. Smaller wheels/tires doesn't accomodate that function .
285/30/18 tock, with 17" you have to run 255/45/17 to keep the same diameter. Handling will be compromised. Correct me if I am wrong
from early 996 reviews... the drivers preffered the 18". They said, this time the bigger wheel had better feedback and feel... need to dig up the source.
And when you read the 997 reviews, they prefer 18s to 19s. Since the sidewalls don't get any shorter, all you get for your extra inch is more weight and more bling.
For me the look of 19s easily outweigh the supposed performance advantages of 18s. 17s... it's similar to me thinking about driving a Boxster instead of the 911. The thought does not even cross my mind.
Living in an urban environment and rolling 18's, I'd almost prefer 17s. Last summer I bent a rim and trashed a sidewall while parking - never seen anything like it. Hit the curb with rear while parallel parking (super slow parking speed - <2mph). I'm thinking a higher sidewall might have prevented that.
As I recall, 17" was the default size around which the suspension was designed. In other words, all other things being equal, the car will handle better on 17s than 18s in real world street driving (flame away, I'm sure there will be lots of argument on this point).
Tires are a component of suspension design. Decisions are made about shock valving and damping rates based on certain assumptions about how resilient the 'passive' suspension of a tire is, and how much unsprung mass is in the wheel and tire package. The less resilient it is, the more the shock has to be designed to cope with smaller, higher frequency bumps, which forces other compromises. In addition, a bigger wheel usually means more unsprung weight, which also asks the shocks to do a job they weren't really optimized for.
A lot of 996 folks believe - and I do, too - that the 18" wheel is the best
compromise
between handling and looks. But on a stock suspension, it's not strictly the best handling. If you're not fussed about the looks, you can feel very good about staying on 17s, IMO.
The 3 Mk1 996 owners I know that still have 17s are saving money for 18s
For me - the visual difference is VERY BIG and I like my 18s.
When I see one with 17" wheels I just think it looks a little old school and doesn't fill out the wheel well quite enough...
The problem w/ 19s is, I can't find anybody with accurate alignment specs. Loren @ renntech says they don't exist for 19s, and he uploaded a scan of the 17s & 18s ROW, etc. specs. So why do Champion Motorsport and others make these 19s without alignment specs?
Eh?
17" have a lot more sidewall flex which feels like sloppy soup. I would always run them on the street with track suspension and that was a nice compromise.
I love 17"s on my C2. The ride is worlds better for everyday driving. I use the 18" set I have for track days only.
In fact I'm looking for another set of factory 17"s to buy if anyone selling right now!
PM me...
Doug
I bought my car used, it came with 18's. Given the relatively rough roads around Seattle, had I spec'd the car from the beginning, I would have chosen 17's. I would opt for a reasonable ride and better protection for the wheel and suspension over looks. Any day.
If you live in an area with very smooth roads and you want to pay more for the wheels & tires to get a particular look, then those are entertainment dollars. If they're that entertaining, go for it.
With the help of all the opinions here I bid on a set of Carrera III 5-Spoke wheels on Ebay last night and won. I decided that style was important enough to take the plunge. I'll need spacers and then decide on rubber. Can't wait to see how they look and feel.
On a previous post someone informed me of the spacers I would need to mount the wheels that I purchased but I can't find it. The new wheels are 8" and !0" Carrera III 5-spoke with 57 and 58mm offset from an '08 model. I'm replacing the 17" on my '01 C4 Cab. Where might I purchase them?
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