jpNcos

Purchased a set of the Carrera Lightweights today 18x8 ET50 18x10 ET65 after reading many people use them despite the front offset not being optimal. While they are used it looks like you are limited to a 225 front.

I already have a set of Cup 2's 17x7 ET55 17x9 ET55 now and a pair of 17x8 ET 70 Cup 2's

Everything needs tires and the 8" cup 2's need refinished to be 100% all other wheels are 100%

Until I bought the Carrera wheels today I planed to go with the 8 and 9 cup 2's with 245 up front and 265/275 in the rear.

Now if I go with the Carrera wheels it looks like I'm limited to 225 front and 265 rear if I'm reading right??

Are these 18's worth it or should I stick with my original plan?

Also while these will go on my 82 for a while whatever I decide on will need to work with a GT also if that changes anything.

Thanks for the thoughts and opinions.

Randy V

Do a search.

Many more tires available in 18" size and cheaper.

dprantl

Everybody and their mom are on 18" wheels or bigger. IMO today's 17" wheels are yesterday's 16" wheels. It's already starting to get hard finding 17" tires in good sizes, and it's only going to get harder. However, if I had to choose between 18" ET50 at the front or 17" with proper offsets, I would choose the latter. Or... I would sell both sets and get an 18" set that fits better.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

anonymousagain

your 17's provide better offset with tire size match. the 8" easily takes a 245 with the 18's, but ET50 may limit your lock range before hitting.

17's allow a slightly taller tire profile for slightly improved ride, while 18's allow a slightly taller wheel profile for slightly firmer ride.

IMHO, 18's usually look better matched/balanced with the car, however 17's in 245/275 with 40 profile is a perfect match that will have a very balanced look.

If me, I'd keep the better ride and perfect match of the 17's.

If the carrera's aren't "that much" better style for you, then take the better ride and perfect fit of the 17's...if you love the look, 225 or 235 fronts with the 18's until you can chase down a better offset replacement and bump up to a 245 (just don't crank full lock in/out of driveways with the ET50's).

pcar928fan

I say keep your 17" and SELL ME THE 18"! Those wheels look FAB and 225 on the front will just fit an S the suspension on S4's and GTS's is a bit different so I think you might even get 245's to fit on the newer cars, but not on the S-cars.

If anyone comes across another set of CLW's for a decent price in good/excellent condition I'd LOVE to have them! Put them on my S4 in a HEART BEAT!

Have not noticed ANY ill effects of 225 tires on the 8" ET50 wheels on EURO85. I LOVE the way the car rides and handles as it is set up right now!

jpNcos

These are the CLW's

pcar928fan

Yup, I'll take'em. That will be perfect, just send them to my place, they are probably a bit much for you o handle anyway! You should just get you some CIII's and leave the light weights to me.

jpNcos

martyp

Those MY02s are nice indeed - I have a set on my NB 993. The offsets are perfect for that car. FWIW I just put a set of 18" Panamera 2010's with 235 and 265 UHPAS Conti's on the 928 and am pleasantly surprised with the ride; I don't really feel much difference from the D90's and Toyo T1Rs that were on previously. As always YMMV and we all have different tastes

mpesik

Keep the 18 's on the rear and put the 17's on front.
I posted a thread about diff. tire dia. years ago about what diff. would it make in the handling dynamics.
So far as I know it has not been done.
Who knows, you could end up as- BIG MAN ON CAMPUS here.

bimmen325

19's are what you need.

jpNcos

I think I'm going to roll with the 18's for now and sell the 17's

Hilton

Ding, we have a winner.

The closest factory wheel in 18" to the 928 offset (that isn't designed to hold up a 3 tonne 4x4) is the panamera wheels.

There are two panamera 18" designs, both with 18x8 ET59 front, 18x9 ET53 rear.

Otherwise, for slightly further from factory offsets, there's the Carrera III wheels with 18x8 ET57 front and 18x10 ET59 rear (or 18x11 ET51 rear from widebody cars).

Or there's aftermarket custom wheels like Fikse's.

The pics below are the two Panamera styles in 18".

pcar928fan

Hilton, I don't understand why you think an 8" ET50 with a 225 tire is a problem... Many, many folks are running those wheels or those offsets and I don't think I have ever heard one person complain about it. I certainly LOVE MINE, both how they look, how they ride and how the car drives. Of course with an even higher than stock stagger front to rear the car does not understeer any less than it used to and in fact understeers more since the original wheels were 7" front and rear with 225's on them.

You are quite correct though that picking an optimal offset will allow for wider rubber and no chance of rubbing, thus reducing understeer (if the rear tires are not to much wider than the fronts anyway), but I certainly can't complain with the set up I am running on EURO85 right now... and the look...well, the CLW's are THE BEST LOOKING WHEEL Porsche EVER made!

Hilton

I missed that the OP has an 82 - for some reason I thought it was a 91. However, aiming for closer to stock offsets still holds; there's a reason they're stock - Porsche developed the car with some design goals and the stock wheels meet those goals, with the current technology at the time. Sure new tyres may be able to compensate for some shortcomings, but they don't alter the suspension geometry.

In my opinion/experience, 1mm of negative scrub radius is marginal at best (which is what ET50 gives on an early car - my S4's with ET55 are similar to ET50 on an early car). Bear in mind too that negative scrub radius can also vary with tyre pressure and tyre diameter relative to stock, as well as offset. 1mm to me does not warrant enough safety margin in terms of stability.

I like to go for drives on twisty back roads, and the additional stability afforded by having closer-to-stock scrub radius is important to me, should I be forced by oncoming traffic to put a wheel in the dirt at the side of the narrow country road.

You're quite welcome to tell me you like the look of the ET50 fronts, taste is individual - I just prefer to sacrifice appearance for function in some areas, which is why I'm keeping the ET65 stock manholes on my newest S4, until I can score some panamera wheels locally.

I'm sure you have plenty of ET65 front wheels too - do a back to back test. Stick a set on Euro 85 (assuming the tires aren't too old and hard) and see how it differs in feel.. if you're brave enough