Softer ride?

[teleski42]

My '75 911 Targa Carrera came with Euro Fuchs with Pirelli 6000 225/50ZR 16 on the rear and 205/55ZR 16 on the front. Wheels are in excellent condition but the tires will need replacing soon. Car was lowered by the P.O. and has 3.2 brakes. While the car handles like a demon, the ride is very firm for daily driver street use car here in MA. with our lousy road surfaces. Would each replacement choice improve my street ride comfort pretty much equally? 1) high performance all weather tires of the same size 2) 15" wheels with tires that have a taller side wall 3) a tire with a taller side wall on the 16's Thanks, Jim

[rgrimm]

The tires may be hardening with age (or are stiff with the colder weather). That said, different brands may have different stiffnesses to the sidewall so you might be able to soften up the ride on the 16s by going to another brand. Sorry, I don't have a specific recommendation.

15s with a taller sidewall (would have to be taller to maintain the correct circumference) would be the best. A taller sidewall on the 16s would invite rubbing or at minimum throw off the speedometer with it's too-large circumference.

A taller or softer sidewall will make the handling less crisp, but that's the tradeoff for a less firm ride.

For tire circumference comparisons, I've always used:
Tire size calculator

[RWebb]

taller tires = softer ride = more squirm when cornering

[stlrj]

Try a set of Goodyear Eagle RS-A. I just put them on my car (225 60 16) and they have transformed my ride.

Cheers,

Joe
74 911

[darrin]

shocks and torsion bars sizes also contribute to a car's ride. Do you intend to drive the car on winter roads at all? If so, I highly recommend nokian wrg2 "all weather" tires. I'm running them as winter-only tires but have found them to ride and handle FAR better than I expected in dry weather and they have nice (420) treadwear ratings...

[tcar]

The 16" wheels were an option. 15" were standard (comfort package?), and there's a big difference. Most US cars came over w/ 16's though.

Peter Zimmerman, in his "Used Porsche 911" handbook extols the virtues of the 15" package.

You'll have a harder time finding 15" tires.

Not really a great idea, but 'H' rated tires are smoother riding than Z rated also - softer sidewalls (I wouldn't do this.)

[87coupe]

Also, don't discount the effect of old, binding suspension rubber/bushings.

[teleski42]

Thank you all for the reply. The 15" wheels seem to be the best solution for a comfortable ride. I will look for some refinished black spoked original Fuchs, repro Fuchs or ATS. As my euro Fuchs are in near perfect condition some one will likely buy them to offset my cost. The hunt begins.

[darrin]

Personally, I'd look into a few more things before replacing the 16" wheels. While no Cadillac, my car's ride with 16" wheels is quite pleasant on poor (and dirt) roads.

1) alignment -- you mention that the previous owner lowered your car. If it's too low and/or was not properly realigned, ride quality can be compromized. Are your tires wearing evenly (uneven tire wear is a sign of an off alignment), does your car track straight? Not sure whether a proper corner balance alignment would be thrown off if you switched to 15" wheels, but a good alignment is KEY to properly setting up a 911.

2) shocks -- what kind of shocks does your car have? Mine are the stock boge struts (green). I've heard that the konis (orange) can be rock hard, before switching wheels, it's likely a good idea to be sure that you're running appropriate shocks.

3) Tires -- is the ride issue a recent development? As referenced above, summer compound tires can get quite hard in cold weather.

Bottom line, I liked my 16" wheels so much that I bought a second set (for my winter tires)

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by 87coupe

Also, don't discount the effect of old, binding suspension rubber/bushings.

Absolutely - and if they have never been replaced they are in BAD shape now, no matter how many miles...

[teleski42]

Checked with Wheel Enhancement and they reinforced that the 15" tire selections are limited. Internet search confirms this; the selection of premium tires that will maintain the tire circumference without speedo error is limited. Pelican BBS search of 16" tire reviews is of course great but many differing opinions.

[Chuck Moreland]

Originally Posted by teleski42

Car was lowered by the P.O. and has 3.2 brakes. While the car handles like a demon, the ride is very firm for daily driver street use

What is the ride height?

[teleski42]

I will have to measure that. Car looks set up for max. handling and the P.O. had the following mods done meticulously at E.P.E. in Natick, MA.



930 Tie-Rod Kit
911 Bump-Steer Kit
Performance Torsion Bars (21mm fronts/28mm rears)
Rear Torsion Bar Plates
Front and Rear Sway Bar Bushings
Front Strut Ball Inserts

[Maxhouse97]

Lighter wheels and tires will also help your ride.

[teleski42]

Car was set to Euro ride height

[Joe Bob]

Higher side walls. Go with 55 series.....or 60s and 15 inch wheels.....find someone who has a set and test drive em.

[911st]

Me, I would stay with the 16's as there is a larger selection of tires but find a softer riding tire first.

One of our track mates put a track suspension in his SC. Later he bought a second set of touring tires for some 16's. They rode so well he said if he had knows this, he would have put an even stiffer suspension on his car. I think they might have been one of the Michelin tires.

Check out Tire Rack. They have ratings on most tires that include ride quality.