New to me 986 S.....
 

HI all.

Shopping for a Mustang gt, I impulse bought an 01 boxster s. It currently has Carreras 19's and rides like a truck. Will dropping to 18's make much different? 265 30/ 225 35 19's general max tires could be the problem too.

While it doesn't have v8 pull, so far all I can say is GIGGITY :)

17's will make the most difference.

I picked up a 2003 Boxster S in April that rides on the 18" light alloy Carrera wheel option. I expected the ride to be a little harsh, but I am very happy with the ride. Smooth enough that my wife can work on her laptop when necessary while on long trips. Yeah, I know, replace the side marker with clears.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1470088169.jpg

thanks guys

this is only a test

Whatever smaller wheel and tire combo you choose, know that the Boxster loves lighter wheels and will give you a lot more performance with less unsprung weight.

When I remove my aftermarket 18's (heavy) and put on my factory 17s for the track, the car has a lot more "giddy up and go". It's really noticeable.

Thanks Randall

I know it's a trade off between looks and performance. Not sure how heavy the Carrera wheels are...still searching

Wow somewhere between 22-24 for the front and 27-28 for the rear. No wonder it rides like a tank.

First of all welcome and it ain't real without pictures

Yes, get rid of the 19's
18's are find and if you are going to track or autocross the cars, look into getting a set of 17" wheels as well. You will eat tires, at least sticky ones and they are less $$ in 17" than 18". Also the potential performance increase due to the unsprung weight

I run Pilot Super Sports in 18" as my DD tires and Re-71's in 17" for play. Frankly I would have gone with Sumi HTR ZIII for my DD tires, but the Super Sports were free

Here are a couple of pics I took earlier to see if it was a stock ride height or not. measured 26 rear with new tires and 25.75 front with bald tires.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/rims1470184360.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1470184378.jpg

FYI I usually send a pic with my middle finger in it when I get called out :) since I'm new here, I held back :p

Love my 18" BBS wheels. 8 in front and 10 in back gives this car a great look.

Hey Welcome; Looking at your pics it appears your wheels have some mix of lug bolts. They do not appear correct to me. Might want to pull and have a look, Especially the ones that have the grade stamps on them.

thanks Monty
I assume you mean lug nuts since there is no way you can see the bolts/studs. They will all be changed when I buy new rims. It's on the hoist now getting an alignment and a quick look over before I order new rims.

On the Boxster they are 'lug bolts' not nuts and studs. Yours do look a little unusual, almost like machine or stove bolts.

Definitely get 18 inch and get some good tires!
I would only get Michelin or Continental, great performance, ride and quite.

I would never cheap out on the tires, I wouldn't cheap out on anything in a sports car.
Safety is important and no way would anyone gonna drive these cars like a Prius! :)

Well a short read you might be interested in then since you're buying new wheels. The ones you appear to have are probably Dorman from a parts house and do not have the conical ball. FYI Woody has used ones for ~2.50 each.

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/51168-aftermarket-lug-bolts.html

PS; Also since you appear to be unfamiliar with Euro cars, now may be a good time to practice changing a wheel. The side of the road in a business suit is usually not the time to learn how to start a lug bolt. Hint: there is a rod in the tool pouch that some find useful. Happy trails.

My car also has the General Ultramax whatever tires and also sounds like a truck.

It's more the tires to blame than the wheel size. Tire compound and tread design can give tires an inherent sound, and unusual wear patterns can give them an even louder sound.

Thanks guys
I am a noob to euro for sure.
I'm used to v8 muscle with one exception; my 1991 MR2.
I bought this as a daily driver mostly because my wife of 28 years is moving out.
Made her really happy when I pulled into the driveway. :)
It had almost everything I wanted. A rust free car with a clean interior, roof that came off. mid engine. and room for my clubs...they just fit.

I saved this car from it's past owner.
The guy who owned it blacked out all the lights and put a ghastly wing on the back. (
not that there is anything wrong with that :) )
I'm almost embarrassed to drive it the way it is. I
'm sure it felt like a big male dog, dressed up in a hideous outfit, out for a walk with it's master every time he took it out.

Here she sits, broken hearted, oh so fearful, she may get parted.
Her knew owner buys her bling, really soon he'll make her sing.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1470260681.jpg

I took your advice and took a look at the bolts/nut.
It turns out that the front one with the odd looking markings looks to be correct with the rounded ball etc.
the rear however came off as a lug nut...then the light came on.
The rear has at least a 30mm spacer in place to push out the 11 inch rim so it makes sense that it would have nut.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1470261878.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1470261898.jpg