'67 912 - Wheel Sizes and Offsets?

[FIG]

Hi All,

So I've bought a 912 and am looking at wheels for it.

Can anyone tell me the stock sizes (diameter/width and offset) as it hasn't been shipped to me yet.

And can anyone tell me what is the max size (diameter/width and offset) I can put on it keeping in mind it is US spec and I'll be lowering it.

Thanks in advance Gurus

[Jaems]

The 912 came with 4.5" steel with 165/SR/15 tires. They later had 68-69 5.5/15" steel rims with 185/70/15 tires. The 911 Fuchs 4.5' Through the 6" by 15" will fit the 912s. There were also a 14" rim. Using a bigger rim than 6/15" is pushing it a little. Some have used 16 and 17" also 7" wide.

A 67 is a flat side Porsche with very little room for large tires and rims. Each early Porsche is unique in it was more or less hand built. I have a 66 that can only use 185/65/15 on 6" Fuchs rims, any bigger or wider tire and they rub. Some have gone up to 205/15 with spacer and rolling the inter lip of their fenders. I believe those were the 69 912s that have a little flair to their fenders. It will also depend on the brand of tires. Some have a more rounded side wall than others. Also the bigger the tire the more torque it takes to get them moving.

[FIG]

Thanks so much Jaems for all the info, I knew I could count on a fellow Pelican!

Very much appreciated! My hunt for wheels has just become a lot easier.

Cheers!

[azkid]

Where do you find new stock tires going with A pair of Federals I found here in the desert but still need two more

[Ivory 912]

hi

I'm new here, I have a 67 912 that I'm considering fitting wider rims to.

And now I'm digging up this topic haha

You say that anything wider than 185 65 15 on a 6" on your Porsche rubs. Is that front or rear ? I guess wider rims with stretched 165 or mildly stretched 175 shouldn't be a problem, even on rims up to 2 inches wider, since the sidewall will be rounded by the stretch ?

thanks for any input on this vintage thread

[Jaems]

The 185/65/15 fits great on my 66 with 6" Fuchs. Someone said that 195/60/15 works on his. The 5.5 and 6" rims will work with the wider tire. The most that the 4.5 steel rims would be 175/70/15.

The 185/70/15 in 67 worked on the 911S with Fuchs rims that were 4.5" However, that was a one year deal and they jumped to a 5.5" rim in 68. I think they that a wider rim was needed for that 185/70 tire.

These cars were hand built and the clearance is not the same from car to car. So a wider tire and height maybe fine for your car.

For 65-68 that will fit:

on a 4.5: rim
165/80/15
175/70/15

On a 5.5 or 6"
185/60/15
195/60/15
185/65/15
on some cars 185/70/15 without ribbing.

Don't recommend using 16" rim or 7" or 8" wide. without flares. Again each car can be different.

The tire will rib on the inside of the wheel well and inter edge of the fender. If they are not straight wall and have bulging sides they could and do rub on the struts. Some will roll the lip on the inside of the fenders front and back to give a little more room.

The negatives on a wider tire, other than a stock tire and height. The speedometer will be off and it will take more torque to start the car moving, this depending on the width and height of the tire, plus there is the possibility of the tire rubbing.

[Bob Harriman]

I have a 69 and run with 205/55/15 on 6" wheels without rubbing and I am lowered. That wheel gives me better pick up and go with the smaller diameter at 55 series. Z fifth gear runs 76mph @ 4k rpm. My speedo is off though. No spacer BTW

[Ivory 912]

Hi !

thanks for your quick input.

Based on your info, I guess it's safe to assume that what I plan for my car should be OK without major modifications :

175/60/15 tires on 6 and 6,5.

Maybe slight rolling, but that said, with the "narrow" 175 tires stretched on the wider rims, the sidewalls will probably be rounded enough, along with the smaller diameter, to clear everything ?

It is more for style than function, obviously, and I agree I don't want too many extra pounds of rubber on the moving parts... I do "lack" 2 cylinders, after all, in the engine department

Bob, yours is a 69 LWB with factory wider lip fenders, though, mine is the flat side SWB, not sure I could get that large on mine.

i'm taking the rims to be widened today, will keep you posted once I get them back on the car

thanks

[Etarga]

running 195/60/15 with 5.5 x 15 steel on my 68 swb and no rubbing front or rear. Not lowered, no rolled fenders. 69 had flares so you have a bit more room.

[Jaems]

Each car will be different. No two 912's are exactly the same. You need to try the tire you are looking for on all four corners, to be sure there will be no rubbing. One side may have more room than the other.

