Wheel spacer question

Mike the mechanic · 01-29-2002, 07:09 PM

My friend has a 1980 SC turbo look. He has spacers on the car to compensate for the wide fenders along with 17" C-2 turbo wheels made to fit the Carrera and SC with no spacers, so the spacers he has are because of the turbo look. Now, he has sold his 17" wheels and wants to buy a set of 18" Ruf wheels from Rennlist. The wheels are made for a 1989 944, or 90-98 911. Obviously, he would need spacers to be able to mount the Ruf wheels. My questions are, how big a spacer is needed ontop of his existing spacer? Or, simply, what size of spacer is needed for late wheels to fit earlier cars?
Thanks

Mike
86 Carrera t

Kevin Stewart · 01-29-2002, 08:58 PM

Mike i wouldnt put a spacer on top of a spacer, i put late wheels on my car and this is what you do, jack the car up by the shock take the tire off, put the wheel tire combo in the fenderwhere you think it looks best, then measure from the rear mounting point of the wheel to the rotor stud surface, if your offsets are in the fifies witch they probably are if the wheels are for a late car my guess would be three inch in the rear, and two inch in the front thats what i had to use , make sure you buy a good spacer that is wheel and hub centric some companies dont make the wheel centric, (spacer should have small ring that fits in wheel) these are actually wheel adapters, spacers go over existing studs, Boothe makes a great spacer and someone else on the board also mentionanother any way the old guy at boothes is a porsche nut also you can find the number in excellence, Kevin

Mike the mechanic · 01-30-2002, 02:48 PM

Thanks for the advice Kevin, you are right about the spacers, I really meant adapters, the type with its own studs. If you used 2" and 3", that's what my friend should use, since it's the same situation;`late wheels on an early car. By the way, what year is your car?

Mike
86 Carrera t

Kevin Stewart · 01-30-2002, 05:46 PM

My car is a 82 targa with steel wide body, did you see a picture i think the wheel offsets are 55, Thanks, i like the kinda deep dish in rear but not th front, my car has very little dish in the wheel meaning the center of the wheel is real close to the out side edge of the wheel, Thanks, Kevin you should steel measure, i also have a set of 18x8.5 and 18x10 late offset chrome cup two wheels for sale

pbs911 · pbs911's Garage

I thought that Porsche sent out a tech bulletin saying that 18" wheels would not fit on pre 1996 cars (approximately 1996). Anyone here of this? Any one experience problems with 18" wheels on a pre-96 911? How does it ride?

Kevin Stewart · 01-30-2002, 07:28 PM

Basicaly you can put anysize wheel you want on if you got enough cash, the problem with 18 and earlier cars is they usualy will not fit in the wheel well because they are usualy 18x10 you can not put a 10 on the sc narrow car because of a bolt that is on the side of the trailing arm , the later carrera's like 89 believe have a different trailing arm set up and this bolt is not in the way, as far as the diameter is concerned i dont think there would be a problem as long as the width and the offset work under the car, please dont take my first comment the wrong way, its kinda like the old saying speed cost money how fast you wanna go, and the 18" ride a little rougher then the stock 16's, more then anything i worry about bending one in the great midwest chuck holes, i bent a wheel so bad one time on the sc that it actual bent the lip and twisted the center of the wheel, Kevin