Wheel setup questions
 

Hi guys,

I just got a 97 boxster for my "toy car" hehe. Planning a lot of mods to it. Though I have a few questions I hope I could get answers.

1. What are the best wheel offsets for the Boxster non-s? Not too narrow. Wide looking but not too wide that will portrude out of the wheel well. Also planning on using lowering springs by h&r.

2. Will 20" wheels fit?

3. How about the width of the rear wheel? Will a 11J fit? (for 19's)


Hope to get your inputs guys.

Thanks!

Hate to say
 

but the '97 model was found by Porsche to not be strong enough to even take 18s. They had to beef up the whole rear structure of the body in order to offer optional 17s on the '98s and later models.

Rear body structural change for '98 included redesigned wheel wells and coil spring mounts, lower engine compartment bulkhead, rear wall crossmember and rear axle mount reinforcements.

Having said that, there are folks who have run 18s on street cars where they didn't put too much stress on them at the speeds they drove.

The latest rumor is that Lady Gaga has 47 inch wheels on her boxster.

Actually Porsche DID offer a 17" wheel option on the "97's". It is correct, however, P-car does NOT recommend fitting anything larger than 17" on that model year. I do know Randall and a few others have had no problems with 18's. It's kind of an "at your own risk" proposition. My Boxster had the 17" option and not much else. I have owned the car for five years and love it. After year one (which was expensive) it's been rock solid.

Like what problems should I expect if I fit in 19's? Will a strut bar and/or mid brace help?

I really like big wheels lol :D

How about my question # 1 and 3?

Anyone care to give input?

This topic has been commented upon ad infinitum. First of all, one would have to be a fool to want to put 20 inch wheels on a boxster. Secondly, unless you plan on modifying the rear fenders (and I am not referring to just rolling the fender lip), regardless of offset, there's no way an 11 inch wheel will fit on a 986 boxster. Instead, you should be looking for wheels that meet the following specs : Fronts - widths of either 8 to 8.5 inches with offsets ranging between +40 to +45 et . Rears - widths of either 9.5 or 10 inches with offsets ranging from +35 to +40 et depending upon your suspension set-up and how aggressive you want your fitment to be.

Addendum: If you subscribe to Porsche's recommendation not to exceed running 17 inch wheels on the "97 model , then any thought of changing your current set-up is extraneous .

The risks are somewhat difficult to define but you could possibly expect any of the following:

1. Poor/unknown/unpredictable handling due to unexpected/unpredictable flex in the body/suspension
2. Excessive/abnormal wear of suspension components
3. Excessive/abnormal tire wear
4. ... etc. You get the idea.

Strut bar and mid-brace might help ... or might make things worse. Unknown and impossible to predict with any certainty because "it all depends ..."

Of course, if you drive like my mom and never go over 45mph on a straight and never exceed 20mph in any corner, you'll probably be ok with almost anything.

But if you drive it like a Porsche, then all bets are off.