I just purchased a 96 993 and with it came with the original set of 17" wheels and a set of 18" turbo twists which are presently mounted on the car.

For those of you that have moved up from 17 to 18 inch wheels, what was the biggest difference besides aesthetics? Is there really more grip to be had? 17" wheels are still in shipping, so I can't do an A/B test just yet.

I think the steering on the car is solid but not crisp and feels muted. The steering also feels a bit heavy. I hope when the 17" are mounted it will tend to be lighter(weight) and the steering will lighten up a tad. Also, I hope to get crisper handling with a faster transient feel.

Both sets have Pilot Sports mounted so the comparison will be valid, I hope.

Anyone who has made the switch from smaller to larger wheels care to comment on the differences they felt in handling when they did?

Much thanks for you opinions.

 

I think the 18" looks a lot better, but it makes the ride harsher.

 

I noticed crisper turn in and response with 18s...on other cars as I still have the 17" cup on the 993. I didn't think I would notice a difference in the feel with the 18s but it was noticable. I did notice a very slight increase in the harshness. Worth it for the rest of the the inprovements.

Cheers

 

Bruce- I take it you mean you've driven other 993s with 18s on them and they feel that way compared to yor car with 17s?

Did the cars have the same tires at the time as different tires can lead to big time differences in the things you mentioned.

thanks for the input.

 

Perhaps we should consider that it will _heavily_ depend on the tires. namely how hard their sidewalls are.
I personally like smaller wheels on all the cars I have. The race car will be on 13s this season for autocrossing.

 

The other thing to remember is that 18inch wheels/tyres are generally heavier than 17inch wheels/tyres so this will also affect the handling/acceleration. There are 18" lightweight wheels out there, I saw one set at 31kgs for a set of 4.....

 

I have always found that turning in does seem to happen faster and that the car does in fact handle better. However, I seldom suggest getting bigger tires and rims if ride quality is important to the owner. 18's ride very hard since the profile is so low. Best wishes - Jay Gratton

 

if you want crisp turn in here is how to do it:
PSS9s and ERP Monoballs,
993 EVO Uprights
993RS tie rods
993 RS sway bars/TRG sway bars
smaller steering wheel
aggressive alignment to include corner balancing.

It will turn in as good as anything you have ever driven...one minor problem, you have just spent over $4,000.

I hear this complaint a lot from my neighbor that went from a SC to a 96 Carrera. He thinks the 993 drove like a couch, until he installed the monoballs, the PSS 9s, the 993RS tie rods, the smaller steering wheel. I have driven his car. It turns in like a demon. I have the same set up on my car with the exception of the small steering wheel and 993RS tie rods. My car turns in well, very well. Especially with race rubber on the car, at the track, with the tires at about 225 degrees F.

It seems if you wat a turn ket 993 that handles like a race car, you need to buy a 993RS from the get go.

 

If you have the solid 18" Turbo twist wheels they are very heavy and the car will feel a bit sluggish with them.

The hollow spoke rims or a good forged wheel will be considerably lighter and shouldn't make the turn it feel sluggish, but may increase some ride harshness due to the profile of the tires.

 

From what I've read and heard, 18" wheels MIGHT make a good driver a LITTLE bit faster on a race trace. But the downsides are increased harshness, risk of curb rash, and ease of bending the rims due to potholes/bumps (which shorter sidewalls can't absorb as well). The upsides are looks and the ability to use wider tires since the wheels are usually wider and can thus accept larger tires. Either choice is a fine one.

 

One thing related to the sidewall stiffness mentioned above is making sure you have the right tire size for the wheel width. People often go with a wider tire for a given wheel width but this can lead to more flex.

 

Hey, that's my car! Actually, monoballs and PSS-9 is a bit extreme for me ( I only track the car two or three times a year), so I am going RoW M030 thanks to a generous friend.

 

wow, lots of good info here.

Martin- I know I can get this thing to handle race car sharp, but the wallet says no. Besides, it will never see a track where I live and will be more a mountain switchback type of car.

I'll be upgrading the suspension (gerts lowered suspension kit w/ row 030 springs, most likely) in the next few months after I get the smaller things worked out.

Greg- how can I tell if the wheels are hollow or solid?

Eric- that's funny because the car w/ 18s rides a lot better and smoother than my type R with suspension work. I was surprised how plush the 993 was in comparison.

nile13- both sets of my wheels are shod with MPS so I'll be able to get a real good comparison once the second set gets here. Very anxious to do the A/B. I posted this to see what others may have experienced.


Thanks guys!

 

There's always the road to Hana on Maui