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Thread: 16" Wheels on early 911?

  1. #1

    16" Wheels on early 911?

    I've seen a lot of discussion about wheel widths for the early 911s (mine's a '73S), but I haven't seen any threads about running 16" wheels. Wouldn't it make sense to run some lower profile tires on 16" wheels at the track or autocross? If anyone has tried it, let me know how it worked.

  2. #2
    At an auto-X? Assuming no brake changes, I'd want to go down in diameter....to the 14" Fuchs that were on 911E models, with low profile tires. Sort of like cheap lower gears. On the street? 16" wheels on an early 911? Well, it's a taste thing. Bigger dia. wheels do allow for more brake options, but you can fit 80's turbo brakes inside 15", and that does yield a lot of stopping power...
    Paul D. Early S Registry #8 - Cyclops Minister of West Coast Affairs
    "Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have the radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. 1973)

  3. #3
    Thanks for the input PWD72. I know you have your '72 serviced by Jeff Gamroth. Do you know what kind of plugs has you running?

  4. #4
    Gburner
    Guest
    I think Paul is right, although I'm not sure of the tire selection for 14 inch rims. My short track rims are just cheep 15x7 Cookie cutters or Phone dials. Lower CG, improved cornering and acceleration. I have some cantilever slicks that are made for a 7 inch wide rim and measure 23x9. You'll need a stiffer suspension set up to get the most out of the slicks. My turbo brakes are plenty at a parking lot AX or on the Nascar bank Roval at Fontana.
    Big track set up uses 17 inch diameter rims.
    The short track set up in action.
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  5. #5

    Wheel sizes?

    My car came from the PO with solid aluminum Centerlines, 14x7 on the front, 15x9 on the rear with tall sidewall tires. Are these okay to run with on the street or should they be used for track purpose only and I hunt for matched sized wheels daily use?
    Are these of any value to anyone for track use?
    Dan S

    '68 911 w/RSR kit (my first)
    '69 Nova street rod
    '03 H-D Heritage Springer

  6. #6
    Originally posted by jayzoll
    Thanks for the input PWD72. I know you have your '72 serviced by Jeff Gamroth. Do you know what kind of plugs has you running?
    Actually Gordon Ledbetter does most of the actual wrenching on my car. I'm not a hotshoe these days, so he has me running Bosch W4CS...they seem to be working well for my street driving, which is mostly playing it cool, with me not being able to control myself once in a while...and getting frisky. Apologies for changing the subject.

    To keep it on topic...a lot of guys seem to be going to 16" because of the limited tire choices in 15"...
    Paul D. Early S Registry #8 - Cyclops Minister of West Coast Affairs
    "Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have the radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. 1973)

  7. #7
    By limited tire size on 15"...is that brand that you're talking about, ie. Goodyear, Pirelli, etc. or is it a specific tire size, ie. low profile, width, etc.?
    Dan S

    '68 911 w/RSR kit (my first)
    '69 Nova street rod
    '03 H-D Heritage Springer

  8. #8
    Goldmember ttweed's Avatar
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    Originally posted by GraybeardsGhost
    By limited tire size on 15"...is that brand that you're talking about, ie. Goodyear, Pirelli, etc. or is it a specific tire size, ie. low profile, width, etc.?
    It is getting difficult to find 15" diameter tires in very wide widths, such as were used on the 9 & 11" RSR wheels. See this post for an example.

    In R-compound DOT tires, the widest available for a Porsche fitment is a 245 from Hoosier (they make a 275/60 in bias ply and a 275/50-15 in radials, but they are very tall). No one else makes anything bigger than a 225 in 15s anymore, and you can't usually get away with driving around town on full race slicks for very long.

    TT
    Tom Tweed
    Early S Registry #257
    R Gruppe #232
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  9. #9
    Thanks for the clarification. I just checked what I had on the car...the fronts are BFG's 245/60R14, the rears are mixed.
    Remington XT-120 265/50R15 and Dunlop Qualifier 265/50R15. Is there anything out there currently that matches these sizes but in a lower profile?
    Dan S

    '68 911 w/RSR kit (my first)
    '69 Nova street rod
    '03 H-D Heritage Springer

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