Best wheel/tire choice for 944S DE car?

[Gulf-Porsche21]

My fellow track rats,
So far I've completed 8 PCA DEs in my 944S and for the past 5 track events have driven on 7x15 phone dials with Toyo RA-1s, size 225/35/15. The tires and nice and sticky and are holding up well. Suspension is Koni coil-overs with 250 lb. springs and camber plates, 1.5 degrees of negative camber on the front wheels. I drive the 944S to and from the track. The car handles very well. I would like to have better grip on the turns, however. At my last track event I was following a 944 using 8x15 wheels with Toyo R888s size 245/45/15. He had better grip than I did, so maybe I need to make a change. I have been offered a set of 16 inch 944 Turbo S wheels and would like to know whether these would be a wise choice. If so, what tire dimensions should I choose? If not, what are my optimum choices for wheels and tires? My goal is to be faster on the turns and gain better exit speeds going into the straights.

Thanks,

Gulf-Porsche21

[rick13]

how much are they selling the turbo wheels for?

[kdjones2000]

If they are Turbo S wheels, then they are 7's and 9's made out of forged alloy. These are nice and light but strong. About the only drawback for you is the stagger, as your car will likely work better with a "square" configuration.

Spec944 racers are required to use the same tire size (225/15's I believe) to keep things level. If those are Club Sport wheels you should have no problem running 245/45/16's on all corners (That is how my Turbo S is set up right now).

R888's have a bit more grip than do RA-1's, but they wear faster or at least that is what I have heard. I would expect you would be a bit faster with the R888's, if tires are what are holding you back.

Keith

[Gulf-Porsche21]

The asking price on the 944 Turbo S wheels is $400. I would think having 7s on the front and 9s on the rear might upset the balance of the car. I have read that on the non-aspirated 944s it is wise for the rear tires to be no more than 1 inch wider than the fronts. Thanks for your imput!

Gulf-Porsche21

[rick13]

yeah, seems like a good debate. i'll take the wider tires and bigger brakes. maybe a little rear bias as well.

[Dimi 944]

I run 225/45/15 RA-1 on 15" Phonies all around but I will be going to 245/45/16 on all corners and I have 944 8v NA. You have a bit more power and possibly a shorter 5th gear which gives you an advantage to accommodate wider tires without loosing too much top speed. The Turbo S wheels are heavy for the NA cars IMO. I'd recommend 16x8 Fuchs or 3-piece 16" BBS wheels but they are more expensive and hard to find.

You can check this website for OEM wheel weights: OEM Porsche Wheels

Regarding the tires, R-888 are better than the RA-1 but when it comes down to best R-comp tire out there I'd vote for Hoosier. However, they are NOT recommended for road use.
I have a set of street summer tires that I drive to and from the track, and use them in the wet as well. And I carry a set of R-comps for the track only.

If you find and can spend the money on a set of 15x8 or 15x9 Fuchs, you can fit up to 275/35/15 Hoosiers on them and be hugging the corners like you are on rails

FYI, 944Cup cars run on 15x8 Fuchs with 225/50/15 Hoosiers.

Hope that helps! I am in the hunt for 16" light weight wheels myself

[guru944]

Gulf-Porsche 21

Go for it!
Got the same S wheels with Falken Tires and 28mm rear spacers, my car has plenty of grip.
"Like its in rails" Check my page for visual.

keep me posted, Later...

[racer]

um.. did we consider that the driver on 8's all around was maybe just a better drover to begin with

Honestly, you are only talking 20mm (245-225=20) which is less than 1" of width, assuming the tire was as flat as it could sit.

One challenge with running a 245 all around or a staggered 225 front/ 245 rear is finding brands that come in BOTH sizes. 16's are being phased out by many manufacturers.. just something to consider. and therefore you might consider sourcing some Boxster/996 17" wheels. They also sell in the $500-800 range.

[Gulf-Porsche21]

Hey Racer,
Yes, the guy who was in front of me is a much more experienced driver with 100 plus days of racing experience compared to my 20 track days. I was able to pass him Friday and Saturday, but by Sunday he knew the right lines and passed me. Good for him -- he deserved a point-by. That said, I could tell he had better grip with his wider R888s than I had with my RA-1s. Thanks for the advice!

Gulf-Porsche21

[The Glademister]

I ran the Hancook Ventus R2s a couple of years ago on 16" wheels with good results. The latest version of that tire RS-3 is available in 205x50 and 225x45 with the same OD front to back. And they're SCCA Street Tire compliant. The Tire Rack price on those is $430. I've got a nice set of 16" phone dials for sale for $450. That's wheels and tires for less than $1000 including shipping sweet!

[jamesjedi]

Some of the faster 944 cup cars are running 15's. Some are running 15x9 rears, or 15x8 on all corners. The car that won the Nationals 2 years ago had 15x8 and 15x9's on the rear. The rears were Hoosier DOT's that were 15x275x35.

Racing rules dictate allot when it comes to wheels/tires. But the above shows just how wide you can go with a 150 hp car.

[Rasta Monsta]

Just scored some Hankook RS3s for my 931, dirt cheap. Haven't tracked them yet, but I like the price and the reviews.