Wheels -19's on 06
11-03-2011, 09:57 AM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Wheels -19's on 06
Our "new (to us) 06 S Cab/Tip (CPO 23,000 mi) has 19's (lobster claw?)
I find the ride very hard, what difference would there be with 18's?
This is a car we use just for the fun of taking a drive now and then, not for everyday use. It will take one long trip a year, probably to BRBS in June next year.
I seem to remember back to the late70's early 80's when I had a coupe back then and changed over from 15's to 16's (anyone that old here?), for ordinary street driving I liked the softer feel of the 15's and changed back to them
I know that for any "spirited" driving the 19's are probably better, but what is your feeling about 18's FOR MY USAGE ?
tnx Daniel
I find the ride very hard, what difference would there be with 18's?
This is a car we use just for the fun of taking a drive now and then, not for everyday use. It will take one long trip a year, probably to BRBS in June next year.
I seem to remember back to the late70's early 80's when I had a coupe back then and changed over from 15's to 16's (anyone that old here?), for ordinary street driving I liked the softer feel of the 15's and changed back to them
I know that for any "spirited" driving the 19's are probably better, but what is your feeling about 18's FOR MY USAGE ?
tnx Daniel
11-03-2011, 10:26 AM
#2
Parts Specialist
Rennlist Member
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RE harsh ride
what are the tire presures
what tires / age / condition
what is the suspension (US spec, ROW, something "special")
what other Porsches have you owned....
harsh ride is subjective obviously but there are many factors to consider, tires and wheels are one but over all suspension and the condition of the shocks, the dampening and the amount of air cushion between you and the road and how well the tires do at managing that cushion.
18' would surely help but if they are over inflated or there are suspension problems they would not help much...has any other 997 owners driven your car for a comparison
what are the tire presures
what tires / age / condition
what is the suspension (US spec, ROW, something "special")
what other Porsches have you owned....
harsh ride is subjective obviously but there are many factors to consider, tires and wheels are one but over all suspension and the condition of the shocks, the dampening and the amount of air cushion between you and the road and how well the tires do at managing that cushion.
18' would surely help but if they are over inflated or there are suspension problems they would not help much...has any other 997 owners driven your car for a comparison
11-03-2011, 04:10 PM
#3
Racer
My '06 Cabriolet came w/ the 19" lobster claws & Michelin PS2 tires & my friend's Coupe came w/ the 19" lobster claws & Continental tires. My Cabriolet always rode smoother & quieter than the Coupe. Last year when I replaced the hockey puck hard & worn tires w/ a new set of Michelin tires it felt like a new car.
11-03-2011, 06:05 PM
#4
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Re harsh ride
Cars owned: 1974 911 Targa (1995)
1980 Triple Black Targa (1981 1/2 bought w 55,000 mi 18 mo old, sold for purchase price in 85 w 90,000mi)
1977 KREMER Carrera 3.2 that I bought in DE and imported 16's (1983)
1979 911 Coupe bought in DE and imported (made into Turbo look after minor F&R damage (1985
pic above with trailer I towed from FL to PA
1980 Coupe I imported and sold (1984)
1965 (?) 356 cabrio became a restoration project (for someone else, sold after 1 year)
1979 Targa
2000 Boxster Base
2002 Boxster S
2006 997 Cabrio/Tip bought 3 weeks ago
In all I have owned over 60 cars in my 65 years of driving...first was a 1935 Chev. Coupe..we were both 16 at the time.....(sometimes owned 3-5 cars at once)
These are not necessarily in chronologic order, there may be one or 2 (PORSCHE) I forgot.
Tires are about 2 years old, Conti Sport Contact 3
The car has 23,000 miles is a CPO from THE COLLECTION in Miami so, I can only assume that the suspention is original.
Cars owned: 1974 911 Targa (1995)
1980 Triple Black Targa (1981 1/2 bought w 55,000 mi 18 mo old, sold for purchase price in 85 w 90,000mi)
1977 KREMER Carrera 3.2 that I bought in DE and imported 16's (1983)
1979 911 Coupe bought in DE and imported (made into Turbo look after minor F&R damage (1985
pic above with trailer I towed from FL to PA
1980 Coupe I imported and sold (1984)
1965 (?) 356 cabrio became a restoration project (for someone else, sold after 1 year)
1979 Targa
2000 Boxster Base
2002 Boxster S
2006 997 Cabrio/Tip bought 3 weeks ago
In all I have owned over 60 cars in my 65 years of driving...first was a 1935 Chev. Coupe..we were both 16 at the time.....(sometimes owned 3-5 cars at once)
These are not necessarily in chronologic order, there may be one or 2 (PORSCHE) I forgot.
Tires are about 2 years old, Conti Sport Contact 3
The car has 23,000 miles is a CPO from THE COLLECTION in Miami so, I can only assume that the suspention is original.
