embacpa

Thanks all. Well, after reviewing your posts and a chat with Steve at Rennsport I am going to re-gear the transmission. So, i will likely stick with 16's or consider 17's.

Why R6's? I know it is only HPDE, but I love how sticky they are. It's simply more fun and requires me to continue to stay focused and improve my skills. The rest of the car can handle the extra load generated by such a sticky tire.

As far as 275's, based on the above that is simply too much work (and I use your argument that it is only HPDE).

Thanks again. This forum is a wealth of info for a newby.

earlyapex

I'll guarantee that you will have more fun learning how to drive at the limit on skinnier and less sticky tires! You wallet will also love you.

embacpa

any recommendations on custom light weight 16's or 17's. would like to minimize increase in unsprung weight. so far, i'm thinking jongbloed. have heard great things. thx

Ed Hughes

The Zuffenhaus 17's are about the lightest you'll find. Mine are 15.2/15.8 lbs F/R.

2.5 Box

There is a big difference between fitting a 275/40/17 and a 275/35/15. With longer wheel studs you can push out the 15 until it clears the spring plate and oil lines easily. And as it is only 23" tall will not rub the fender with those 31 mm torsion bars. Bottom line ... 225/45/15 and 275/35/15 on custom 8 and 9s will fit easily. And for some tracks would be awesome. Others you'll prob spend too much time in 5th gear

Ed Hughes

Easily is not an absolute term here, in that variances from one car to the next show that they are not all exactly the same.

embacpa

Ed: i will check out the Zuffenhaus 17's. Are these your track wheels? Thx

2.5box: decided to re-gear the car instead of 15's. gonna do it right.

all: the wheel company drive me crazy. why is it that they always say "lightweight" yet rarely indicate the actual weight? not ver transparent. frustrating.

Ed Hughes

I run R's full time, so they are now my ONLY wheels. They are truly LIGHT, my figures are right off my scale. I know a few that run them at the track, as they were designed for that purpose.

earlyapex

I've had multiple Jongbloed wheels and have been very happy with their quality, appearance, durability, and weight. I highly recommend them. Give Ryan a call.

sig_a

BBS Racing Wheels available from www.bobwoodmantires.com for 15's.

www.braidusa.com is a spanish wheel manufacturer offering a wide variety including 15" 3 piece rims.

Jim Buckley - Buckley Racing is also a great resource.

Fly911

For an old school 911 (pre '89) the only option that makes sense for track wheels are 15" wheels. I recently bought a set of 17" Fuchs replicas, and was shocked to see that the rims were 26lbs and 28lbs f/r. By having light weight 15" rims with R6 275/35 and 225/50 I will save 60lbs (!!!) of rim weight and 20lbs of tire weight. Knowing the exponential impact of rotating mass, the 15" wheels are no brainers. In addition I would get a lower overall gearing due to 23" diameter rather than 25" diameter. And obviously 15" rims and 15" tires are cheaper.
For posers and people that just want to show off, I would recommend 20" wheels with 2" or 3" spacers (LOL).

Ed Hughes

That's a broad and silly statement, since it is applicable to the cheap cast Fakes you had.

I had 17" forged Fuchs replicas, that weighed only 15.2 and 15.8 lbs.

If one spends the money for quality wheels, the 17" selection of good tires is much broader. Even at that, 17's don't have the selection they used to.

Fly911

Yes, my 17" Fuchs replicas are cheap cast fakes, but they look good on the car, and are OK for street use. One of the reasons for buying (fake) 17" Fuchs was of course the tire selection.
However, there is a fairly good selection of 15" race tires for older 911's, and even if you can get (very expensive) 17" Fuchs replicas, the total weight with the tires on will always be heavier. And nothing heavy is a good recipe for speed...!!!

sig_a

15" factory Fuchs 7's and 8's are at least 5 pounds less per wheel than 17" Fikse 8's and 9's where rim/tire weight is at least 7 pounds greater per wheel.

High cost notwithstanding, no transmission modification reduces 17" or 18" rim/tire unsprung weight.

Running Hoosier R6 275 35 15 on 9's with 225 45 15 on 7's or 8's works well. R6 245 50 15 on front isn't a good match.

Each year, I see more HPDE 911's moving to Hoosiers, since performance advantages of smaller, lighter rims gained in club racing provides them the same advantage -- track or street.

embacpa

so, i re-geared, put in Guard LSD, and lighter flywheel. in addition to my 16 6x8 fuchs, I bought a set of 951 16 7x8 fuchs to clear my new 930 brakes and also ordered a set of Jongbloeds (shipped today) 16 8X9 (very light!!). After I get comfortable with these mods i might pick up a set of 15's as these are much cheaper than the aforementioned. Looking forward to first event!! thx