86 951 Driver

I am looking to maybe update the looks of my car a bit. I saw there was a set of 18" Twists for sale for a decent price in the marketplace. What are the pro's and con's of each. I have read many threads on how 18's are too big for these cars and how 928 guys say that they ride quality is horrible on 18's.

Car: 1986 951 with stock Fuchs and suspension

1..2..3 go.

sydneyman

lookswise it was a great improvement as you know but the ride quality of my carrera lightweights (18's)on my '87 951 was HORRIBLE! 17's are about as big as you want to go for a street tire imho...

just as an fyi i went to the 18's from 16's and then back again...

mytrplseven

I went from 15" phone dials to 17" Caymans. I tried a set of 18" wheels and the ride sucked and it just didn't look right. I had to use TireRack tire research links to find a rear tire that was just a hair narrower because the left rear rubbed on the rear fender outer lip under hard right turn. Outside of that, the ride's better with the 17's and the look is great. You'll see from the photo that they fit the wells perfectly.

SirLapsalot

You should buy my wheels. They are perfect for updating the look of your car. You would need spacers though.

https://rennlist.com/forums/parts-ma...93-wheels.html

hopps

Funny, I was actually hoping someone would ask this question, as I'm trying to find twists (boxster or turbo twists) because I want wider wheels and better stance. So if I read this right, 18's WILL fit, but ride quality sucks?I was looking towards 18's because they are readily available, and I could get 18x10 or 18x11 rear tires

Is it worth it? Or is 17 really the biggest someone should go. (Sorry to jack the thread)

Richgreenster

I run the stock 16" on mine for daily driving an tours and 18" for track events. I know they are not 17's but will give you some insight.
I love how the 18's feel. They are a bit too stiff for our roads here in Utah but not bad when the street is flat or I am on the track. I guess it depends how bad of shape your roads are where you live. Another thing... I worry a little about bending my 18's when I hit pot holes, but do not even think about it with the 16's.

mytrplseven

Your biggest problem with the wide tires on the 18's will be whether they'll rub on the fender wells (outer lip) or struts (inner). It'll probably not show up until you really compress the rear suspension while turning. My problems with outer lip rub showed up when accelerating agressively while turning agressively (compression plus side load). It only happened on the left side and one thread I read months ago stated that the body/suspension attachment isn't 100% perfect and that's why it was only on one side. I bought a set of Cayman 17" wheels and with the stock tires, the rub showed up as well under the same conditions. That's where a slightly (1/8") narrower tire solved the rub problem and the 17 inch solved the ride issue. I needed a 1/4" spacer for the front hubs but I'm very pleased with the outcome.

Funn944

It's not so much the diameter of the rim that affects ride quality, but the height of the side wall. Smaller side wall = harsher ride.

racer

in many cases, the 18's will cause a INCREASE in unsprung weight vs your light Fuchs wheels. This means you could actually see a degredation in performance. Also consider that if your 951 still has STOCK suspension, your money might be better spent on improving the suspension than simply upgrading wheel/tire combo.

I have some 17" wheels on my regular 944 and can't wait to go back (for mild street use) to softer sidewalls (ie, 215-60-15s). The low profile 17s (225-45-17 front and 255-40-17 rear) are simply too harsh for the local DC streets.

As alluded to, an '86 is an "early offset" car and most 17/18 inch Porsche wheels are "late offset" which means in addition to the heavier wheel, you will have to run aftermarket adaptors (weight) to make the late offset wheels fit. OR, you spend "big $$$" on Fiske, BBS or other quality wheels in custom offsets for your car.

86 951 Driver

I'm looking at these wheels for only looks and everyday use not for performance. Just a FYI

racer

Understood.. but not sure why one would want to add 5-10lbs per corner (ie, up to 40lbs).. That reduces performance across the board. If you don't like performance, why own a Turbo

Might see if there are any RL's near you with 17 and or 18s on their cars and ask for a ride. No point shelling out big money to be disappointed.

iirc, Porsche did NOT recommend larger than 17's on the 968, which had some upgraded suspension components that your 951 may not have or would be stressed to live up to.

ernie9468

__+1

86 951 driver__ Here is just a suggestion by no mean do you have to follow it.But this is by my experience on of the best combo street ride/performance wise.CUP I 17x8 with 225-45 ZR 17 frt ---- 17x9.5 with 255-40 ZR 17 rear.This is what I've been riding on my 968 for the last three years ,even though my suspension is not stock & pretty well sort out I don't see no problems using this combo on your 951.As for look this is what CUP I will look like on your car.

sydneyman

i think those cup wheels and the mirrors are just about the perfect cosmetic addition to the turbo body style... an updated look that isn't too modern... imho...

JohnKoaWood

Awww, come on nancy.. I put almost 15000 miles of street driving on those wheels AFTER I bought them..

I have monoball bushings..

I think your "HORRIBLE" ride quality is just because you couldn't fit your donut under your hind end while driving!

18s are FINE.. some people might say horrible ride quality.. but that is a subjective review..

I would recommend you find a 951 in your area with 18s, and take it for a spin.. FWIW, my ride quality was almost identical with 16s, 17, and 18s on my 951.. with MUCH less road feel with the smaller wheels... I prefer the 18s to either of the other two sizes!

86 951 Driver

I'm not getting rid of my 16's don't worry. My fiance seems to like the 18" twists a lot. A guy in my area has a really clean S2 red with hollowspoke 18" twists and its a good looking car and drives great. He had koni's all around along with lowering springs up front. It drove great I thought. I saw a set of 18's in the marketplace for $500 which I thought was cheap.

My plans for my car are a few 968 touches like mirrors, and spoiler along with a set of wheels. Power mods will only be a MAF at most and exhaust.