Ben in Plano, TX

Hello all,

I have the opportunity to pick up a set of 996 Sport Classic II take offs for about $1100 and was thinking of using them for track wheels.

Rims are:

Front: 7.5J x 18 ET 50
Rear: 10J x 18 ET 65

I'm thinking of shodding them with Kumho's (Ecsta V700) in the following sizes.

225/40WR18 Front
265/35WR18 or 285/30WR18 Rear

Car is a '97 Carrera S

Questions:

Is the 7.5" front rather than an 8" a big deal? 225's are what my street tires on the front are now .

Should I go with the 996 recommended 265 rears or with the 993S standard 285's?

I'm anxious to get track rims/tires and this seems like a reasonable deal but would like to solicit your input.

Thanks,

Ben

Viken

Ben,

First, the rear wheels will need a 25 mm (or more) spacer but I think you know that. Other than that, the 7.5" is not the ideal size for a 225. An 8" or 8.5" wheel will allow the 225 to spread its tread better. But if you have to use it, stick with a 265 at the rear. A slightly better balance can be achieved with the smaller rear tires.

Ben in Plano, TX

Viken

Thanks, any idea why Porsche went down to 7.5" fronts for the 996? They do recommend 225's for them as you know.

Concerning the balance issue - I have a degree of control over the suspension with RS sways and PSS-9's. Given that do you still thing the 265's would be better than 285's. I have some ability to compensate for understeer (assuming what you mean by balance is reducing the rear grip relative to the front grip with the 265's).

Also, for perspective, what I'm trying to accomplish here is to graduate to my first set of trace rims/tires for a modest cost. I suspect if I really get the fever after a few more DE's I'd go with Fikes in 8.5-9" front and 11" rear. But that would be a $5k proposition. The deal I'm looking at here would be around $2k including the first set of tires.

Ben

Viken

If there is one reason for the 7.5" front wheels is to have one size fits all for the 996 and 986. The 8" wheel would have worked in front of both cars but the ET65 10" doesn't fit on the back of the Boxster. As such, they made a 9" wheel for the rear and a 7.5" for the front. By using the 7.5" in front of the 996, they felt the 265 tire worked better at the rear and that's why the 285 was not approved until Porsche decided to switch back to 8" fronts.

As to your idea of compensating with suspension adjustments, I agree that you have the means and you could take that route if you wanted.

Greg Fishman

Ben,
Look for a set of 993 Hollow Spoke wheels. You will get the correct offset and 8 inch fronts. Probably a little more expensive than the ones you are looking at but it is best to just buy once.
I bought some Kinesis wheels a couple years ago that were used, cost about $1800 with tires. Maybe keep your eye open for something like this.

Viken,
Did you sell your solid spokes?
Greg

Viken

[quote]Originally posted by Greg Fishman:
<strong>Viken,
Did you sell your solid spokes?
Greg</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes, earlier this week. However, I am still helping a friend sell a set of 17's with P-Zero Asimmetrico tires in excellent condition. These are much lighter than the 18's, as you know.

<a href="http://mall.rennlist.com/scripts/listings/ads.pl?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=30503&query=retrieval" target="_blank">993: 17" Cup Wheels & Tires - Set</a>

Ben in Plano, TX

Greg,

Thanks,

Yes, I am looking for a used set of Fikse/Kinesis etc. with the right widths and offset. If you happen to hear of any please let me know.

My thinking on the current possibility is as follows:

1) I can get them in time for a DE next weekend and for the next 2-3 this year.
2) While not optimal this setup would be a dramatic improvement over street tires.
3) If/when I come across a set of Fikse's or the like I can resell the 996 rims fairly easily (with agressive pricing) to one of the many 986/996 owners tracking their cars in my local PCA region.

I was pondering Viken's solid spokes but didn't want the SO-2's and the shipping cost.

Still undecided!

Ben