17 inch wheels 981 S - will they fit?

[ATM]

Hello

Does anyone know if a 17 inch wheel will fit the 981?

TIA

[ATM]

Poo

Are the discs really that big?

[ATM]

bcr5784 said:

I think so, why do you want to? (Apart from the fact that winter wheel and tyre sets are dirt cheap in 17", distinctly more expensive in 18" and ridiculous in larger sizes).

This. 17 inch wheels on ebay go for peanuts because no one wants them - clearly. I've not really decided what to do so just looking at options. If I'm honest the car drives better than I expected considering they're 20 inch wheels. Therefore it would obviously drive better on 19 and even better on 18.

Read some interesting blurb about the wheel and tyre combos weighing pretty much the same for 18, 19 and 20. It seems the wheels get heavier but the tyres get lighter.

[ATM]

I started the thread thinking about Winter tyres. Now I am also thinking about Summers. The ride is better than I thought it would be on 20 inch wheels. The car has masses of grip now even on these cool, damp and gritty roads. It does get a bit unsettled and jiggly on bumpy roads. This would probably be improved with a bit less tyre wall stiffness.

[ATM]

Bennachie said:

So they do fit then?

Well the poster above who has 17 inch wheels on a Caymen has the previous 987 type model.

[ATM]

bcr5784 said:

Another bit of grist to the mill. Though I'm no great fan of Pirellis I have to say on 19" wheels bump thump (not sure if that is a technical term - but was used by car mags regularly in the past) is VERY well suppressed on Pirellis - though tyre roar on coarse surfaces is dreadful. 18" Eagles produce an even better ride than 19" - mostly at the front (I have a set of practically new tyres, of the right size, if you are interested, but I am using the wheels for winter tyres) . Personally it's so good with PASM on 19s that I wouldn't go below that myself.

I'm not sure if the bump thump change is due to the old tyres being a bit old. Tyres do go hard with age which is why you cant beat some brand new boots.

I've punched the numbers in for the 987 17 inch fronts here and the difference is not that big:

http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=205&amp...

Rears are a bit further out:

http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=235&amp...

[ATM]

bcr5784 said:

ATM said:

I'm not sure if the bump thump change is due to the old tyres being a bit old. Tyres do go hard with age which is why you cant beat some brand new boots.

I've punched the numbers in for the 987 17 inch fronts here and the difference is not that big:

http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=205&amp...

Rears are a bit further out:

http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=235&amp...

It's not just the tyre diameter that is the issue - it's whether the wheels will clear the brake calipers. I've never tried it - but from what others have said - I suspect you would need wheel spacers at least. There's not that much room on 18s.

I'm still not convinced. According to this Porsche press sheet the front discs are 13.0 x 1.1-in. In my mind 13 inch discs are 330 mm. I have some 355mm discs on my e46 which apparently can fit under some 17 inch wheels - or so I've read. I've used 2 different sets of 18 inch wheels on the e46 myself with these 355mm discs. One was tight and the current OZ's have a bit more room. Anyway a 330mm disc is an inch smaller. So I think a 17 inch wheel will go over the disc and caliper. I'll accept there might be a clearance issue where the face of the wheel meets the hub but that is just a spacer to fix.

http://press.porsche.com/vehicles/2013/2013_Boxste...

[ATM]

bcr5784 said:

All I can say is that I'm pretty sure someone said spacers were needed to fit 17s on a 987 S which has 318mm front discs, so 330mm discs are bound to be a bit tight - even wheel weights may be an issue.

I think that was the moose of C. He runs tiny wheels on his gay-man.

[ATM]

bcr5784 said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

As you say your usual insanity - not mine. Fact is it may fit, spacers might help, but I wouldn't buy 17" wheels without trying them first.

This is a good idea. Moose where do you reside - roughly?

[ATM]

Interesting timing. I have just got a 17 inch 987 front wheel and it is sat here waiting for me to try it on the 981. No tyre on the wheel so I just want to see if it will fit over the brakes. I know you can fit 17 inch wheels on the 987 3.4S. If I feel brave I might get the jack out and try it but I'm worried about frost bite at the moment.

I had a set of 19 inch winters and also 18 inch winters. Both specific 981 wheels with correct n rated winter tyres. I've since started using the 18 inch winter wheels as summers so have some normal tyres fitted to them. I wanted the most narrow sizes I could find and also with the lowest load ratings. I went with Conti Premium Contact 6 in 215 45 and 245 45. Which now means I have no winter set for the car. Pics - of course -

[ATM]

I think the Callipers on the front of the 981 are quite slimline. The only way to know is try a wheel.

[ATM]

Short Answer - Yes

Long Answer

Caliper is hard up against the wheel inner face without a spacer. Hopefully you can see the distance between the wheel and the disc facing. Fine once I added a spacer I had lying around - not sure how thick. I spun the wheel around and nothing rubbed. You can hopefully see there is not much room between caliper and wheel barrel. Space between caliper and wheel inner face is obviously dependent on the size of spacer used. Took a few pics.

[ATM]

In all my life I have never had a problem with gravel getting stuck in a wheel or disc or anything like that. Most of my cars run smaller wheels now with less clearances. I would not be concerned. But I live in a city with tarmac roads so no gravel.

[ATM]

AW10 said:

You’ll need space for any wheel weights as well.

Oh yeah I forgot about this. Good shout - thanks. I'd probably have to get a wheel balancing guy to have a look before investing in tyres and what not. I might bolt on a set of used wheels and tyres and just try it. Although if comparing nice new 18 inch continental tyres [which I have now] with some older used tyres then I'm not sure how much difference I will feel or any improvement. We all know the 981 has some numbness in the steering. I'm hoping that lighter wheels with lighter thinner tyres at the front will improve feel - maybe even spacer'ed out more than necessary too will improve it even further.

On my 996 the change from 18 to 17 made a massive difference [225 to 205] and then again when I added 15mm spacers to the front. I'm just not sure how much feedback the EPAS system can provide but surely every little helps. If an external force pushes the road wheels will it feedback to the steering wheel - surely it must.

[ATM]

Feedback can also by a symptom of geo. Massive negative camber will give more feedback - caster too maybe. I think the latest GT3 cars use rose joints instead of rubber bushes.