K. I have PSS9s for PASM. I also have heavy Avus 20" 3 piece wheels. Since my PSS9s are for PASM, I don't have a ton of adjustability. It's either in normal or sport. The ride is too rough for my liking. So I was thinking about going to 19s. Thought that it would help the ride out enough for my liking. So, I start looking at wheels and really like the Champion RF67s. They, however, are only available in 20s for the narrow body cars, mine being a C2S. They are around 15 pounds lighter than my Avus 20s. Crazy. Question is, if I went with the Champion 20s, would the ride get better due to the vast weight decrease? Does that have anything to do with ride?

 

I don't think it would get better. 20's have less rubber. my 19's are on stock suspension and are 3 piece lighter wheels. I feel a little rougher than stock ride with my wheels, so the weight of the wheel makes a difference in ride quality imo.

 

Wheel weight would make no noticable difference in ride quality the only difference would be a ever so slower, barely noticable acceleration change and longer by a brakeing by meer inch's.

 

My car is a daily driver hardcore. so I would know if there was a difference. Maybe its from moving from a stock step lip to a reverse lip.

 

If you went down to 18s then you would notice something. But between 19s and 20s not a super big difference. And no difference in comfort / ride quality just based on weight. imho

 

20s are too big for a sports/exotic car IMO...go down to a light 19 or a light 18...something by BBS and youll feel a difference.

 

If you are going to track your car then you really want to get off those bling bling 20's and get something more for sport driving. I am on 19's and am going down to 18's...not for ride quality but for better handling.

 

I have the PSS9/ PASM hook up for about 2 weeks, after I lower the car notice the ride is little rough than before. Until yesterday I when to my alignment guy, ask him can you make it litter softer, he told me with the new PSS9/ PASM don’t have that much adjustment.
He will try his best, after he did my alignment; I notice my ride much smooth then before. I have 19� when with lighter weight wheels, Kinesis F110. My suggestion install 19� test-drive that, or even go down to 18� see how that feel?

 

You guys talk about PSS9 PASM, and you also tell that you don't have so much adjustability. Are you sure you have the PSS9? The PSS9 have a nine adjustments. In Bilstein.de they refer to B16 Damptronic which is PASM compatible, not the PSS9.

Could you also post some pictures of the Bilsteins setup, both front and rear to see how the really look like?

 

Tire brand and age also affect ride quality. Some brands have much stiffer sidewalls at the same aspect ratio (Bridgestone being one) and transmit more surface irregularity to the suspension. As you wear tread, and rubber ages you are likely to also notice (feel and hear) a difference.

I find the Bilstein PSS set up with Michelin PS2's to be very comfortable in the normal mode for most everyday use. I think the PSS with PASM adjusts infinitely as you drive (the point of active suspension management) with a slightly different baseline in the sport mode and more frequent updates of conditions from the computer to the damper. So if you drive aggresively in normal mode, it will stiffen up. I drove an entire track session in "normal" after forgetting to hit the sport button and noticed no major difference in how I got around the track.

All things equal, less unpsprung weight imprvoves performance as noted.

 

That was actually the first logic answer I have received. I have spoked with several tunershops and they just scratch their heads when I mention that the PASM compatible setup can't be the PSS9, but B16 Damptronic. And what the differences are.

I agreee that less weight, better performance. Thats i also one of the advantages of PCCB vs steel. Test says that with the PCCB setup the car feels lighter and nimble with more feedback.

 

The lighter the tires/wheels the better the suspension will react.

After reading most of these posts on this site and posts like these on other sites about softening the ride, I often wonder why some of these people bought a Porsche when it seems like they are trying to get the ride of a Mercedes or Cadillac!

 

I have Fikse FM5 17's on my BMW M5. It is the best mod I have done. I was advised to stay at 17 to have better ride on a daily driver. Lower unsprung weight helps acceleration , braking and handling. Bigger wheel diameter hurts ride, but might help you on the track. In the real world, reduce wheel diameter from 20 to 19 to 18. Potholes are also a risk where I live. But the lower Fikse weight will help no matter what the diameter. If your Porsche is not similar, I will be surprised.

(I have not checked the weight of one size vs the other, but I feel certain the Fiske is lighter than the same size BMW or Borbet or BBS wheel..Call Fikse about that. I bet they know.)

 

Just a blanket statement that a 20" wheel will weigh more than a 19" isn't necessarily correct. A 20" wheel could very well weigh less than a 19" wheel.

 

Big bling bling 20" wheels are not good for handling or the track...HUGE no-no!