Tampadan

My 997.1 came with 20" TechArt wheels. I was going to replace them with 19" Porsche wheels but the 20 inchers are growing on me.

Anybody know of any long term issues with running 20" wheels?

2008 C4S

Thanks!

I am the Walrus

20's are harder on the suspension components in my experience

mickfluff

all depends on the wheel... a well made light weight forged 20 is better then a mediocore 19 wheel all day long.

your techarts are nice looking wheel, strong but believe quite heavy. If you like the style keep them. If your tracking the car maybe swap them out.

Mumbles

Harder ride to be expected.

Bruce In Philly

2009 C2S

Don't these larger wheels throw off the computer and therefore traction control / safety systems? Speedometer etc. too?

Larger wheels = less leverage = less power to the road. I really don't get this fashion.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Tampadan

I'm not sure. I was also wondering how it might affect the AWD

mickfluff

NO on all.... you run tires not as tall on 20's (less sidewall) so circumference near same... if this was the case an S that comes stock on 19's would have computer and traction and speedo issues if they ran 18's and that is not the case.

You don't get it? Porsche seems to get it.... it seems as they have been going larger and larger diameter wheels historically for decades. Owners have been pushing them a size up as well for decades. 964 owners running 18+, 993+996 owners running 19's, 997 owners running 20+s and on down the line.

the whole "20s is a crappy ride" is such a blanket ignorant statement. The right 20s (well-made is the key!) offer a possible better ride, performance, can be lighter weight (weight the key) and to some better aesthetics (not all by any means) then just OK made 19's.

Rather have a nice set of forged 20s with the right offsets (no need for spacers) then heavier 19's running spacers etc... all day long.

are 20's OK?

answer = depends on the 20's.

are 20's worse than 19's?

answer = depends on the 19 vs 20 your comparing etc...

I am in NO way suggesting a 20 is "better" then a 19 but just suggesting when 20's are being considered or spoken about the one adding them/running them/considering them is not going to spin out of control and get sucked into a vortex of death if added/considered. Same goes for the guy that adds a front lip chin spoiler to his/her car and doesn't balance it with a rear aero... you will make it safe to the grocery store and back with no risk of being swept off the road due to 15mph gusts

Tampadan

Thank you for the information!

The wheels are TechArt Formula II. I'm told they are good wheels...

Fined

I've always found myself caring about the wheel weight more than any other aspect. A lightweight 20" will always be heavier than a lightweight 18".. of course depending on how much you spend and the construction of the wheel.

a cheap cast 19" that cost 2k a set is not better than a top quality forged 20" that cost 10k a set. In that case the 20" wheel will almost certainly be lighter. I'll only put a wheel on my car that is lighter than OEM

mickfluff

They are good wheels yes... like the RUF wheels also good wheels. That said they are heavy (like the RUFs) and likely heavier then stock by XX lbs. So are your 20's better then Porsche 19s performance wise I would suggest not but not so much you have to rush to sell them and worry your loosing lots of performance etc. If you plan to track the car may want to think of a change... I ran RUF wheels for years on my old 997 (they were 19 but heavy) just because I simply loved the wheel design.



agreed....weight is the biggest factor. I added 20's that are lighter then stock Porsche 19s with the right offset so no need for spacers. New well made 20s can cost $ (mine new I think were 1600 each) but can be had on the second hand market readily...

Dennis C

I think that it's important to avoid broad generalizations. When comparing wheels that are identical other than diameter, the 20" wheels will be heavier, with more of the weight distributed to the outside of the wheel (further from the center of rotation). If you add weight to a wheel/tire construct that is further from the center of rotation, then you increase the gyroscopic stabilization forces, and you increase the stress on suspension and braking components.

That being said, most people who upgrade their wheels change the style. Low cost 20" wheels are almost certainly heavier than OE 19" wheels. Good quality wheels, as mickfluff mentions above, may actually be lighter than 19" OE wheels.

If I decided to make a switch from 19" to 20" wheels, then I would really want to know the difference in weight of the wheel/tire construct. I think that's important to know. I would also strongly prefer a forged wheel in a larger size. Larger wheels have less rubber to protect them from pot holes, and they are more likely scraped on curbs.

I think that ride quality is impacted by your suspension as much as wheel diameter. My 997 on 19" wheels has a much nicer ride than my 996 did on 18" wheels. The suspension is the key. All things being equal, a larger wheel will typically produce a stiffer ride. I run 21" wheels on my Audi SQ5 in the summer, and I drop to 19" wheels for my winter tires. There is a very noticeable difference in ride when I compare the 21" wheels to the 19" wheels.

The aesthetics of a 19" wheel vs. a 20" wheel are very subjective. Some people like the larger wheel, some do not. There's no wrong answer there. Personally, I think that 20" wheels generally look too big on the 997. I think they look fine on the 991.

Like any modification to your vehicle, changing wheels should be a decision that is made after considering the upsides and downsides that it will offer.

Ynot

Excellent post, I've had both 20"s and 19"s on my 997. My 20"s were a lot more smooth and soft on Michelin PS2 then my 19"s on Nitto 555's. It depends on tires. My forged 20"s weight the same as my OEM 19"s so it doesn't add any unsprung weight or any difference in ride quality. The only negatives about 20"s is the tire selection, there isn't many to chose from, it's expensive, and makes your calipers looks small. So ideally, 19"s is still your best option on the 997. But if you like the look, then go for it. Personally, I have never been a fan of the techart wheels, they are cast, heavy, and way out of style, cool in the early 2000's.

TT-911

If you want more 20" info read this thread :

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...3-20-rims.html

My car on 20" :

halo777

Beautiful wheels TT-911!!! The design really suit the car well, and the offset and width looks spot-on.

And I would be willing to bet that they are significantly lighter than any 997 OEM 19 inch wheel. Call it a hunch

ru'

Wheels getting bigger with each generation is more a marketing/design thing than technical progress. imho.