tkarwin

My dad has a 987S with the factory 19s on it and wants to get a set of wheels and tires for autocross/DE use. It makes more sense to get a set of 18" wheels due to cost, weight, etc. but we have been having a hard time finding tires in the size 265/40/18 for the rear. I am also really confused as to the wheel fitment issue. I have seen a number of widths and offsets used. I see that some people put larger tires on these cars, but I don't want to upset the balance of the car. Basically, I am really confused.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience or recommendations. Thanks in advance!

mooty

toyo RA1's in these sizes are PERFECT for 987S
225/40/18
275/35/18

i am not familiar with hoosier sizes for your application
265/35/18 MPSC will work fine too.

i havn'et seen any DOT R tires in 265/40.

tkarwin

225/40/18? Why go smaller up front and wider out back? I see they don't make many sizes, but they do make a 245/40/18. I would think that would be better for the front, not sure though. What are your thoughts? What were the specs on the wheels you were running with those tires?

jrok

I run 996 Turbo hollow spokes on the track (8" and 11"). The wheels are light, strong, easy to clean and are readily available as take-offs. You must run 14mm spacers and longer bolts in the rear to use these wheels.

I run the Hoosier R6 slicks but you could also run the A6 for auto-xing. The tires I use are 245/35-R18 and 295/30-R18. The stock tire diameters are 25.4" and 26.3". The slicks diameters are 24.4" and 25.3". The front size is 96.1% of the originals size and the rears are 96.2% of the originals so it does not affect the PSM or ABS because they are both proportionately smaller.

Some people will say that this setup creates a condition of understeer but I have found it to be very forgiving and stable. You could also run 245/35 and 275/35 on the stock wheels for a more stock feel and balance. You could also run without spacers this way.

My setup lowers the car slightly and also allows for a little more clearance, although no extra clearance is needed for stock ride height. As a matter of fact, my car is also lowered with H&R sport springs and I still don't have any issues with this setup.

I can't remember right this second what the offsets are on the Turbo wheels but it may be 8" ET 55 and 11" ET 40 -- but I'm not sure, I haven't look at them in awhile -- I'll try to check or maybe somebody knows.

Here is a rough diagram of the offsets for the OEM 987 wheels and some others that I was using for my notes. The stock Porsche 987 wheels are in black. It's probably confusing without more notes but at least it gives you the widths and offsets of the stock wheels. Those things in the middle are the hubs.
987 stock offsets diagram

Another tire you may want to consider is the new Nitto NT01. I think they make a 245 and 275 combination that will work also.

I did a lot of tinkering with the 987 and wheels/tires last year so if you have a specific question I may be able to help, I'll try anyway.

schvetkaaks

I've done PSC's for a bit over a year, now I'm using Nitto NT-01's in 245 and 275 sizes, and I saw on an ad recently that they now offer a 265 rear.

jrok

The Nitto site doesn't list a 265 yet but I've heard they are going to continue to add sizes.

225/40ZR18
235/40ZR18
245/40ZR18
275/40ZR18
275/35ZR18
315/30ZR18

here's the link

mooty

8.5 x 18 ET:51
10 x 18 ET:44.5
fikse profil 10

sorry, i meant to say 245/275

Palting

I haven't been online in a while, but here is proof it's always worth it.

Pearls of wisdom. Thanks, guys. Now, I just have to wear out my current tires.

Larry Herman

I bought a second set of the 19" Carrera Classics that came on my car. It'll be fun to quietly roll up to the autocross with 19" Hoosiers (235 & 265) on the car.

tkarwin

Thanks for the replys guys. Does anyone have any experience running the Nitto NT-01s to and from the track? I know ideally they shouldn't be run on the street, but would a .5 hour commute to the track heat cycle the tire negatively or harm it in any other ways besides wear? Do the Nittos like huge amounts of negative camber like the hoosiers?

schvetkaaks

Yes, i have run them to/from the track, and will be again on Saturday and Sunday. A .5 hour commute is NOTHING! Mine are usually 2-3 hours each way on them...

Yes, they love lots of negative camber, unfortunately.

wambo

A related thread: Has anyone out there actually ever put 275/30/R19's on the rear of a 2006 987S? I have the optional 19" rims but I want to change from the Michelin PS2s to anything else due to excessive shoulder wear at DE events. The S-03's I had for my '01 986S were great but they don't come in the proper sizes. The Bridgestone RE050A do come in the right size, but I'd rather have the (allegedly better handling) RE050A PolePositions. They only have a 275 width rear tire (rather than 265), but the 30 aspect gives a nearly identical revolutions per mile measure, per TireRack.com. I suspect that 10mm width won't actually contact the body at any point, but I'd rather know than find out the hard way, at Pocono. Anyone actually try this at home? Much obliged for any information!
-W

jrok

Are you running the 19x10 ET 42 in the rear?

wambo

jrok-

Don't know the wheel size, but it's the "optional" 19" (I think they're called Carerra style) that arrived with 265/35/R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 2's. They are listed (on TireRack.com) as turning 790 revs/mile. Now that I re-check, I meant to ask about 275/35_35_ (not 30)/R19 RE050A PolePositions, which show 786 revs/mile, which seems sufficiently close. I am mostly worried about whether the edges would rub on the body work.

Thanks! -W

Larry Herman

They should fit with no problems as far as I can see, but I still think that you will have shoulder wear issues. Unless you have increased the camber to at least -2 degrees, you will continue to tear up the shoulders of any tires. I haven't had time to play with the alignment on mine, but as it cmae form the factory the front looks like it has no camber at all.