96C4S

Will installing 19 inch wheels on a 96 C4S really effect the handling a great deal intrested in stepping up to a bigger wheel combination

SteveAbrahams

I thought about installing 19" Ruf wheels on my C4S because they
look so cool, but read a lot of negative comments about the ride
quality of the 19's. Did install 996tt wheels which are 11" wide in
rear and 8" wide in front with 295-30 and 225-40 tires respectively.
I like the look and as far as handling on the street I have not
noticed any negatives so far. I'm still interested to hear comments from
someone who is running 19's.

Johnny_B

Here is a 993 w/19" wheels and I think it looks a little cartoony IMO...BTW it is currently for sale HERE
(no affiliation)

kdurg

Shawn..

Here are a few more pics with the 19inch rim setup. Although they may look good, I don't think they will add any beneficial amount of handling characteristics to your 4S. In fact, these RUF rims weigh quite a bit and will end up slowing you down.

If your suspension is modified you know the 18s are a nice match and already plenty stiff. IMO, I'd stick with what ya got. Or, as Steve mentioned, getting a set of 996 TT Hollow Spokes that are wider. I chose the 993TT Hollow Spokes and am pleased with the lighter weight/factory look.

Tazdawg

Too funny. European Car Mag just did a comparo of a 996TT on 18 and 19 inch wheels. The results were mixed but it could be due more to the tire choice than actually rim size. In the end thought they said it really was not worth the change. Here is the article: http://europeancarweb.com/tech/0505ec_996tt/

The web article is missing the comparo chart.

Stock wheels with 996 N3 tires 8X18 225/40 45.6 lb total (fr) 11X18 295/30 56.4 lb total (r) skid pad 0.91g Slalom 70.4 mph Brake 215.1 ft

Avus AF-M02 with Pilot Sport 2 8.5X19 235/25 48.7 lb (fr) 12X19 315/25 57.6 lb (r) Skid 0.96g Slalom 67.2 mph brake 191.4 ft

TheOtherEric

I can think of a few reasons against 19" wheels:

1. They are heavier than 17" or 18"
2. They are more susceptible to curb rash
3. They are more susceptible to bends on the rim due to potholes/bumps
4. They result in a stiffer ride
5. The suspension in our cars was not designed with consideration for 19" wheels, which I believe may result in suspension motions/vibrations that were not designed for
6. They look strange, well at the very least anachronistic, on our cars

Just my $0.02

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi Shawn:

Everyone has an opinion so I'd offer mine on this subject as well,...

Every car I've driven (993's-996's-TT's) that has been equipped with 19" wheels has NOT handled, accelerated, stopped, ridden, and behaved as well as the same car on 18" wheels, all things being equal.

The degradations in steering behavior, ride quality and overall performance were severe enough to make me discourage our customers into doing such a thing.

IMHO, the entire suspension setup and gearing must be optimized for 19's and they must weigh the same as an equivalent 18" to avoid reductions in performance and handling.

"Beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder" so the choice is somewhat subjective,....

SCMomentum

Any idea how much of a difference there is in weights between the twists and the Ruf's?

robroy72

Why would you put all that money into a car, but still leave the basket handle in place?

EThec

i've driven my friends 993tt with 19's and it felt fine. i didn't get to drive it very long or very hard but it wasn't entirely perceptible to me that the wheels were larger and heavier. curb rash and ride comfort all depend ont he wheel and tire combination. stock twist 18's have an aspect ratio of 30 in the rear. that's pretty thin to begin with. if you can go 19 with the same aspect ration you won't be sacrificing ride comfort. i'm not sure i see how curb rash is a factor between 18's and 19's. if you park like an idiot you'll get rash no matter what. .....looks are very subjective though and personally i think 19's look funny on 993's. suspension geometry and tolerances i won't speculate on.

96C4S

Thanks guys. I have the hollow spoke turbo twists and am deciding to stay with them you have saved me a ton of cash and made my wife a very happy person. Thats why i love this site if you get a chance check out these wheels though. www.projectkahn.com RS-C 2PC

CAHRERA

IMO, 19" on our car is too much BLING, unless you got a 997. There's definitely a lot more choices in 18", even RUF has 18" wheels check those out. Yes they are heavy but if you don't plan on using them for track days you'll be fine. If I'm not mistaken most track folks are using 17" instead of their 18" but I could be wrong.