I want to keep my stock TT wheels but would like to give them a makeover. I was thinking about having the center spoke (of each of the 5 spokes) painted the same graphite color as the inside of the rim. I did a photoshop to see how it would look. (this is not my car but almost identical.)

I think it would look really nice... Of course I would have this done by wheel shop.. Also... Does anyone know the color code for that grey? (or where I could find it?)

Opinions?

Thanks,

Phillip

 

Not bad. Only fear the end of each (middle) spoke will look a little off, usually a center spoke in a different color is a little lower in the wheel.

I am also looking at wheels lately and thought I wanted the forged Fuchs wheels.
But than I'll still need spacers in the back to make the car look right. Prefer not to work with spacers for weight and other reasons.

Yesterday I found BBS wheels which are perfect and inexpensive. Very light and strong too. Porsche size center caps. Very close to pulling the trigger on those. What do you think ?


http://www.flickr.com/photos/3416777...57624946819596

 

Denis,

When looking at the stock wheel (if it was done properly with a perfect paint match) it would be seamless. I'll do some more research... Here is a close up with a bit more detail (color does not match though.)

Those BBS wheels are awesome.. Are they new or used? Are they as light as the OEM rims? What is the cost? Those look sweet on Meteor Grey...

 

Phillip your car is black yes? Have you considered stripping the dark grey of the inside of the spokes and making it black?
Have you seen the factory wheels in white to understand what I mean? Front polished, and sides of spokes, barrel of the rim and the area around the valve in black instead of grey...
I am not sure I like the above, it seems strange... out of norm. Have you considered reversing the colors? Black face where silver now, silver (raw aluminum) where grey is now... That would also be interesting on a black car... Will take some handy Photoshop skills to manage that one!!

Denis, I like those wheels, they are very well priced. They have a tiny silver ring all around to protect scuff marks, which is removable and changeable, I am not sure I like it in silver, I would consider painting it (electrostatic) black. The only downside is they have BBS Motorsports etched around the bolts... Bit too racey... There are literally 1 million pics of 997 TT wheels out there. Take your time. The BBS design resembles the HRE P40. Have you decided if you want flat wheels, wheels with lips, concave wheels? Possibilities are endless, but so are the price tags...

 

New ones are so cheap I am not bothering finding used ones. A complete set (8.5 and 12) costs only €1600. Weight is around stock.
But the rears in 12" have the best ET for our cars. ET45 , perfect fit and no spacers !!

 

I do not like full black wheels. Never did actually so the silver lip is what I want.
You are correct , tons of wheels for turbo but these BBS wheels are just what I have been hoping to find. Love a crosspoke and finding one with a 12" ET45 is a dream come true for me. Loved the forged Fuchs too but then I am stuck with 11" ET51 like stock and still need those stupid spacers. No, I have found the perfect wheel ! Light, strong, perfect sizes and ET and as a bonus not expensive. What more can you ask for
Oh, and if you do not like the etching, the US version comes without it. No prob to order these in Europe. I like it though, it's very discrete on the black wheels.

 

It's not half bad Phillip, gives the wheel a different look. Just consider that if you do not like it afterwards it wont be easy to get the stock finish back if at all possible.

 

Before powdercoating, perhaps wrap that middle spoke with some vinyl by hand... should give you a good idea with minimal cost. Dont like it, take it off. Did those stoneguards the other day and was easy... Just cut and make a template, and then go for it. You can do one side, two wheels and step back to see the result from many angles. That should help. Lots of sweat and 10 bucks worth of vinyl... 3M grey should give you the idea.

Denis, I hadnt realised they were 1600. That is not bad. My favorite still is the D2forged. I think they had a promo recently which got them into the 3000e range I believe for 20's so slightly less for 19s... Not the time yet, but next year maybe.

 

They are more expensive but a tireshop is offering them on ebay for that price.
I suppose that tire shop made a deal with BBS before they went bust and took a load at a bargain price. No idea really.

D2 and HRE are nice, agree. But when the 'original' is cheaper than why bother? Furthermore BBS quality is top.

 

Are these the BBS CHR Denis? I see these are at tirack and i'm pretty sure amerlemans is getting some of these at an even cheaper price. Pm him and ask where he is getting them from. They do look good on the car. And agree on the stock rims. You can only do so much to them....

 

The BBS CH-R are a cast wheel with flow formed barrel - hardly comparable to a 1 piece forged wheel from HRE and D2 Forged. The BBS CH-Rs are boat anchors in comparison !

We carry the CH-Rs at around 2800 - 2900 for a set in 19" 911 fitment. The D2s will be in the $5000 range. We have great alternatives and plenty of partial sponsorships spots available for Porsches guy from reputable manufacturers that need a push. PM us for more info!

 

^ Agreed the cast and forged are two different qualities along with different pricing structures.

And for you guys trying to figure out which offset and width is going to do it for you better i've got a link here that will work that part out for you.

http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

Just enter into the top boxes the oem stock rear size of 11" and its offset of 51, and put the new wheel size and its offset in the lower boxes and hit calculate and it will show how much that wheel is going to stick out.

Fyi: The oem front wheel size is 8.5 with an offset of 56.... if you want to do the exercise on your fronts vs the new wheels.

Hope it helps.

PS Hey Denis those 12'' with ET45 have a very aggressive offset of 18mm extra on the outer rim position so with the stock ride height she's gonna look pretty out there. My RF67's rears, which are 11.5 wide with an ET44 are well on the limit in the gaurds with the stock ride height imo. Champion really get their offsets right. Another 6 mm may be a problem. This (may) correct itself once the car is dropped. Or, you may have rub issues.

 

On 997TTs we usually do 19x8.5+45 and 19x11+40, oversized fitments will be 19x9+48 and 19x12+50.

Reduce the offset "number" if you want a more aggressive stance, but it will require lowering and/or additional camber to fit properly.

 

Yep vanity can have its price. You can wind up with wheel rubbing or having to induce unwanted camber to (try to) relieve it. Plus once you start shifting the weight of the wheel too far off the central axis of the wheel bearing you can promote an environment for wheel vibration, and other wear and handling related issues.

I recall having a discussion with Porsche Technical on this very topic a few years back when i required spacers after lowering my previous car and the advice was they were reluctant to advise me going beyond the 7mm mark using spacers on the stock rims for reasons as stated above. Hence why they have a 5mm spacer kit, and their 16mm rear kit to be used for those who wish to use a rim design from a narrowbody on a widebody where the 68 offset has to be countered.

Using my RF 67's as an example the fronts 8.5 x 19 have an ET 53 and a rear of 11.5 with an ET 44. These protrude right to the extremity of the gaurd yet remain within the OEM tolerance. The fronts have an additional 3mm and the rears come out an additional 13mm. My fronts are on the absolute max but that may be due to the top mount settings along with the GT3 LFCA's. The rears are also basically right on the limit. I've had clear stonegaurd film placed on the sills and behind the wheels so all thoise little bits of bitumen don't shot blast the paint off lol.

Looking at Denis's 12's at 45 that moves them out 19mm. Sounds quite a lot for stock ride height. I'm not sure what offfset they use on their fronts? The BBS 11's may be the better choice. Does anyone have the offsets for those?

 

As always knowledgable and thorough Paul. Thank you.