924S 16" tire options?

[The Glademister]

I've got a set of 16" phone dial wheels off my 944S that I'm thinking about putting on my 924S. Those wheels are 7" wide front and 8" wide rear. I believe that was a factory option for the 924S but if I follow the recommended tire size (205x55 front, 225x50 rear) it could get really close in the rear fender wells. There's no issues with off-set because both cars have the same. I should also mention that the 924S has been lowered in the rear using the eccentric bolts and 1 1/2" lowering springs in the front. It also has an autocross alinement with 1 degree negative camber rear and 3.5 front. I put the 16" wheels on the car to have a look but there were 205x55's on all 4 wheels so although the rear looked really close, I don't think that was exactly the fitment I'll see with the 225x50's. The tires on them were also street tires and I'm probably going to purchase Dunlap Direzza Sport Z1's so tire profile will be different. Does anybody have this type set-up with tires and suspension? I sure would like to confirm the rear tires are going to clear the fender wheels before I mount these tires. Thanks.

[JHinOH]

Here you go, this is my car with exactly the set up you are asking about, and about the same chassis set up (lower and camber) Tires are 225/50/16 all around on 7&8 phones. The rear will rub with weight in the back of the car, I have adj. koni's that I cranked stiff which helped on the bumps. Will it work, yes. will it rub, yes but not bad. If you want safe, go 7" rear or smaller tire. Hope that helps!

[The Glademister]

Good info, thanks Jon. I've got the adjustable Koni Sports too but the rear is set medium with the small sway bar. I think I'll need to change that to stiff anyway to help with body roll. Doing that and taking out the spare tire and tools at the track should help. Are those Dunlaps on your car?

[JHinOH]

Tires are Avon Tech M500s and I've only used them on the street. For the track I have 15x7's on all corners with R-888's. I also use a 19mm 3 way adj. bar on the rear at full stiff. The 16" tire/wheel combo at the track feels heavy and is not my preference, but if you are trying to get a combo to do both it will work. I've also since rolled (read beat the hell out of) the rear fenders and increased the camber to help with clearance. Again, the 225/50/16 series tire with 8" wheel will most likely rub unless you are willing to sacrifice tire wear for a lot of rear camber.

[The Glademister]

Copy that. I'm currently running Falken Azenis RT-615 205x50x15 and I've got plenty of clearance, good handling and the car sits about 5 1/4" high. Thanks for letting me know how yours feels with the 16" wheels. I had the same impression when I put those street tires on (the 16" PD wheels) and took it for a quick run down my road. Seems heavier, less responsive and more body roll. I don't see any real advantage performance wise in changing wheel size except for a larger contact patch. Of course that could be achieved by putting a wider 15" tire on but I'm not finding anything in 225x50x15 with a wear rating in the 140-200 range. Perhaps I've got the best possible wheel/tire combo for autocross already!

[ScoobySteve]

Originally Posted by The Glademister

I've got a set of 16" phone dial wheels off my 944S that I'm thinking about putting on my 924S. Those wheels are 7" wide front and 8" wide rear. I believe that was a factory option for the 924S but if I follow the recommended tire size (205x55 front, 225x50 rear) it could get really close in the rear fender wells. There's no issues with off-set because both cars have the same. I should also mention that the 924S has been lowered in the rear using the eccentric bolts and 1 1/2" lowering springs in the front. It also has an autocross alinement with 1 degree negative camber rear and 3.5 front. I put the 16" wheels on the car to have a look but there were 205x55's on all 4 wheels so although the rear looked really close, I don't think that was exactly the fitment I'll see with the 225x50's. The tires on them were also street tires and I'm probably going to purchase Dunlap Direzza Sport Z1's so tire profile will be different. Does anybody have this type set-up with tires and suspension? I sure would like to confirm the rear tires are going to clear the fender wheels before I mount these tires. Thanks.

I just have to say, I *love* the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs on my Subaru WRX (205/55R16) and plan on getting them for my 944 in the staggered (205/225) sizes shortly. If you are worried about rubbing, they may not be the best tire as the sidewall "shoulder" is fairly square.

[The Glademister]

Originally Posted by The Glademister

Of course that could be achieved by putting a wider 15" tire on but I'm not finding anything in 225x50x15 with a wear rating in the 140-200 range.

After a more extensive search I've found two tires that meet that specification...

Hankook Ventus R-S2

Pirelli PZero System

I would be interested to hear from members who've had either of those on a 924S.

[ScoobySteve]

Originally Posted by The Glademister

After a more extensive search I've found two tires that meet that specification...

Hankook Ventus R-S2

Pirelli PZero System

I would be interested to hear from members who've either 924S with those.

I had a set of the Hankooks on my Subaru before the Direzza Sport Z1s. The Hankooks are a great all around tire, for the money, but I don't think I'd buy them again.

The overall grip was good, they weren't particularly noisy, and the ride was comfortable (205/55R16). However, sidewalls have the stiffness of chow mein and steering response was pretty mediocre (for an "extreme performance" tire). It made the car a lot less fun to drive -- and that was on 16s. I can only imagine things are even worse on 15s.

[Verruckt]

I ran 205/55R16F and 225/45R16R on late model turbo wheels on my 924S for many years without any problems. Yes the speedo was slightly off, but it did help a little with acceleration.