Wheel Size Confusion
 

Hi
I am looking to buy a set of used wheels to install winter tires on my Porsche Boxster S 2001 model.

Currently, the car has 215/45ZR17 All Season Tires all around, so I am assuming the front and rear wheels are identical size of 7.5Jx17 ET50.

Now, the wheels being sold are "17x9 for the rear and 17x7 for the front".

Is that a good thing to have different size rear and front wheels for snow/winter tires ? Or does it make sense to do this for summer tires ?

Please advise.

Thanks.
VK

The stock sizes for Boxster 17 inch wheels and tires were 7 inch width, ET 55 offset front and 8.5 inch width, ET 50 rear. The OEM tire sizes were 205/50 x17 front and 255/40 x 17. The stock 18 inch wheels and tires were 7.5 inch width, ET 50 offset front and 9.0 inch width, ET 52 offset rear. The OEM tire sizes were 225/40 x18 front and 265/35 x 18. Your all season setup sounds like it would be better used for the winter tires. The staggered 7/9 17 inch setup you're looking at sounds like they are from a 996. If the offsets are the same as the stock 17 fronts and 18 rears they will work, and they may still work if the offsets are close but need some spacers. If the wheels you're looking at buying are OEM, the widths and offsets should be cast into the rims on either side of the valve stem holes.

Thank you ! that makes sense. The wheels are OEM but you are right they may be for a 996 rather than a 986. I will look into spacers.

I think that stock setup is always staggered with bigger in the back. My 2000 base is 17x7 up front and 17*9 in the back. I have seen some guys run 17x9 up front to correct understeer, but I don't think I've seen anyone run 17x7 with 215s in the rear though. Out of curiosity, what style wheels do you have now?

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More info available
 

Got more information on the wheels

they are 17" x 7" ET50 for front and 17" x 9" ET55 for the rear.

I currently have on my car 17"x7" ET55 for front and 17" x 8.5" ET50 for rear.

So these wheels will not work it looks like.

Edit: I have the forked spoke factory alloy wheels

You can use this handy dandy offset calculator to see how the difference works out.

https://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator