ryangambrill

I took the car to my local dealer to have the tires balanced. They could not complete as two of the wheels were bent.

Took the car today to a local wheel repair shop. They are saying that two are severe and two are minor. Minor damaged wheels most likely can be fixed. But no guarantees on the other two.

The cost is $200 per wheel to have them straightened out. If they cannot straighten out the wheel, then there is no charge.

I am not sure if I should try to repair these wheels or look for a good used set of something different. But, being that my car is a 40th, I really want to keep the stock wheels.

Thoughts?

Barn996

$200 per wheel sounds high, but I guess it depends on their condition. See if you can find an original set for sale for your 40th.

pissedpuppy

easy - get new rims/tires (Damon at Tire Rack is great to work with)

Macster

IIRC those wheels are cast. Generally castings do not like to be bent. I'd be leery of any attempt to resurrect bent wheels.

(FWIW, Porsche does not support any wheel repairs to its wheels that involve welding or machining.)

(My limited experience with Porsche wheels and having any work done to them is not so good. I had one Turbo wheel that needed just some mild refinishing to address some cosmetic issues and the wheel refinisher ruined the wheel to the point the wheel had to be replaced. No straightening involved, just finish work.)

If I were you I'd seriously consider replacing any wheel that was bent. You can buy OEM wheels that while they will not be the original wheels the car came with they'll keep it factory.

Furthermore, if whoever drives the car is hard on wheels, hard enough to bend them, perhaps you need to consider buying some aftermarket wheels to use and keep the OEM wheels safe and pristine?

Sincerely,

Macster.

ryangambrill

Macster-

Thanks so much. I may just go the replacement route. Much to think about.

I have a large suspicion that the wheels were bent by the previous owner. Back when I took delivery of the vehicle, I had to put new tires on the car. At that time I was told that there were some bent wheels. I had a PPI completed but it was not as thorough as I had hoped. Turned out to be items that needed immediate replacement once I took delivery. Now it seems that the wheels also are in bad shape.

I will never make the same PPI error again.

I live in Cleveland and smooth roads are not common. I like to think of myself as easy on the car. Always looking and trying to maneuver away from pot holes.

I have been looking on eBay. So many wheels say they will work on 996 and 997. Can you guys give me the right specs (offset etc) that I need to look for?

Are 19's too much on a 996 NB?

This is so frustrating!!!!!

soverystout

19's are too much.
the right specs vary depending on OEM wheel style.
the 18 inch wheel option are 18 by 8 with a 52mm offset and 18 by 10 with a 65MM offset all being 5x130 bolt pattern.

Those are specs for my factory sport designs. The sport technos and turbo twists may have slightly different offsets but everything else should be the same.

fpb111

You should look around to see if there is someone like this near you that can straighten them.
From a BMW board:
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39...r-seattle.html

LC MotorSports

The repair of wheels is a tricky business an should only be trusted to a company that specializes in that work. Prosche Cast wheels are nothing special... and if done right are as good as new.
$200.00 per wheel is high...
These are the guys I have fix (as well as many SCCA racers here in the NorthEast) my street & Track wheels. Rim Pro Inc.... http://www.rimpro.com/index.html

Fikse Wheels

I think it is a perfect time for a new set of Fikse wheels. Our wheels are strong, light weight and a stylish upgrade to your car. If you ever decide to sell your 40th Anniversary car you can always include the original equipment wheels. Fikse wheels hold very good resale value and can be resold at a later date or included as an additional set with the car.

Shark Attack

I have a stock set of 18" turbo twists and I am not far from you.... No Idea what I want for them. If you are interested I will give it some thought and research. They are in good shape. no curb rash

Macster

Can't help you with any direct experience with the 19" wheel question. Partially it is a matter of personal taste. Some like the bigger wheels. And some don't.

I have never upgraded the wheels on my Porsches and only had to replace the one Turbo wheel because the refinisher botched the job and the wheel. (The wheel got scuffed from an impact with a deer so the body shop/dealer canned the wheel and ordered a new wheel.)

Personally I prefer a smaller wheel. 18" is about as big as I'd go simply because I do not think I'd like the harsher ride of a larger wheel (and smaller cross section of tire). Then given that roads are bad there is the higher risk the tire (if not the wheel too) could be damaged by the rough road.

However, I admit the other day I looked over a new '11 Cayman S and a '12 Boxster Black both cars with 19" wheels and the wheels looked gorgeous.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Byprodriver

Saw a set of these wheels for sale last week online somewhere. It had to be E-bay or on this forum can't remember as I didn't want to pay extra for the chrome or polished finish.

ryangambrill

I am going to give RimPro a call tomorrow. Will let you know what they say.

LC MotorSports

Let us know how it turns out.

springgeyser

Rite Way in Concord, Ca can help you straighten these rims. They use to charge $130/wheel but will not fix any wheels that are cracked.