997 2005-2012 911 C2, C2S, C4, C4S, GTS, Targa and Cabriolet Model Discussion.

19" or 20"

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  #1  
Old 11-19-2005 | 01:19 AM
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19" or 20"

Hi all, I'm trying to decide aftermarket wheels for my 997S, I can't decide to go with 19" or 20" HRE? Any opinions?

Thanks!
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 02:03 AM
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20's gives the car a whole different look and no matter what people say for a car that comes with 19's from the factory 20's are not that much of a stretch .
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 02:25 AM
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Hate to ba a party pooper but...
There is no real reason to go with 20's. In order for 20's to even look better than 19's you will have to lower your car. By lowering your car in addition to adding 20's you will have substantially altered your ride quality. 20's by themselves will affect ride quality on their own. One can argue that the 997 will handle better with 20's. However, most people agree that with respect to handling; 20's reach a point of diminishing returns. Plus, you will have to buy new tires and the risk of breaking your rims will increase. For me, living in LA, 20's are not an option I would be comfortable with. Aside from possibly looking better, I don't see any advantages IMO.
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 03:55 AM
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Judge, you are right on all accounts esp the handling issue. There was a Japanese test of the 997 and the driver was saying that after driving the 997 vs the 997S, he felt that the 19" tires were detrimental to the car's handling. The 997 felt balanced with the 18" tires but the 19" tires on the S upset the car's handling. Nevertheless, he posted faster times due to the increased power of the car. However, I think that the 19s that come with the S offer little or no ride compliance anyways. The sidewall is very short and stiff as they are. The effect on ride quality will probably be minimal by going with 20s. Lowering the car will be much more detrimental to ride quality.

That being said, it seems that the 996 takes 19s well but 20s are extreme because a proper plus 2 on a 996 would require 20 series tires (aka rubber bands) in the rear. The 997 on the other hand can take 20" combos fine because a plus 1 on a 997 would only require 25 series tires in the rear which is what most people are using on their 996 upgrades anyways.

Most of the 996 guys are going with 19s but those that have gone with 18" aftermarket wheels tend to end up with an odd look. I think the same will be true of the 997. 20s look far better on the car. I personally would go with 20s if I were spending $7-8k for a set of HREs with tires and save the stock wheels for track use.
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 05:51 AM
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I'm debating this issue myself. From the bit of research I've done, it seems that the "purists" will recommend that you stick with 19's. However, if you want to be a little more flashy, go with the 20's. I'm currently leaning more towards the 19's. I just want something that fills that wheel well a little better, but nothing too loud.
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 06:03 AM
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By using the 19" wheels and lowering the car 20mm you will save money (over the 20" tires and wheels), look great, and still have the looks and handling built into the car.
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 11:22 AM
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Stick with the 19's they look better , the 20's look ott..

throt..
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 03:23 PM
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I went with 19". My 997 came with 19" and I ended up swapping out for some I Forged 3pc. I purchased 20" Techarts prior to the I Forged but never put them on the car due to problems finding tires and concerns about ride quality. I did lower my car with Techart springs and the ride did not change much from factory. Totally acceptable.
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 03:27 PM
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Originally posted by roadking
I went with 19". My 997 came with 19" and I ended up swapping out for some I Forged 3pc. I purchased 20" Techarts prior to the I Forged but never put them on the car due to problems finding tires and concerns about ride quality. I did lower my car with Techart springs and the ride did not change much from factory. Totally acceptable.
Can you please elaborate on the TechArt springs effect on ride quality? I am dying to lower my ride but I seriously don't want to compromise the smooth feeling it provides presently.
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 06:14 PM
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19" if you are Purist 20" if you want to be different it's all in the eye of the owner. Here is a car we did with 20's Work wheel RKF and in January the RXX mesh will be avilable in 20".

Good Luck with your 997!!!!
 
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Old 11-19-2005 | 07:35 PM
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Thanks guys, I'm now pretty certain that I'll go with 19s. 20s might be a little too rough for LA roads.
 
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Old 11-20-2005 | 08:18 AM
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Stay away from 20s. It's not a dodge magnum lol
 
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Old 11-20-2005 | 08:43 AM
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Donna, is that a pic of you?
Screw the wheels, lets go fo' a ride!
Sweet avatar!
Oh yes wheels, hmm what was the question?
 
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Old 11-20-2005 | 09:00 AM
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WHEN I WAS AT CHAMPION THEY HAD A NEW WHEEL 20 THAT LOOKED BAD *** FOR 997,997S.
http://www.championmotorsport.com/997RS128.htm
 
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Old 11-20-2005 | 09:16 AM
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Mike, can we see some pics of that white car in the avatar?
 


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