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I found these aftermarket that look like the 18" turbo Twist wheels. I don't know the quality but they are manufactured in Italy. What size front tire can I use for a stock 1999? I don't think 225 is wide enough for an 8.5" front wheel.
COLOR: Silver
Size: 18x8.5" fronts and 18x10" rears Bolt Pattern: 5x130 Condition: Brand New High End Replicas made in ITALY.. NOT CHINESE JUNK
I agree although I'm not really fond of either. The 265 looks stretched to fit the rim and the 285 looks too small in the wheel well.
I also prefer the ride of the 265.
How can the 285/30 look smaller? It is 24.9" in diameter verses 25" for a 265/35. I don't think my eye is really calibrated to see 1/10 of an inch.
Actually I just looked at some other 265/35 brand tires. I guess the Potenza I picked happen to be kind of small at 25". Others such as the Conti DW is 25.3" So it would be more like a 0.4" difference which my calibrated eye probably could see. I guess there is more diameter difference between manufactures of the same size than I thought.
I found these aftermarket that look like the 18" turbo Twist wheels. I don't know the quality but they are manufactured in Italy. What size front tire can I use for a stock 1999? I don't think 225 is wide enough for an 8.5" front wheel.
COLOR: Silver
Size: 18x8.5" fronts and 18x10" rears Bolt Pattern: 5x130 Condition: Brand New High End Replicas made in ITALY.. NOT CHINESE JUNK
Offset: front 52mm Rear 65mm
I just found out the 225/40/18 is 25.1" in diameter and a 245/35/18 is 24.8" diameter. That is pretty close especially when you consider a 285/30/18 is 24.9". I wonder if a 245/35/18 on this 8.5" front wheel would cause any rubbing? That would be a good combination along with the 285/30/18 for maximum traction.
Is this just for looks or track use? For looks, my favorite tire is the pilot super sport and the taller 285/35 18 looks better IMO. If your buying wheels I'd pick the tire you want than the wheels accordingly. You can fit huge tires out back with no rubbing. Up front I'd say 245 is about as much as you can do before it gets a little tricky. But it's dependent on suspension, alignment, offset and even actual width of tire per labeled size varies between manufacturers. I think 225 would look perfect on a 8.5. 245 will be very squared off but I tend to like a bit more rubber too. But on the other hand the 225 may drive a bit nicer.
I had 275 NT01s up front but didn't like it. I think it could be made to work well but not for a daily and I didn't like running with no tender spring. There isn't a 255/40 or 35 NT01 for 18" wheels.
If I went back to street tires I would likely run 255s up front. There's a few tires I like in good sizes.
This is for a weekend sport driver so I like the look factor but want performance. If I went with the 285/35 what size do I need in front? Anyone use this setup?
Found some nice 18 turbo twist. They have near new tires 235/40/18 and 265/35/18 pilot Supersport. I know the front should only be 225/40. So yes a little strange. But the overall diameter is 25.4 front and 25.3 rear. Is this okay to run or will I risk rubbing or abs codes on a stock 1999?
This is for a weekend sport driver so I like the look factor but want performance. If I went with the 285/35 what size do I need in front? Anyone use this setup?
Once you go beyond stock/optional sizes I'm not qualified to comment but I will anyway. First, be careful of the balance between front and rear tires. These are rear-engined cars and very susceptible to becoming unbalanced, Wider is not always better.
What good are looks if your car handles like a John Deere instead of a Porsche? 265s and 285s, on a 996, work best with 225 fronts under regular driving conditions. A wider front will look better but handle worse. Porsche qualifies tires for a reason they know the suspension geometry. If you are racing, all bets are off but if you need a racing-only setup on the street, please stay out of my neighborhood.
Second, I don't remember if you ever mentioned if you have a C2 or C4 but the difference in diameter between the front tires and rear tires must be very small for a C4.
Last edited by tharbin; 06-09-2016 at 05:22 PM.
Reason: noticed typo.
If these are the wheels you are looking at then you might want to ask about the weight of the wheels, they do appear to have a weight disadvantage over a stock OEM set.
I agree on the aftermarkets. I decided to stick with oem 18s for my 1999 C2.
I tend to prefer OEM but don't discount what Wheel Dynamics said. There are many good after-market wheels but go to a reputable shop to be sure because there is also a lot of junk out there.
Don't forget that some wheel makers are also OEM suppliers for Porsche, like BBS or Fuchs. I would never turn down a nice set of HREs or Champions... list goes on and as soon as you talk R-compound tires you need after-markets because most street wheels aren't really strong enough for repeated track use.
I would however stick pretty close to recommended wheel widths and tire sizes without the help of someone like Wheel Dynamics that has real world, practical experience with the ride qualities of different sets.
One thing no one has mentioned is ride. Be prepared for a difference in ride quality. The 18 will be harsher. Back when these were new cars one of the magazines compared the car on 17s and 18s. There verdict was they preferred the 17s for everyday. A side benefit is reduced unsprung weight.
My first 996 had 17s and this one has 18s. I preferred the ride on the 17s 80% of the time. The look, will the 18s are better.
I have settled on a nice set of used 18" Turbo Twist ET50 front and ET65 rear wheels. I have to say Kudos to this forum. This is my first Porsche. I have had and been a big part of the following forums: Corvette, LS1/GTO, RX8, Jeep SRT8 and several others. Some are really good like the Corvette Forum, but others were so bad (not to be named) I actually sold my car and moved on because community support is important to how I run, maintain, repair and modify my cars.
I am very impressed so far. Here I am one of the Newbies and you all are so helpful. So THANKS A MILLION everyone!
I have to say this has been a great experience so far. I hope to learn enough that I can also be supportive like all of you.
06-08-2016, 09:12 PM
