2ndof2

Hi guys-

This question is probably for the people around here who have all the specs on wheels, ride heights, and a million other Porsche facts and figures committed to memory.

So a few years back I found a pristine set of used genuine BBS MY02's that I picked up from Wheel Dynamics for my '96 NB C2. Nice and straight and refinished in OEM silver. I swapped the tires off of my old wheels that are Bridgestone Potenza in 225s and 265s but it's getting to be time for some new rear rubber and I need to make a decision on tire size.

I'm not 100% sure about the width of the front wheels, but I know for certain the rears are 10 inch. I think I recall the sales guy telling me this set is the wider ones and that fronts are 9 inch but not sure if that is even possible given the offsets they were available in.

I've been toying with the idea of getting 275s for the rear and eventually going with 235s up front. I'd like to fill out the wheel wells with a bit more offset since my previous wheels seemed to sit a bit further out than these MY02's do and wondered if spacers might be the way to go if wider tires don't do the trick.

A search revealed the factory offset info on the MY02 wheels so I know they only were available in one offset for the 10 inch rears I'm running. The car is dropped on Bilstein PSS9s and is set almost exactly at the middle ride height that Porsche recommends for the RS. This was recommended by an alignment guru at the Porsche dealer here in westlake Village to avoid bump steer with my standard drop links. The car was originally spec'd with the sport suspension from the factory with lower springs and I think different sway bars -can't recall the option code - MO30? But I assume that the drop links are all the same if not RS. The camber on the car is not at all aggressive since it's just a weekend cruiser and I like to maximize tire wear. Fenders were never rolled and there was never any rubbing when I had my other wheels that appeared to sit a bit further outward on the car.

If I go with 275s, how much further outward will they sit? Same question on 235s up front. If I get these tire sizes and the extra width is virtually nil in terms of filling out the fenders, what size spacers might be best? Need to know suggested front spacers for both 8 and 9 inch up front (assuming 9 inch is even possible) since I don't know which I have.

Got all that?

rrc715

2ndof2, for what it's worth. I have a 95 C2 with 18" MY02s wheels. Here are my offsets and tire sizes. My fenders have not been rolled. Others can give you additional options and opinions.

Front 8/50 225/40ZR18
Rear 10/65 285/30ZR18

Currently running Sunitomos but had Pirelli Rosso.

stace

these are the standard sizes for those wheels (never heard of a 9in in MY02s) and the tires sizes above are also standard. also what I am running on a NB. there are dozens of good tire choices - Sumis are good - and the prices go up from there...

AOW162435

I run 8" ET50 (front) and 10" ET65 MY02 (rear) wheels with 225 and 275 tires, respectively. Additionally, I have a set of 5mm spacers all around.




Andreas

Spyder_Man

The MY02 wheels came in two sets:

8" and 10" for the 996 Carrera.

Or

7.5" and 9" for the 986 Boxster.

There is a chance that you might have a mismatched set of 9" and 10". The wheels themselves should have the width and offset stamped on them (I believe right by the valve stem or on the rear). If you are running 9" on the front then you likely are needing spacers as well to get them to fit correctly.

Bill Verburg

BBS Carrera AKA 996 MY02 came in the following sizes
7.5 50 996.362.134 9.3 kg
8 50 996.362.136.07 9.3 kg
9 52 996.362.138 10.3 kg
10 65 996.362.140.07 10.3 kg

The size is embossed to the left of the air filler hole and the ET is embossed to the right

2ndof2

Thanks for the helpful information guys. I'll have a look at the wheels next chance I get. Andreas, it would be interesting to see how your car looks with the spacers. Would you mind posting a few photos here that would provide some idea of the offsets front and rear along with any relevant alignment details (if you happen to know)?

orangecurry

Two points from me...

1) For the next time, here is your bible, and Florian deserves the credit for all of the data he has collected - even Bill cut a section out from this source data.

http://www.944racing.de/wheelweights.php

2) be aware that different manufacturer tires, even if the same size is stamped on the tirewall, are NOT all the same dimensions - some are wider, and some have different shaped tirewall profiles - so some tires may rub and others may not.

2ndof2

Orange curry,
That is precisely the webpage that I visited in order to determine offsets and wheel widths. With regard to the variances in sidewall widths depending upon manufacturers, I was aware of this but thank you for the friendly reminder.

2ndof2

Hi guys-Reviving my own thread here:
So I have verified that I'm running the 8/10s. Probably going with 235 and 285 tires although still debating which manufacturer's tires I want. (Almost out of tread and time!) Question I still have is who makes good quality spacers and what are most common spacer sizes to run front/rear with MY02s and the respective tire sizes I'm considering? Camber is negligible on my car and it sits at Porsche's recommended mid-RS ride height on Bilstein PSS9s. Thanks to those who responded previously. I saw a 964 yesterday with stock wheels but he was lowered and the offsets were right out to the fender edge. Looked absolutely amazing. Need to get my 993 to have that look again like I had with my former Hartmann wheels. Pictures of your set ups close up so can get a visual in combo with the specs would really help me get this figured out. Otherwise I may need to go buy a few spacer sets and see what works-not my first choice in how to sort it out.

nine9six

If you are going with wider tires why would you need an additional 5mm spacer on your wheels?

When it comes to unsprung rotating mass, less is always better. Not that 5mm spacers weigh all that much...

But look at a ruler; is pushing the wheel out an additional 3/16", and 3/16" less lugnut thread engagement, worth the price of 5mm spacers?

Tlaloc75

Have you considered 235 and 275? Handling will be more balanced and the rotating radius will be more closely matched - they both will be slight larger than stock. With 235/285 the front is slightly larger and the rear slightly smaller which will serve to reduce your rake a little and give you a little harsher ride in the rear.

2ndof2

With regard to lugs I will make sure there are enough threads to keep things safe or I'll just get longer studs. As for sidewall height in rear I assume that the circumference, radius etc are going to be right by using the correct 30 series Porsche recommended for the turbos and s-models that I understand came with 285. Will need to figure out what series sidewall is comparable to a 225/40 in a 235 width tire.

Bill Verburg

Just my 2cents
w/ 8 &10, non track use i'd just stick w/ 225/40 & 265/35 x18, It'll look soething like this (near ground)


Though you could use 235/40 & 285/30 it's no ideal for ABS operation

tt used 225/40 & 285/30 on 8 & 10, too much understeer for my taste, 245/35 & 280/30 on 8.5 & 10 is a good match


235/40 & 275/35 x18 on 8.5 & 10 is a good match

nine9six

... my point was, spending money needlessly for spacers that are not needed, could go to better use, like a better tire set.

1.5 or 2 thds less engagement is not a big deal, but if you're running aluminum lug nuts, less is less.