mii..

I just put these brand new 19" wheels and spacers on and I am getting some rubbing on the left rear wheel but not the right one. Could it be that it's time to change the shocks? If so, where can I buy the factory correct shocks for a 1997 carrera S (2wd)?

993_Pilot

If your shocks need replacing, go with Bilstein HD's. Plenty of info if you do a search.
Just out of curiosity, What combo of tire brand, size, wheels, offset and spacers are you using? How about camber and ride height? Is it rubbing on the fender lip or the inner part of the wheel well? This info will help to get you better responses.

mii..

the wheels are 19X10's. the tires are brand new Falkens 275/30. the wheels are Porsche wheels so the offset is factory and the spacers are the ones that came with the car from the factory in 1997. the rubbing is on the fender lip, not the inner part of the wheel well. suspension is stock as far as I know. camber is a tilted a little but my old wheels don't show any signs of uneven wear so that's why I don't know if a fresh pair of shocks will solve the issue. i could just remove the spacers but it looks SO much better with them on. here is a pic of my car without the spacers.

p.s. car is a European 1997 2 wheel drive "S" w/ 18k miles

p.p.s. i am selling this car

Felix

993s never came with 19's so even though they're Porsche wheels there's no guarantee they'll fit.

What's the thickness of the spacers? Can you you fit thinner ones? If you're saying that you have no clearance issues without the spacers then there's most of your answer. Do a search to see what offsets people are using with 19s on 993. It's a little ironic that you're running a narrower tire (275) where widebody cars run 285s.

Garth S

What are the offsets (ET in mm) stamped on the new wheels, and what is the thickness of the spacers?
A very weak shock will allow more than desired compression, but fundamentally, springs ( and their adjusters) determine the height of a car, not the shocks: does the rubbing occur on heavy compression - or low speed driving?

Mark in Baltimore

One more thing to keep in mind is that there is often a side-to-side difference between the chassis and the body, so it may not be the shocks. At 18K miles, I'm not sure the shocks are shot. Also, just because the wheels are factory and have "factory" offsets does not mean that they are designed to fit the 993.

mii..

ahhh.... looks like the spacers are coming off until I can find smaller ones. the factory ones on there are about 1.25" and I think I need .75 to 1" at most. any recommendations on where to buy these spacers?

Amfab

I noticed the side to side difference in my 84 Carrera a lot. Next time you are behind a 911 compare the amount of tread visible as the rear flare tapers toward the bottom of the car, they all seem to vary a little, up to maybe .75 inch (visual estimate). I thought it was the SCs and 84-89 Carreras that did this

allill

Are those factory wheels?

Greg H.

The wheels your "S" came with are narrow body offset. Porsche put spacers on to make them fit the wide body. If your new wheels are meant for a wide body, you don't need spacers. FWIW, I have 11 x 19" narrow body wheels on my car (ET 52) and I am using 7mm spacers and could use 14mm but probably not much more. There are a lot of variables including rear camber and the ET and width of your new rims. Bad shocks are not changing the alignment of your suspension. The right way to fix this is to get the correct spacers, if any.

Greg H.

mii..

what is the general opinion on only removing the spacer on the side thats rubbing. aside from asthetics, that is my call, but mechanically, can it do any harm? will it affect performance?

allill

Your car will probably track oddly. I don't think it's a good idea to do it. Plus, have you had a passenger in there? You might rub on both sides if you do.

mii..

yeah i had a passenger in the car. it rubs on the freeway when the road dipped but no damage to fender, not even a scuff to the paint. it's not bad on city streets. i think i'll just take the spacers off and let the new owner do what they want. if i don't sell it by next week, then i will start shopping for smaller spacers and do the other things i wanted to do to the car (i.e. performance chip, upgraded stereo, tinted tailights, etc.)

David in LA

If the rubbing is as minor as you described and you want to keep these spacers, just roll the fenders...$20 for a bat and $10 for a heat gun and you're set.

24FPS

i'd roll too... or go to 18's & sell the 19's

the spacer "cheat" should not be an option.