18s vs. 19s, bad idea?

I use my 996 as a daily driver, and I love the opportunity to really push the curves when I can. Lately, I've been thinking of upgrading my wheels, and I really prefer the way 19s look. However I'm eally concerned that the ride quality will suffer significantly and that the handling profile will actually change for the worse (suspension geometry desgined for 18s max). I know that this has been beaten to death around here, but I'd still appreciate any opinions from those who have made the switch. I can always wait until I get a second car and use this one for weekend blasts. Thanks in adavance...

I typically caution this sort of thing. However, since you have stated that you understand the consequences, I won't quote the usual. Typically, there is more mechanical grip, and you will feel this in the steering wheel. I know of one friend who went this route and promptly went back to 18's because (in his words), "It was just too much." He went on to explain, the small bumps and inconsistencies in the road got transferred that much more. And bigger bumps felt like mountains. However...if you do not mind this feel, maybe they are for you. Chad

chad, does that apply to the 997 as well?

No...the 997's suspension geometry has been designed to accomodate the use of 19" wheels. Chad

Another big factor w/the 997 is that Porsche increased the overall rolling diameter of the wheel/tire package (for the first time since the 60s?) to accommodate their customer's cries for 19s.

19"s for bling, 18"s for go. Seriously, I don't think the 19s are a good idea on the street, too much chance of damage.

If you want to push the curves, consider going with a lowered suspension like an X74. You will be amazed how much better it makes the handling.

I agree with Chads as you will feel more of the bumps. I have 19's with 235/35 and 315/25 and can tell you that you will not gain anything as far as handling. So if you don't mind a little extra bump in the ride then looks is worth it. I don't think there was any detriment to the handling, but I am considering changing tire size to the 997 size in hopes of some better ride.

18" is a better setup for the 996.

The problem with most 19's are the increase in weight. The only reason to go for the 19's is for the 15" brakes you can stuff in them! This is of course assuming you are going to pay bank for the super light rims to make the "upgrade in size" not a detriment in unsprung weight

Hey Fellas, Any chance those of you who are not in favor of 19"s and bought 18"s are regretting it because they look perfect for the 996? It seems to me that anything other than a 19" on these cars look too small. With regard to damage, assuming it's not a huge pot hole, if you have proper inflation you shouldn't have the problem. I'm waiting for Spring to arrive and 19"s are going on mine. Looking at the 18"s in this forum after looking at 19"s look incorrect. Just my opinion.

Those of us that are more interested in function than impressing others are likely to prefer 18s, since they are going to be: - lighter, with all the benefits that come along with this. - a size the 996's suspension was designed for, and will likely handle better - provide a better ride - better tire choice, with the tires being cheaper apples::apples as well Being the contrarian I am, i'm seriously considering going with the '02+ "lightweight" 17s. My guess is that 17s are actually the best overall performance size for street (and possibly track too).

Thanks for all of the input - this board rocks. I think I might look into 18s now that have a better design than mine, plus maybe I'll look into lighter wheels that'll reduce the unsprung weight. I don't totally dislike the way 18s look, I just think that 19s look better, but after reading these postings I'm feeling less comfortable making that move. So - now the next question: will 18s with ROW M030 ride more comfortably than my stock suspension with 19s?

02 lightweights for the 996 are 18. I think the lightweight boxter ones are also 18 not 17

Note that I didn't say "carrera lightweight", which are the lightweight 18" 5-spokes. The 10-spoke 17" standard wheels on the '02+ 996s are also much lighter than previous years, hence being referred to as lightweight as well. http://www.wheelenhancement.com/inde...elDetail&id=44

oh, I have never heard of any other oem porsche rim referred to as the 02 lightweights-

i did regret getting 18's so ended up getting 19's. you DO get added bumpsteer AND mechanical grip. the bumpsteer, IMO, is not a big deal on the streets but i live in CA with mainly smooth roads so YMMV. if you do go with 19s then you have to LOWER the suspension. otherwise it looks weird with big wheels and a big fender well gap. the 19s look so dang sweet though! i admit i am vain when it domes to the looks of the car. it's one of the main reasons i got it! i had conti SC2s on the 18's and they rode like a rock (even at lower pressures), were loud and not very grippy. on the other hand the bridgestone so3 19's are much more comfortable... really. just make sure the pressures are at least 36f, 44r and that should protect the wheel. i also think that the added weight of the wheel has smoothed the ride out. don't laugh guys, just a theory. i think it works like a double mass flywheel compared to a single mass flywheel. the dual mass smoothes out the vibrations. i did, however, hang on to the champion monolite 18s as i am planning on using them for the track. there are more choices for R compound tires.

I suppose if you don't want to flip for the cost of the 19" wheels and tires that's okay, but not "lightweight"? What would you consider Sportec and IForged to be? Heavy? I don't think so. If you go cheap you can do the same with 18" wheels. With regard to handling, while I haven't had them on my '99 Carrera yet, I do run them on my '02 A4 3.0 Sport and I don't mind them at all, although I don't race it and I don't intend to race my Carrera either. But I do have another question for you -- what do you mean about "impressing others"? I do what I do because I like the look and if others think it looks good, well then what the heck. Maybe it's really a money thing after all? No offense mind you, but your argument doesn't hold up. Ciao.

