jegallup

I'm considering replacing the 19" wheels on my 2007 with 18-inchers in hopes of getting a more comfortable ride. Would the ride improvement be worth the $3500-4500 expense?

And are the 19" Carrera "Classic" wheels marketable?

Edgy01

Do you really think you will get more comfort from 18s? Who told you that? Are you willing to forego much performance for comfort?

jegallup

My original test drive was in a car w/18s, and seemed smoother in retrospect. No one told me it would make much difference; that's why I'm asking here.

utkinpol

usual reason to go with 18" is a bit better handling and much bigger racing r-comp tires choice.
just for better ride comfort you can just mount RE11 tires on your 19" rims.
245/35r19 and 305/30r19. or look for another similar tires with softer side walls.

if you never track your car - look up for used take over sets like carrera classics in 18" 8"f/10"r - those are not popular as they are not wide enough for track use and they sell for about of $1K but they are more then OK for street and you will be able to put 235/275 RE11 rubber on them. should be fine for street driving.

Spiffyjiff

define "worth it". it all depends on your wallet pain threshold. my opinion? sure, 18's may offer slight comfort increase, but def not worth $4k if that's the only reason youre doing it. i suggest you blow the money on a softer suspension if that's your goal.

as far as marketable, anything can be sold at the right price. check ebay for what they SELL for (not what they LIST for...some of these people are delusional) and/or check with a reseller. wheelenhancement.com is a good source for that.

At Law

You will not notice a significant ride difference betwen 18's and 19's.

However, you will notice a significant appearance difference.
19's look significantly better on the 997.

stevepow

I test drove my car with 19s - a few times, then had 18's put on for delivery. I don't think the difference is very noticeable if at all.

The tires are cheaper though - probably makes more sense to get 18s for winter and keep your 19s for summer.

People who track a lot seem to prefer 18s - you can read up on many posts why that is.

No HTwo O

Check your tire pressures. Maybe you are overfilled. Maybe reduce 2-4 PSI. This will help a little.

Edgy01

Unless you're a professional race driver it is doubtful that you will be able to tell the difference.

utkinpol

not really but it is a good question, what rims are ideal.
those who do club racing prefer smaller diameter wheels as they are lighter and help acceleration. from strictly theoretical standpoint - GT3 and C2 cars share same body and mostly same suspension geometry. but C2 car comes with a 18" standard wheels, GT3 car comes with 19" standard wheels from factory. so, go figure.

it helps to have 18" as it allows to mount wider rubber with less chances to rub, plus, again, there are more choices. other than that - no real differences. a lot of folks race on stock gt3 19" wheels and do not care about changing to 18".

Nugget

The comfort improvement from 19" to 18" is minimal and almost completely a consequence of the larger tire sidewall. As utkinpol points out, you can achieve a similar effect simply choosing a 19" tire with a softer sidewall and get most of the effect without swapping wheels.

A lighter wheel/tire combination, on the other hand, will pay off with very noticeable comfort improvements and moving to a lightweight 18" wheel is an effective way to go about this. You don't have to be a "professional race driver" to notice wheels that weigh 5lbs less on each corner.

I swap my heavy, factory 19" wheels (with heavy RE11 tires) for light 18" wheels (and lighter tires) when I go to the track and the difference is profound.

Lighter is more comfortable and performs better than heavier. And moving to 18" wheels is an effective way to accomplish that. As long as your 18" wheels aren't sacrificing width (which many wheels will), it's a good move.

Mike in CA

+1

equiraptor

*nod* Lightweight 18" is better all around. Better ride, better performance, cheaper tires, more tire selection/options. However, lightness costs money, and depending on your tastes, can be quite expensive. Whether it's worth it or not will depend on which wheels you end up selecting, whether or not you're willing to buy used wheels, and the value you place on the improvements.

jegallup

Thanks to all who responded. Much to consider.

125shifter

Older, worn tires can feel harsh too.