Connor

I've researched all the forums and found it difficult to come up with a tried and true offset listing of what works and what doesn't on the 996 C4S/Turbo.

Maybe my search skillz need more help, but just thought I'd share what I learned. From my many years of buying aftermarket wheels, I'd say a good 90% of the wheels I see on cars are ill-fitting. Let me define that for me, a good fitting wheel meets the following conditions: 1) goes as wide as possible as the stock body allows; 2) does not rub at stock height or aggressively lowered on adjustable coilovers; and 3) accommodates readily available, common tire sizes.

So far with my C4S, I've run through three sets of wheels. First, the OZ Superleggera 3s. Second, Work Brombachers. Currently running OZ Superleggera 3s.

The fronts are pretty easy to figure out because you have more width options. You can run 8s or 8.5s all day. For all three setups, I'm running a 19x8.5 wheel with an offset at either +45 or +46 combined with both PS2s and Conti SportContact3s. PS2s, you should know, tend to have an pretty wide section width relative to its competitors so understand that you have a greater chance of rubbing than the narrower Continentals or Bridgestones. Check your manufacturer.

Now with the rears, I've always chosen the 12" width. Why? Steamrollers, baby! I also always picked the 315/25/19s because it won't mess up the awd system combined with the 235/35 tires up front. These tire sizes are very common for the 996 widebody crowd running aftermarket wheels.

Now when you read up on threads, people share the width of the wheel, maybe the tire sizes, certainly the diameter, but rarely offsets which is absolutely critical! You need to know all these things to make an informed wheel spec decision.

What's worked of me to date, if you're into running wide rears for that awesome bulldog stance look to further accentuate that wide butt, are 19x12s with the 315 tires, but make sure that the offset in the rear is no lower than +45 (e.g. +44). The lower the number, the further the rim will push to the outside.

I can attest on my own setup lowered aggressively on PSS9s that a +45 offset on 19x12 wheels work just fine combined with the extra balloony Michelin PS2 tires. My Work Brombachers had these specs and they worked beautifuly - pushed right to the edge, lowered, but 0 rubbage under full compression. It's a beautiful thing in motion, in person. My current OZ 3s feature a +46 so it's an even more conservative fitment (relatively speaking). Both have a 3.5" lip which look huge. My first OZ 3s were silver with a 3" lip. A 3.5" lip was not available at the time.

I'm assuming you're running stock brakes.

I'd like to thank Alan Baylis at Wheel Enhancement for the perfect Work wheels and Peter at Wheelexperts for his continued help with any and all questions I've thrown at him even if I've never bought a thing from him. Most of all a huge thanks to Damon @ Tirerack for his tireless customer service. Tirerack did a great job of measuring out the 996 widebody fenders to ensure maximum deep dish visual delight without sacrificing virgin fenders.

These guys know their wheels/tires!

i run similar offset setup with bvillen wheels i get this strange creak at low turning speeds though. drives me nuts.

if it's not one thing it's another. should have taken my cousin's offer to tune it...

When I maneuver at slow speeds (e.g. parking lot) and when the car has been driven around for a bit (warmed up), my car makes a creaking noise like a rubber on rubber type.

I had the shop check it out and they tell me there's just not enough room down there so my control arm is rubbing against something like a sway bar (I forget exactly what he said to me). He told me the only way to really begin to make the noise go away is to raise the car to give things more room to move below. I actually have aftermarket drop links so there's clearance there.

Any of you guys on PSS9s *lowered like mine* dealing with the same noise issue? My indy said it's OK to drive it the way it is, but next time around, consider raising the car and to start fresh, get new control arms in there.

Thanks for your time and attn.

I had that problem. Then my wheel fell off.