I hear the Champion Monoliths 19" rims are exactly 20 lbs ; lighter than the 18" lightweight 5 spokes by 1 lbs in front an 1.5 lb in the rear respectively. I wonder if you'd lose any speed and performance with these "lightweight" 19's...

[QUOTE=karlooz]i did regret getting 18's so ended up getting 19's. you DO get added bumpsteer AND mechanical grip. the bumpsteer, IMO, is not a big deal on the streets but i live in CA with mainly smooth roads so YMMV. if you do go with 19s then you have to LOWER the suspension. otherwise it looks weird with big wheels and a big fender well gap. the 19s look so dang sweet though! i admit i am vain when it domes to the looks of the car. QUOTE] If you got your Porsche to drive on public roads, then you gotta go 19s and yes, lowered nicely. You guys are really splitting hairs with the 18s argument. The 19s look significantly better. way better than any supposed performance gains you'd get from the 18s. and don't tell me you spent $50K+ on a 911 cuz it's not an ego booster. you could go a lot faster in a much cheaper, lighter no name car. and just cuz you run 18s doesn't mean you're goign to be outrunning the guy on the 19s. public roads simply don't allow you to explore those limits. your skillz limit you severely. 18s are not a good look on this car.

good point. without the added weight, would a 19 wheel create any added bump steer (assuming stock offsets and not spacers)? the kinesis f110s 19" are supposedly 18~19lbs. they look hot but are BANK. tire selection still isn't as good as 18s but i'm sure manufacturers will add more to their lineup, esp since the 997 comes with 19s

Yes, I think Sportecs are heavy I agree, you can go cheap and heavy with 18s, just as easily as 19s. My point was that for a given wheel, you're going to gain weight by going up in rim size. It's really really tough to find a lighter wheel than the Carrera Lightweights; especially in 19". as someone else noted below, it sounds like the Champion forged rims are a bit lighter; that's great. To my other point, I should have simply said that 19s are about looks, not performance. If you're willing to spend the $$ for looks, then why not. I agree they look cool. Just don't kid yourselves and others that you went 19 for the performance benefit Oh, and Karlooz, your comment re: the 997 driving tire availability doesn't hold water. The 997 has a taller wheel/tire package than the 996. In other words, you don't want to run the 997's tires size on the 996.

Be careful with those Bridgestone S03s. They are known to come apart. Check the National Highway and Traffic Safety web site. There are hundreds of complaints.

The other issue that I forgot is that while the 19's can be ligher than 18's they actually must be lighter because the tires themselves will weigh more I would think-

YIKES! thanks for the heads up.

Get the 19's and keep your stock 18's for track or inclement weather.

In general the s03's just suck. They are great in the wet however I seem to remember that the treadblocks like to separate from the tire!!! The other version of the s02's, so2a I think people seem to like. The other thing about the s03's are that they are heavier than almost any tire I have ever used!!!

regarding performance benefits... 9ff and manthey racing chose do go with 18s instead of 19s stating that, although mechanical grip has increased, some driving feel is lost and there is added bumpsteer. (check Excellence) well isn't added mechanical grip a performance gain? FWIW, not sure why mechanical grip is gained but they said it. BTW, my sportecs (made by BBS) are heavier than my champion monolites but are NOT heavy. the kinesis f110 19" are 3~4 lighter than the 18" carrera lightweights so there's a performance gain there, yes? re:997 tire sizes. there is still trickle down effect don't ya think? just like what happened with 18" tires. more and more car makers/wheel manufacturers are making 19" wheels and the tire manufacturers are catching up.

hey spr, did you get this info by word of mouth or is there somewhere i can check? couldn't find anything on nhtsa.org. they seem to get really good review on tirerack FWIW. why do they suck? they corner a lot better then the conti sc2 and are much quieter and more comfortable too. what your tire choice?

stiles, have a look at this. the conti tire sizing is for a 997 carreraS 19" and the bridgestones are what i have. not much of a difference is there? well within the diameter tolerance. so this is why there will be more 19" tire sizes.

How can mechanical grip be increased simply by going to a larger diameter? My opinion is you increase mechanical grip by either going with a wider tire, or going to a softer tire. My experience tells me that of an 18" and 19" diameter tire of the same widths and compounds, the 18" is going to have more inherent grip due to it's ability to absorb more bumps through it's taller sidewall, thus keeping more tread on the ground. In addition, tires need to "roll over" slightly on their sidewalls for optimum grip, and an 18" tire is going to do this easier than a 19". Look at a Champ Car or F1, or even an ALMS-type tire. They are the ultimate race tires, yet they are not extremely low-profile. 19" is for looks alone, IMO.

9ff said it, not me

Out of curiousity: - what do your sportecs weigh? - do you know what they weigh in 18" fitments? - do you have an option of forged or cast for these wheels? thanks -- they are a great looking wheel, but I wouldn't consider them unless they were lighter than the stock Carrera lightweights (~20lb front, ~21 rear)