With a 185/65 tire I have a 10mm clearance on one side and a little less on the other side in the rear. The front is a little closer at full lock plus there is about a 5mm clearance from the struts. When I went to the 185/65 tires I had my speedometer recalibrated for that tire size. According to GPS the speedometer is right on. I am also at Euro height.

The original tire size and those that other members of this forum are using you can see the difference in height this will effect the speedometer. Even though the 185/70/15 is about the height as the stock tire the wideness is what is doing the rubbing.

165/80/15= 25.4 "
185/70/15= 25.1"
185/65/15= 24.5"
195/60/15= 24.2"
185/60/15= 23.8"
195/55/15= 23.5
175/60/15= 23.3

The 175/60/15 will have the most speedometer error and they need to stay on the 4.5" rim. The 5.5 might be OK, however, the tire height would be slightly shorter. If you are going to use a 5.5 or 6" wide rim then go with a 185 or 195 wide tire.

If you have a red, orange, or yellow 912. You will really want your speedometer to be accurate, or check you Tach with a GPS to know what the your speed is by Tach. With the smaller height of tire the Tach would be off for speed, like changing the ratio of the rear end.

[Ivory 912]

Yeah that all makes sense to me (Though not sure I got the joke about the red type colored 912s ) and speedo recalibration was given some thought

I have been thinking today however, and if I want to give a "stretched" look to the tires it looks like I need to keep the tires the stock size or even slightly narrower. stretching (not scandalously) would allow me to round off the edges for clearance.

Not a big fan of the fat balloon look of the OE tires or the later 185 fitment.

And it goes without saying that this car is never going to sit on carpet in the lounge or go to concourse events

[Ivory 912]

Other thing to take into account I guess is that the extra width on the rims that have been talked about is unlike mine, not all on the outside ?

[Jaems]

Sorry, Red, orange, yellow, bright color cars are more noticeable to police, and Porsches also. So if you put the two together, you are more likely to be stopped if speeding or giving the impression that you are.

The shorter tire will actually make your speedometer show faster than you are going. The gas mileage will look better than you are actually getting and so on.

The 165/80 looks a little too skinny for today's look. The 195 and 205 give that too wide hot rod/race car , that most Californians like, the wider the better look. The 185 with gives that just right not too with or too skinny look. However, to each his own.

[cmpski]

As they point out each car is a little different. When I bought my car it had 15x6 Fuchs and 205/60/15's.

The 4 1/2 inch wheel has a 42mm offset.
The 5 1/2 in Fuchs and I think the steels have a 42mm offset.
The 15's and 16's by 6 inch have a 36mm offset.
I had Fuchs 16x6 1/2 wheels with a 42mm offset made for the rear of my 67 912 as it has a little extra power.
I use 5mm spacers with those wheels. The fronts are 16x6's. 195/55/16 front and 205/55/16 rear.
Some say 16's don't look right. If they change the cosmetics to look more like 15's they are more acceptable I think.
Here is a picture of my car with 16's, 15 and 16 Fuchs side by side, and some info worth saving.
Chris

[wgwollet]

That is one nice blue 912....wow

Bill

[Ivory 912]

Got the rims back today.

Now a set of Lemmerz dated 03/14 in 6x15 and 6,5x15



They've been dropped off at the powdercoaters and I'll be fitting test tyres on them next week

[Etarga]

6.5 in the rear?? Good luck fitting those! They look very nice tho.

[Ivory 912]

This one has 7 rear 6 front (granted it's not a SWB, it has the extra wheel arch meat)



With 205 tires in the rear

I'm going to test fit a 165 R 15 I have left over (That I'll be using for the spare) on the 6,5 rim and see what happens (front and rear), although with all the info submitted here, I'm guessing 155 80 15 rear and 145 80 15 on front should fit thanks to the stretch incurred

this porsche 356 has a 5,5 rim with 165 R 15 tires and it's already nicely rounded so I'm guessing that pulling 155 on a 6,5 will clear the wheel arch nicely



The truck in the back of the photo of my rims is a VW sportruck with 8 inch rims. They clearly are outboard compared to the bodywork, but the tire fitted is stretched enough to clear the wheel arch

I'll see how it goes next week. And will keep the thread updated.

[envypete]

Where are you getting 6x15 7x15 steel wheels? Can't seem to find them and what is the cost? Thanks

[Jaems]

The rims were cut and then widen. Jeff Trask has had them done commercially.