Ont924s

I need a little help with replacing the rims on my 924S and I'm finding all the rim technology a little overwhelming. My car has 205/55R 16 tires. From the manual my rims are 6J x 16H2, with the ET being 52.3. Elsewhere it says the ET is 52. Also I know I have 5 bolts on 3 inch centers but I'm not sure what the final part is of the 5 x equation? Any other information I need to find replacements? Is there a list of 16 rims that would fit my car that is available.
Thanks for the help.

KevinGross

You have all the facts. Your rims are 6" x 16" with a 52 mm offset. As far as replacements go, I'd suggest finding a good set of original wheels. There are probably inexpensive alternatives, but I believe they look out of place on your car and diminish its value. A reputable supplier like Tire Rack (tirerack.com) may have some options for you. Good luck!

ganz924S

The bolt pattern is 5x130, I went with some 15x7 phone dials and like the wider look and response a lot. When you are talking Porsche wheels the 52.3 ET is late offset, those are what you need to look for.

Ont924s

Thanks for the input. So my rims are 6 x 16 with a 5 x 130 bolt pattern and an ET of 52.3. As I will be looking for used rims is that all the info I need? Is there specific info about the center cap that I need to know? (if the rims don't have center caps) Also is there much of a difference between an ET of 52 vs 52.3? Sorry for the further questions but I don't want to get the wrong rims. I'm not sure what my rims are called but they are not the phone dials. Thanks again for the help.

FrenchToast

If you want the best help, it is best if you post pictures of your current wheels and then post links or specs on the wheels you are considering.
___________

Offset alone doesn't help you.

Fitting a wheel is a function of both offset AND width. And at extreme levels, camber and tires as well.

It's not very complicated. Only the units and nomenclature are confusing. Simple arithmetic.



5x130 is the bolt circle (where lugs go to attach the wheel to the car). 5 is the number of bolts, and they are arranged in a circle with a diameter of 130mm.

A 6J x 16H2 (also written as 6 x 16, 6J x 16, 16 x 6, 16 x 6J, etc.) wheel has a diameter of 16" and a width of 6". These dimensions measure where the tire bead seats, and as such cannot be measured with the tire in place. 99% of one piece wheels have these dimensions stamped inside the wheel. The J and H2 can in most cases be ignored: J is the type of bead profile and H2 is the type of (barrel) hump profile.*

ET stands for Einpresstiefe, which is a measurement of how far offset the wheel's mounting hub is from the width centerline of the wheel.

The units are now an international standard - 99% of automotive wheels are measured this way. (A small amount of wheels have a metric diameter and/or width).

The unit is millimeters, so unless you are building engines or work in an industry with very tight tolerances...... no.
________

This is all to say that not every 5x130, ET52.3 wheel is going to fit your car. The wheel can be too wide. Any 5x130, 16 x 6 wheel also won't necessarily fit your car. The offset may be too high or low.

Because Porsche uses a relatively unique bolt pattern, and 16" wheels are small by modern car standards, you are not going to find many wheels via the usual aftermarket suppliers (i.e. TireRack). TireRack has plenty of tires though.

You'll need to look used in most cases, unless you want custom-manufactured wheels.
_________

*If you asked:

J bead profile is now the standard for passenger vehicles. Since J is the industry standard, most tires are J bead. Some older wheels, weird wheels, 959 wheels, commercial wheels, industrial wheels etc. have a different profile. It should be noted that only tires designed for a J bead can used on a J rim.

Hump profile, to my knowledge, does not affect tire selection. It only makes it harder or easier to mount the tire. Supposedly the hump design slows the tire from sliding off the rim in the event of deflation (it can still slide off).

Read more here.

Ont924s

So here is a picture of the wheels on my car. I've seen them referred to as 'Trash Lid'. As I will be buying used rims I'm not sure exactly what I'll be getting. I like the look of the Spiderweb's and also the Fuchs, but finances will likely dictate what I buy. I appreciate the explanation of the wheel specs and I think I generally understand it. It is understanding to note that on another forum they say that the spec is 5 x 128 and not 5 x 130. I think the safest way to proceed is to go to a place that specializes in selling used Porsche parts. I haven't had any luck reading the specs on my current rims so far but that's another story. Thanks for all the feedback I've learned a lot. (And have a lot more to learn) Now all I need to do is find a supplier here in Ontario.

PaulD_944S2

Your wheels look like the forged wheels that came on the 928 and 944 S turbo, which are a desirable wheel and somewhat rare. The 928 was a slightly different offset, IIRC.

Holytin

Short reply to a very long text...

16x6 (front) and 16x7 rear ST 52.3 will fit fine w/o problems. These are the wheels of a 944 turbo on my late 88 924s. So your statement that ET52.3 won't fit is simply not true...

Ont924s

Paul When I got the car a couple of weeks ago, PO said that the original owner had put these rims on the car when she bought it. I'm new to the Porsche world so it didn't mean a lot to me. As I plan on replacing these rims sometime soon, what would you see as the approximate value of my rims? Overall I think they are in pretty good condition but could do with a professional polishing.

Holytin thanks for comments on the 16 x 7's. Something to think about, but would need to check if my existing tires would fit. (205/55R 16)

Ont924s

This may be a dumb question but what are the rims on Page 14 of the Haynes 944 Manual? I think they'd look great on my car.

FrenchToast

Poor word choice on my part. Changed to read "not every ET 52.3 wheel is going to fit...".

BTW, the 16x6 and 16x7 is not off of a 944 Turbo. A 944 Turbo would have gotten 7" and 8" wheels. The 6" and 7" is from probably a 924 Turbo. Or a mixed set from a 944, 928, 924, etc.

Holytin

No problem at all! Thanks!

Ont924s

I just got a great set of polished manhole covers. 7 x 16 with an ET of 65. So I have some questions;

1. Will they fit on my 87 924S?

2. If they do fit on my car will my current 205/55 tires fit on the new rims?

3. If the tires won't fit, what size would you recommend I put on the car, that won't mess up the speedo.

Thanks guys

V2Rocket

ET65 makes them 928 wheels.

tires will fit the wheels, and i suspect the wheels will fit the car just fine, but will sit "inboard" versus a stock ET52 wheel by about 1/2" (closer to the suspension, further from the fender)

Ont924s

So I took the 16 x 7 rims with the 65 offset to the local tire shop for installation. According to the shop the tires will fit the rims but the new rims will be too close to front suspension. The shop made the determination without mounting the tires.