jcnesq

TD - thanks - I'm going to call Ralph Booth next week.

pstoppani - well I already put the BBS's in Black Diamond on two weeks ago. However, crazy me just came back from the dealer and I have a big temptation to trade my 5 mo. old Targa with 2 week old wheels for a 997S. I have surely lost my mind!

pstoppani

Well, the GT3 wheels would look nice on a 997S too

I replied to your post on the SSR GT3 wheels simply to clarify anyone's issues regarding their strength.

The BBS wheels look great on your 996... Good choice.

PS - Never go to a dealer unless you are ready to spend money; that is how I ended up with a 40th (I didn't even know they existed until I visited the dealer to see if they had a used C4S or Turbo!).

Itzkirb

Just for the heck of it...

TD in DC

Jim,

D'oh. If your timing had been a little different I would have bought your rims and tires from you. Oh well.

Congrats on the new ride. I like my Targa top too much to part with it just yet. I will hold out until the new TT comes out, and then I will probably hold out a little longer until I find one on the used market, then I will considering getting rid of the Targa. It's funny because all of the discussions about the merits of the Targa top (most of which are by people who don't own one) miss the greatness of the Targa. It is best in weather that would not be good enough to put a convertible top down, because you still get the benefit of all the light and visibility (which you can't get in a convertible or coupe with sunroof closed). With respect to the little additional weight, I find that most people who complain about that fall into one of two camps (and occassionally both): 1) never use their cars for the track so they would never actually notice the weight difference let alone its location; or 2) guys or gals who carry their own spare tire around their waist. If you both track your car and you have first managed to delete your own spare tire, then I can understand why extra weight might matter. For the moment, I am not a good enough driver (I am working on it, though) that I can notice any extra weight due to the Targa. Enjoy, and I am a little jealous even though I am not making the same choice right now

TD in DC

TD in DC

Pete,

Where did you get your information about the SSR GT3s? I actually like the appearance of those wheels, so I did extensive research on their strength. Everyone to whom I spoke, including distributors of SSR GT3s, told me that they are not as strong as BBS wheels, and that they did not recommend them for use in areas with bad roads, like DC. In fact, some of the local guys tried to dissuade me from the SSR GT3s because too many of their customers had bent their rims on our roads. No such problems with the BBS wheels.

I am not challenging the veracity of your belief, just curious about how you arrived at it.

TD in DC

Itzkirb

Not to take any sides, but I also heard the same things about the SSRGT3's. I to liked the way they looked and considered getting them in a Satin Finish, but heard stories about their durability.

TD in DC

To add some more detail about what I was told, the BBS RS-GTs are stronger in part because they have more evenly-spaced spokes in contact with the rim. The SSR GT3s have much more space between the spokes, which contributes to their vulnerability. I was also told that, due to the manufacturing technique, the materials used to make the SSR GT3 are softer than the materials used to make the BBS wheels. Just passing along what I heard.

Hey Kirby,

What about those red calipers? Are those from a Turbo or are they from a Boxster S?

TD in DC

pstoppani

In the BMW circles, we use SSR wheels (especially the Comps) for racing.

It is possible the the GT3 specifically is not as strong as the Comps. But, I've heard stories about Comps getting bent too. Of course, I've heard stories about every wheel made getting bent. Once you start going 18"+, there simply is not a lot to protect the wheel.

Also, most bent wheels are damaged on the edges so the number of spokes shouldn't really have much of an effect on how easily they bend.

I used SSR GT1 wheels on my M3, I even crashed into the wall with them last year and they took the hit into concrete quite well; yeah, they broke, but not very much. The wheels that survived the crash are nowon a friend's M3 for track days.

This is the right front wheel, it hit a concrete wall at about 85MPH at a 45 degree angle. This picture was taken at the shop a week after the crash and the tire still had air in it!



The wheel faired better than the car; the frame had to be straightend



In the end, I would definitely not claim that all SSRs are as strong as all BBSs, but it seems that for their price range, they are close enough.

I also need to qualify all this with the fact that Northwest roads are quite good so bent wheels are not a big problem around here. All I can claim is that they hold up quite well in the Northwest and at the tracks where the main stress is from the high speed forces rather than poor pavement.

I too would generally pick a BBS wheel over an SSR wheel, but I wouldn't turn down the GT3 if I really wanted them

Also, I currently use 3 piece forge wheels for my main track car and a BBS wheel on my 40th when it does track duty now and then; although I would have probably picked the SSR Comps if they had a size for the 996.

PS - If you want some OT entertainment, here is the video of my crash in the M3: Windows Movie

TD in DC

Pete,

Thanks for the added info. I bet we have different opinions on the rims due to the different types of problems on the two coasts. Around the DC area, the most common type of [serious] damage is actually a bent or flattened rim rather than damage to the lip or spokes. I am certain this is due to the outrageously bad condition of our roads and the potholes that litter our streets. For this type of damage, the number of points of contact between the spokes and the rims can make a difference: the fewer the spokes, the greater the distance the rim has to "span" and thus the greater tendency to bend or flatten between the spokes. I have learned the hard way that the best defense is to keep the tires properly inflated (if not a little overinflated). If you get lazy and drive around with an underinflated tire, your chances of rim damage increase exponentially. BTW, I am a BMW fan as well, and have driven my share of M3s (which happens to be the car of choice in my wife's family). I am the outlier as the Porsche driver.

TD in DC.

Eli at Pelican

Yes the centers of the Sport Designs are powder coated with the lips and each hex bolt polished.....

I won't have them on the car for an other month or so.... Cars in the shop with Turbo twist for now. . . .

-Eli