10 GT3

WTF? 19" wheels will absolutely not tear up a car. A 996 is lighter than a 997 and hence isn't even as loaded up as much against the load rating as a 997. As on a 997, 19" wheels and tires typically sacrifice a little ride compliance; but that is the only negative other than the higher cost of tires.

red996

I would be most concern with how to properly align the car with larger wheels. I found my old 996 had alignment issues after I lowered it. I just did springs and was running 18". Maybe I should have done coilovers. I guess you get what you pay for!!

ROK

There is nothing wrong with running 19s on the 996s. Many C4S and Turbo guys have done this for years.

Wheel bearings, control arms, tie-rods all are maintenance items and wear out whether you're running stock 18s or wide 19s. Just make sure you don't force fit wheels onto the car (diameter). Stick with the stock 18s until you can afford a proper set of 19s that fit (custom).

It is so true that you have to pay to play. My best advice is to not cheap out on a 911! I'm surprised so many Porsche owners are willing to cut corners and sacrifice quality for a half-.... result.

tooloud10

If I go with 19x8 et57 front wheels on my '99 C4, will I require spacers? If yes, will I need longer bolts? Thanks...

gota911

You will not "require" spacers, but the wheels will be 7mm more inboard than the stock 996 8" wheel with 50mm offset.

• 7mm spacers will get you the original 996 wheel look
• 15mm spacers will move the wheels 8mm farther out than the 996 stock wheel.

If you choose to go with spacers then YES, YOU DO NEED longer bolts. The bolt length should be equal to the original bolt length PLUS the thickness of the spacer used. Make sure you get hub centric spacers. H&R should have everything you need.

tooloud10

Thanks for the response, Tim, but I should have specifically asked about spacers being required because my car is a C4. I know the C2 doesn't require spacers on the front, and I'm OK with the wheel placement without using them. But after reading a LOT of old threads about putting et57 wheels on the front of a 996, I've seen a handful of references to et57 wheels rubbing on suspension components on the C4. Obviously I'd like to avoid that.

BTW, after reading all those old posts about wheel offsets, I saw that for the last few years, Ray S and you have consistently answered the same few questions politely over and over. I think I can truly say that I now "get" wheel offsets and most of it makes perfect sense to me, so to the two of you guys I say "thank you".