wider wheels what to expect

[OldTee]

About to start the slippery slope in suspension upgrades. Due to a good deal on 9 inch wheels I am going to start there. Ie running 7's in the front and 9's in the rear with RA1s.

What kind of handling changes from stock can I expect on the 79SC?

My next plan was to upgrade torsion bars to 22/29 and get my fairly new bilstiens revalved to 'sport'.

Any comments?

Thanks

[JeremyD]

Good changes - but incremental.

[KTL]

You'll find that the car is a bit more composed at the limit. Rear should stay planted better in higher speed turns and you'll probably find the car has a hint of understeer at higher speeds.

I think 22/29 is not a bad choice for a SC. For a Carrera i'd recommend more if you were looking to improve the car's resistance to roll. I'd recommend that if you are having your shocks valved to match the torsion bars, don't ask for "sport" ask them to match the characteristics of your car- torsion bar/spring rate and car weight. Contact Jae Lee at Mirage Int'l and he'll get the shocks valved nicely for you.

For your SC i'd also recommend a stiffer rear sway bar. If you can score the sway bars from a 86-89 Carrera, you'll see an improvement there too.

Jeremy's right that the incremental changes are a good approach so you can tune the car or adjust yourself to each change. When you throw the whole kitchen sink at the car, it's a good bit of work to re-tune it and adjust to the new behavior of the car. Just make sure that each change you do is going to be part of the overall package you plan to complete. That is, don't change something that you'll end up replacing later Spending money on the same components more than once (been there, done that) makes you feel kinda silly......

[Hetmann]

The car will absolutely suck in the ice and snow.

[Jack Olsen]

You'll notice more road noise. But the change to RA1s is much bigger than to wider wheels.

Check your bushings when you do the shocks and torsion bars.

[sbrown.nw]

I noticed understeer (especially on 90 deg sharp turns - turning from one street to another) when I went from 16x6&7 to 17x7.5&9 rims and tires. Good thing I have oversized adjustable sway bars and loosening up the back and tighting up the front helped. I also have factory tbars with upgraded bushings.

Scott

[Bill Verburg]

wider wheels are a link in the performance chain, to get the full benefits you also need to do
tires, bushes, t's, sways, seats, harnesses etc.

the chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

that said, wheels and tires are a great place to start.

on an SC/Carrera I'd want in decreasing desireability 8 & 9.5, 8 & 9, 7 & 9, 7 & 8

[OldTee]

Thanks for the encouragement. For the record, I don't drive in ice and snow, however when I do, I put on snow tires.

[Alan Lindquist]

+1 on Jae Lee at Mirage. The man is a gentleman and a wizzard at set-up. He aligned my car for street and was meticulous. He sets up a lot of track cars and knows how Porsches perform on the road and the track. Good value. I can't determine what should be done better than a man who races and is trusted by other racers. Spend a few dollars with Jae. You won't regret it. You can spend a lot on parts, but unless there is harmony, you have not gained what you want.

[KNS]

You may also notice an increase in steering effort depending on how wide you go up front.