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I think downsizing is a smart thing to do. I had 19 inch wheels on my Cayman when I bought it and downsized to 18. Ride is more comfortable, tires are less expensive and I personally prefer the look of 18s on my car.
I went from 19s to 18s on my daily driven 997 C4s, and absolutely love the 18s. With the 18s, there is never a fear of a bent wheel (and my suspension is way stiffer than stock.)
I just love the way lightweight 18 inch wheels bump and bounce over everything in the 997, with a nice fat tire.
That being said, I am running quite a different tire setup. 255/40 front and 295/40 rear. I have converted my car to RWD, so no issue with the ABS. Overall ration is closer to 997 GT3 RS sizing.
Just make sure you can get a rear tire that is the proper ratio before you make the leap. I found rear 18 tire sizing limited, compared to 19s.
I switched back from 19" wheels to 18" several years ago on my 996 and have never regretted the decision. This was on my 996 which isn't quite the same as the car was not designed for 19" wheels.
The biggest issue (which wasn't immediate obvious) is that larger wheels result in less suspension travel. Or more correctly, the 19" wheels raised the car by 1/2" which required lowering the car by the same amount to compensate. The decrease in suspension travel has a significant impact on ride comfort.
I used to have to slow down for every railroad track and bump on the road. Not anymore.
I'm not convinced that the change in wheel size alone would be that noticeable. Increasing the sidewall will probably help a little.
For me the biggest negative has been that the Michelin PSS is not available in the correct sizes for 18" wheels. Although they do have sizes with larger sidewall that should improve your ride comfort.
I would do it, but sidewall stiffness may be more of a factor then the rim size. I'm now running the new conti extreme contact sport and I immediately noticed a difference if the cars street attitude vs the Potenzas I had on previously.
Hi Jack, 18" vs 19" will definitely help in the comfort department. But I would suggest that you take a look at your tires first: what brand/model are they (some tires are more comfortable than others)? How old are they (new tires are more compliant than older tires)? What tire pressure are you running (I would suggest to knock 2 or 3 psi off the manufacturer's recommended cold tire pressure and see if it helps)? And if you want to experience the feel of 18" wheels (with new Michelin PSS) you are welcome to take my 997.2 for a ride
I live in Etobicoke, old, rough, rutted roads everywhere.
My 2009 C4 rides horribly on these streets; I don't think the 30 series tires on the 19 inch wheels helps any.
I was actually considering dropping a wheel size to 18 inch so I can run higher profile tires.
Any thoughts on this? My car see's a fair bit of city driving and it's downright uncomfortable at times...
Is this heresy??
I would seek out someone who has already downsized wheels and see if that soften the ride to your liking. Don't spend money on downsized wheels and tires not knowing if that will make you happy. Unfortunately the condition of the roads in your area dictates what kind of car you can be happy with. Ever wonder why you don't see alot of sports cars in your area? Yes, economic factors determine that somewhat. Alot of people don't like cars in general because of how they ride. Especially in Canada where we have roads destroyed by freeze and thaw cycles.
09-24-2017, 06:57 PM
Thinking of going from 19 to 18 inch wheels....LMK your thoughts.
