Al Z

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had 19" wheels on a narrow body car. If so, could you post some pics. Also, what size rims, offset and tire size do you have?
Last question, could you tell if the handling aspect of the car changed much?
Thanks in advance...AL Z

Edgy01

This is a serious mistake for owners to make. The added grip and weight of a 19" wheel and tire will literally tear the 993 suspension apart. It simply wasn't designed for that level of performance. I recall reading that Porsche, when developing the latest 997s, started their redesign work by putting 19" wheels on their test 996 subjects,--and they literally broke the suspensions. They were not up to the extremes the 19 inch wheels and tires can exert on the cars. They made significant changes, e.g., beefing up the suspensions and bearings to handle that. I highly recommend against this,--for safety reasons.

Al Z

Thanks Edgy01, I was just curious. I won a set of free any size dunlop tires and know someone who wanted to sell me his lobster 997S rims at a good prize. So, I was wondering what those wheels would look on a 993. I guess I should look for an extra set of 18" rims instead...AL Z

BobbyT

Since December 2004, I have Speed Star SSR GT-3 wheels, 19X10 rear, 19X8 front, now with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires 235/35ZR19 front, 275/30ZR19 rear on my 993 NB, no problems. The tires are wearing perfectly even, which I think indicates the suspension is holding up well. The only modification I made was the steering rack brace. I don't track the car, but do occassionally drive it hard. I expected that this wheel and tire combination would loosen my fillings, but the ride is still pretty comfortable. The cornering performance is better, but I don't have anything quantitative.

ARM993

I don't know if this is a Rennlister car. But I did find the pic on a 993 picture thread. If it is someone here maybe they'll chime in with there experience. I saved the pic because I actually like the look and think it is a rather menacing looking ride. Hope they don't mind the post.

ca993twin

Edgy01 wrote:
"This is a serious mistake for owners to make. The added grip and weight of a 19" wheel and tire will literally tear the 993 suspension apart. It simply wasn't designed for that level of performance. I recall reading that Porsche, when developing the latest 997s, started their redesign work by putting 19" wheels on their test 996 subjects,--and they literally broke the suspensions. They were not up to the extremes the 19 inch wheels and tires can exert on the cars. They made significant changes, e.g., beefing up the suspensions and bearings to handle that. I highly recommend against this,--for safety reasons."

I will call poppycock on this. If increased grip for 19" tires (????) will tear a 993 suspension apart, how can we have folks out there using R compounds or race slicks without a problem? And while its true that some 19" wheels weigh more than some 18" wheels (not universally true) this does not seem to be the cause of any problems that I've heard of. More unsprung weight can cause a car to not handle as well on rough surfaces, but not enough for a driver like me to notice. The issue not mentioned is that a 19" wheel may have a tire that reslkts in a taller overall diameter... also not universally true (my 19" wheel/ tires are almost the exact same overall diameter as the stock 18" wheels/tires)

There may be some valid reasons for choosing an 18" wheel over a 19" wheel, but I have to question that previous post. I believe that early 95 cars DO need a steering brace to step up to 18" wheels.

jimwood

What!?! People run compound tires at the track with no problems. Tires provide grip, not rims.

As for weight, it may cause the shock/strut to work harder but we are talking about unsprung wheel weight not tearing the suspension apart. A heavy wheel will just make your suspension less responsive as compared to a light wheel, but I doubt there would be any significance difference.

I'm no suspension expert, but I am fairly confident a pair of 19s won't be dangerous. I would worried about fit.

24FPS

imho... they're better lookin on the wb 993's. imho. nb seem to look a little too toothy & blingbling imho. (comes down to personal taste). i'd bet one would be hard pressed to feel a big diff. in perfomance on the street, other than ride quality.

i'd be more concerned about bending or breaking a rim... therefore i'd opt for a stronger, maybe heavier 19" wheel ........ just my 2¢.

ohho

Here is my 993 C2 1995 with ruf 19" For the poerformance I think it's very poor if compare to the original wheel (cup) but for the street look it's very fantastic see the attache file. For me when I got track day I change the whell but for daily use I put my 19"

InTheAir

Al, let me know if/when you install them. I want to see 'em.

BTW, what did you think of that yellow C4S.

midcont

AlZ,
I may have a great swap idea for you, check your PM.

TheOtherEric

I think there must be some validity to Dan's points. Suspensions DO need to be designed for certain wheel sizes, we know that. If not due to the weight and loading, then due to the increased displacements seen at the hubs, since you don't have as much tire sidewall deflections with larger wheels (and thus thinner sidewalls). And there are other reasons to avoid 19" wheels IMHO... increased ride harshness (since our suspensions weren't designed for 19" wheels), increased risk of rim damage from potholes and curbs, etc. But to each his own, of course.

DaveM993

Huh????

I've seen 993's with 24,000 track miles on Hoosiers and the only thing they have need to replace is the wheel bearings....

24FPS

does anyone know what exactly "unsprung weight" is/means in relationship to a 19" being diff. to an 18" wheel.... a few times in conversation re:19's on 993's i have heard this term come.

tia for any feedback.

TheOtherEric

"Unsprung weight" refers to the parts that are hanging off your car in the suspension system. You want this weight to be low for a number of reasons (improved responsiveness, less inertia to spin up, etc). Wheels and tires are the bulk of that weight. Larger diameter wheels weigh more than smaller diam wheels, despite the fact that the larger diam tire weighs a little bit less than a smaller diam tire. So a 19" wheel/tire setup will weigh a few pounds more than 18", which weighs a few pounds more than 17" etc.