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I just purchased a stock 1999 coupe with stock 17" wheels. I have searched to get some solid answers on options for tires and wheels but must not be searching the right words.
What size and offset are the stock 18" upgraded wheels. What is the best size tire to go with on these 18" stock wheels that would be wider than stock tires but still meets spec for wheel width with no rubbing?
I just purchased a stock 1999 coupe with stock 17" wheels. I have searched to get some solid answers on options for tires and wheels but must not be searching the right words.
What size and offset are the stock 18" upgraded wheels. What is the best size tire to go with on these 18" stock wheels that would be wider than stock tires but still meets spec for wheel width with no rubbing?
I just purchased a stock 1999 coupe with stock 17" wheels. I have searched to get some solid answers on options for tires and wheels but must not be searching the right words.
What size and offset are the stock 18" upgraded wheels. What is the best size tire to go with on these 18" stock wheels that would be wider than stock tires but still meets spec for wheel width with no rubbing?
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I got mine all of a week and a half ago. It has later Carrera III wheels, 10" ET58 at the rear and 8" ET57 up front. I will be fitting 7mm spacers to bring the fronts out to where the factory rims would have been.
For tyres I have 225/40 front and 265/35 rear, which I think is as specified by Porsche.
If you are buying new wheels I would go with 8 x 18 ET50 on the front instead. It fits the stock 18" tires better and allows you to go to 285 rears (instead of 265) without affecting handling at all. The change from the old 993 spec 18" (i.e. 7.5J) to the new 996 spec 18" (8J) was one of the 2nd gen upgrades. The 8" rim increases the front tire patch just enough to balance correctly with the normal 285 width for the 10" rears. If I remember correctly the offset for the matching rears to the 8" fronts have a ET70 offset instead of ET65. While the gen 2s also have rolled rear fenders I know that many gen 1 drivers use 285 rears with no problems.
In retrospect there may have been a 8J/10J option available in 1999. I recently saw a code label on a 99 with code XRM. That code was for 285 rears. I know that Porsche does not recommend any combination of 10J 285 rears with a 7.5J front rim as the 225 fronts are actually slightly oversize for the 7.5J causing them to have a smaller contact patch and more sidewall flex.
Originally Posted by NYoutftr
I have a set of factory Carrera 18" wheels for sale, 18x8 & 18x10.
Five spoke lightweight, great condition and cheap!
Those are very nice wheels. If I had not just been through an unscheduled surgery I would be calling you. Those are my favorite OEM wheels and I really want to change to 8J fronts. As it is my Porsche fund will be my pay-the-hospital/doctors/technicians/everybody-else-the-hospital-does-business-with fund for quite a while.
If you are buying new wheels I would go with 8 x 18 ET50 on the front instead. It fits the stock 18" tires better and allows you to go to 285 rears (instead of 265) without affecting handling at all. The change from the old 993 spec 18" (i.e. 7.5J) to the new 996 spec 18" (8J) was one of the 2nd gen upgrades. The 8" rim increases the front tire patch just enough to balance correctly with the normal 285 width for the 10" rears. If I remember correctly the offset for the matching rears to the 8" fronts have a ET70 offset instead of ET65. While the gen 2s also have rolled rear fenders I know that many gen 1 drivers use 285 rears with no problems.
Is the rear 285 still a 35 aspect ratio? Will this through off the ABS since the front still has the same height with the 225/40?
In retrospect there may have been a 8J/10J option available in 1999. I recently saw a code label on a 99 with code XRM. That code was for 285 rears. I know that Porsche does not recommend any combination of 10J 285 rears with a 7.5J front rim as the 225 fronts are actually slightly oversize for the 7.5J causing them to have a smaller contact patch and more sidewall flex.
Those are very nice wheels. If I had not just been through an unscheduled surgery I would be calling you. Those are my favorite OEM wheels and I really want to change to 8J fronts. As it is my Porsche fund will be my pay-the-hospital/doctors/technicians/everybody-else-the-hospital-does-business-with fund for quite a while.
So what would the right size front tire to go with the 285 rear? 225 or can you go up?
Stay with the exact same front. It just fits the rim better and increases the size of its contact patch by a 5th of an inch or so.
The "standard" optional 18" wheel for the gen 1 1997-2001 was 7.5. The standard optional 18" for gen 2 was 8.
The 8s will fit a gen 1 fine and I just found some anecdotal evidence that the 8s may have been available as part of a option package for gen 1s that I had never seen before.
Others will have to verify that.
Either way you can use the 8s on a gen 1 and they will fit the front tires a little better. It will also allow you to bump up the rears to 285 tires in a factory-correct fashion.
FYI, don't be drawn towards the OEM spec wheels, they don't line up with regards to the fender lines of the cars, they are very conservative, you notice this especially if you lower the car one day.
06-08-2016, 05:52 AM
18" Wheel and Tire options/specs for Narrow Body
