kevin993c4

18" is better than 17"...that is the truth. I just upgraded from 17" to 19" Ruf rims w/S03 on my 993 which I enjoyed very much. However, my friend has suggested that 18" is actually better in handling than 19" because 19" is used mostly for showing off. Anyone had experiences?

RT7

It used to be...

18 is for show and 17 is for go.

And now...

19 is for show and 18 is for go?

I'd imagine 19" wheel would be a lot heavier.

I've been debating myself whether to get 19" for my next wheel.

Peace!
Ron

993RS

18" is not only for show. They handle much better. No idea about 19" though (or 20" for that matter...)...
This article is not bad...http://www.team-integra.net/ti/performance/wheels.asp

kevin993c4

RT, you are right. I think 19"s are quite heavy when compared to my 17"s. Make sure you get the right offset if you ever decide to get them. Since my car is lowered, they line up right underneath the fenders. Fortunately, it was so perfect that they didn't scrape. Very cool. Less body roll too, of course.

RS, thanks for the link. By the way, I like your 3.8L kit. How's the performance and maintenance after the change?

kevin993c4

Here is a picture of my 19" wheels. This is basically how my car looks like without the body kit.

<a href="http://www.flat-6.net/viewer.php?id=1313&model=RUF&sub=RUF+CTR+2&sel=RUF+CTR+2+Photo" target="_blank">http://www.flat-6.net/viewer.php?id=1313&model=RUF&sub=RUF+CTR+2&sel=RUF+CTR+2+Photo</a>

Viken

[quote]Originally posted by 993RS:
<strong>18" is not only for show. They handle much better.</strong><hr></blockquote>

It is not as black and white as that. It depends on a lot of different factors such as rubber compound, tire design and overall unsprung weight of the tire/wheel combo. There are a lot of 17" tires that will handle much better than any 18 out there.

Viken

SkipSauls

Hi Viken (and others),

The previous owner of my car contacted me and has offered to sell me the 17" wheels and tires that they had used for the winter. The wheels are aftermarket "turbo look" with 7.5" front and 9" rear widths. They are shod with winter tires that are said to be in good condition.

My question is whether or not these might be good track wheels. They have the correct offsets for the C4S and the price is right, but I probably would not use them for winter driving. Are these worth trying out on the track (with the proper tires), or should I save the money and get something else?

Thanks!

Viken

[quote]Originally posted by Skip in Boulder:
<strong>My question is whether or not these might be good track wheels. They have the correct offsets for the C4S and the price is right, but I probably would not use them for winter driving. Are these worth trying out on the track (with the proper tires), or should I save the money and get something else?</strong><hr></blockquote>

They're probably OK but not too great. Most aftermarket Porsche copies are heavier and not as strong. You may want to give them a try, if you'd like.

RT7

kkcy, I love the Ruf wheels, especially the 19".

Skip, if you're going to use it for DE, then it'd be okay but for Auto-X, I'd prefer to go with much lighter wheels such as 17" Kinesis or Fikse, etc. I find it much easier when launching from corner to corner.

Peace!
Ron

E. J. - 993 Alumni

Skip,

Same wheels that I use at the track with my Hoosiers. Work Great!

E. J.

mmmbeer

There was a time when everything above 15" was considered to be a show of... Shorter sidewalls mean better handling (turning), period! But if you want traction (accelleration & braking) tall sidewalls are the thing to go for.

Therefor one must find the tires that fitts your intended purpose.

The reason why your friend say there is no use for 19" is the same as the reason why you shouldn't buy 18" instead of 17", Bull****!! Ofcourse a light 17" with good tires will outperform a heavy replica 18" with poor tires, anyone can understand that.

I guess your friend think big wings/spoilers are only for show off too...?! Same goes for brakes & engine.

Eirik Kvello-Aune
<a href="http://www.diateam.no/porsche" target="_blank">www.diateam.no/porsche</a>

maurice97C2S

Well, Bruce Anderson's book has an illuminating comment on this from Olaf Lang, Porsche advisor, on alignments for racing - 'fastest time at Hockenheim was with this alignment (2 deg+ neg camber all round), 18 inch wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tires.'

18" rankings - P-Zeros, Yoko A008s, S01s
17" rankings - S01s, MXX3s = 1st, A008s, P700s, A008s

Unfortunately not complete rankings regardless of wheel size, but 18" PZs fastest!!

So my dealer did me a great favour fitting these new for me! I certainly find them a terrific combination. But there's S03s, Rossos, etc now also, of course.

Cheers, Maurice

kevin993c4

If anyone needs new tires, I strongly recommend the Bridgestone S03. They are more superior to the P-Zeros according to the Ruf specialist where I bought my wheels.

Check out are the test results from Tire Rack. The S03 clearly has better lap time, wet and dry traction comparing with P-Zeros, S02, and Michelins.

<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone/bs_s03.jsp#Survey" target="_blank">http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone/bs_s03.jsp#Survey</a>

kevin993c4

If anyone needs new tires, I strongly recommend the Bridgestone S03. They are more superior to the P-Zeros according to the Ruf specialist where I bought my wheels.

Check out are the test results from Tire Rack. The S03 clearly has better lap time, wet and dry traction comparing with P-Zeros, S02, and Michelins.

<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone/bs_s03.jsp#Survey" target="_blank">http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone/bs_s03.jsp#Survey</a>