Last edited by dak911; 11-03-2011 at 07:55 PM.
11-03-2011, 09:09 PM
#5
I can't speak for the 997's, but I went from 16" Fuchs with summer only tires to 15" Phone Dials with all season tires on my 1984 911. The ride quality certainly improved, though the heavier phone dials were noticeable.
Adding 1/4" inch of rubber (going to 18's from 19's) will definitely help in the ride quality department along with going to full tread depth tires. Porsche has always developed their base cars with base rim combo as the best ride quality cars.
How worn are your 2 year old 19" tires?
If you switch to 18's and value ride quality above most everything else, I'd suggest even equipping the 18" wheels with high performance all season tires that most likely will have a softer side wall and ride slightly better than a summer only type tire. For even moderately spirited driving, the high performance all season tires will hang on in the corners with plenty of reserve.
I'm running a 2006 base 997 with 18" rims and Michelin PS2's in the summer and 18" wheels with Pirelli winter tires in the cold months. For a sports car, the base suspension and base rim size equates to a very liveable setup as far as ride quality goes. I'm really picky about ride quality too...
As far as the visual aspect of 18's goes, most people ask me if the rims are 19's or 20's, so to the common observer, nobody can tell I'm riding on the cheap, base level, "I'm too cheap to afford 19's" rims.
Adding 1/4" inch of rubber (going to 18's from 19's) will definitely help in the ride quality department along with going to full tread depth tires. Porsche has always developed their base cars with base rim combo as the best ride quality cars.
How worn are your 2 year old 19" tires?
If you switch to 18's and value ride quality above most everything else, I'd suggest even equipping the 18" wheels with high performance all season tires that most likely will have a softer side wall and ride slightly better than a summer only type tire. For even moderately spirited driving, the high performance all season tires will hang on in the corners with plenty of reserve.
I'm running a 2006 base 997 with 18" rims and Michelin PS2's in the summer and 18" wheels with Pirelli winter tires in the cold months. For a sports car, the base suspension and base rim size equates to a very liveable setup as far as ride quality goes. I'm really picky about ride quality too...
As far as the visual aspect of 18's goes, most people ask me if the rims are 19's or 20's, so to the common observer, nobody can tell I'm riding on the cheap, base level, "I'm too cheap to afford 19's" rims.
11-03-2011, 09:13 PM
#6
Poseur
Rennlist Member
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Jay is onto something. If the tires are old changing to 18s will gain you nothing. Maybe it's time for some new tires. The heat cycles cause tires to harden, and the inherent dampening of the rubber is soon lost.
11-03-2011, 09:22 PM
#7
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Unless you have a tire professor friend, take the car to your dealer and have them look at the tires. They can tell you how good they are. I had Lobster 19s on PS2s for most of my 6 years on the 997 and for the most part liked them. I just changed to 18" C3s. The ride is a little better (to me) but not a night-and-day difference. I mostly changed to lighten the unsprung weight. Cheers.
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11-03-2011, 09:33 PM
#8
Nordschleife Master
tires....or a tweaked suspension (coilovers? nice)
I went from 19s to 20s, I noticed no change in ride quality. none
I went from 19s to 20s, I noticed no change in ride quality. none
11-03-2011, 10:00 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
RE harsh ride
what are the tire presures
what tires / age / condition
what is the suspension (US spec, ROW, something "special")
what other Porsches have you owned....
harsh ride is subjective obviously but there are many factors to consider, tires and wheels are one but over all suspension and the condition of the shocks, the dampening and the amount of air cushion between you and the road and how well the tires do at managing that cushion.
18' would surely help but if they are over inflated or there are suspension problems they would not help much...has any other 997 owners driven your car for a comparison
what are the tire presures
what tires / age / condition
what is the suspension (US spec, ROW, something "special")
what other Porsches have you owned....
harsh ride is subjective obviously but there are many factors to consider, tires and wheels are one but over all suspension and the condition of the shocks, the dampening and the amount of air cushion between you and the road and how well the tires do at managing that cushion.
18' would surely help but if they are over inflated or there are suspension problems they would not help much...has any other 997 owners driven your car for a comparison
11-03-2011, 10:16 PM
#10
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dak911,
You never did say what tire pressures you are running. If you are at 36 PSI Front and 44 PSI Rear, your tires are over inflated. Those settings are for a fully loaded car, like you are going on vacation with luggage, cooler, etc.
Drop the pressure to 32 Front and 40 in the Rear. Ride will be better.
As others have said, it COULD be your tires.
You never did say what tire pressures you are running. If you are at 36 PSI Front and 44 PSI Rear, your tires are over inflated. Those settings are for a fully loaded car, like you are going on vacation with luggage, cooler, etc.
Drop the pressure to 32 Front and 40 in the Rear. Ride will be better.
As others have said, it COULD be your tires.
