manuals and wheels

[ray50]

Well it is time to get serious om the 944s project -Garage finally done so i can work in it - Need to know a source for factory manual or any thing on disc - Also looking to see which is better 15 or 16 inch wheels and appropriate tire sizes people are running - Need source for wheels as i am finding very little in the after market world - The eldrer Blethen

[JLawton]

944 Ecology. I used to get a lot of stuff from him (I assume he's still in business even though I've been out of the 944 for a few years) I was able to get a used factory manual at a fraction of the price and some good (but ugly) factory wheels from him as well. Uf course, this was all before eBay........

[Fastfred92]

Ray
Look on ebay for 16x7 "fuchs" forged alloy wheels. They came on several 944's most often the front of a 944 turbo. These are the lighest and strongest wheels readily available. Their polished outer lip finish was eaisly damaged by wheel cleaners so you can often get a pretty good deal on them. Aftermarket is pretty much a dead end for 15" or 16" unless you commission BBS to build you up some 3 pc race wheels, very light and about $800 per. I also had factory manuals a few years back and sold them on eBay, they are a multi book set and can be had for $200 or so. I would go with CD if such a thing exist.

[JimLill]

5X130 is pretty limited.... mostly Porsche. M-B G-wagon and Sprinter use that PCD too

[latebrake]

go on the 944 cup site with nasa. lots of wheels and odds and ends there.

Lawrence

[944-spec#94]

15x7 Fuchs wheels are the best OEM wheel.

Light & strong being forged aluminum. I know a few racers here in Az with sets of these that they are looking to sell. Our spec rules do not allow that wheel since it is a little better than the OEM cookie cutters that we run. That is why they are selling. Some of these guys have 15x8's too so you would need to ask for just th 7's.


why 15" not 16" Well with 7" wide wheel you are limited to about 225 width tires. So you wont get a wider tire in 16" wheel. Side walls on 225/45 R15 are pretty short so no much to gain with a larger wheel.

Then also figure the smaller wheel is lighter and so is the tire. Also you get effectivly a shorted FD with a smaller overall tire diameter.

I see you have a 87 944S. This car normally useds 52.3 mm offset wheels. The Fuchs only came in 23.3 mm offset. So some folks say they would not fit on your car, but I think they should fit with 225/45 tires. You will have a track greater than stock and will need to watch how close the tire is to the fenders. Not sure on IT track width or fender rolling rules.

[tomas132]

I have used the 23.3 offset fuchs on my 87 944S with no problems As far as other wheels, I also use the 16X7 40mm offset that came on some of the boxters. You can sometimes find the boxter wheels on ebay for a good price.

Tom Wilson
#53 944S

[wpspeedracer]

I take 928 flats which are 52.3mm offsets and have a machine shop cut the 'holes' out to match the 951 turbo wheels. You also get a factory forged alloy wheel that is really strong - I have yet to bend one after 4 years, and they are not super heavy. You can get 928 flats for about $50 a piece. I run 16 x 7's with 225's on the front and 245's on the rear. Here is a before and after picture(s).
mark

[gsbaker]

Are you rolling again Mark? Last time I saw photos of your car it was not looking pretty.

[944-spec#94]

I run 16 x 7's with 225's on the front and 245's on the rear. Here is a before and after picture(s).
mark
[/b]

You can get 245's on a 7" wide wheel? Most of the time you use those on 8" wide wheels.

If you can get 245's on a 7 then used 245 all around. Gives the the car a much better balance. 225's and 245's will give the car understeer from the start.

Even so I had friend with a 924S. He ran 15x7's with 225/50's and then 16x7's with 225/50's. Same tires and back to back sessions ran 2 seconds slower on the 16" wheels. I never saw him use 16's ever again.

[Fastfred92]

You can get 245's on a 7" wide wheel? Most of the time you use those on 8" wide wheels.
[/b]

Many of the ITS BMW 325's around here use ( used ) 245's......... That IMHO is the reason to run 16" wheels and they will fit, no problem. I would run 245's all around.

[924Guy]

I can fit 225/45's on 15x6's, you should be able to get 245's on 15x7's if you're trying...

[ray50]

Sounds like every one recomends 15 inch wheels - Does any one know what chris or kip are runnig - 15 inch would be a lot less expensive and the car has a set of phone dials (15) on it now - Mostlyi am trying to build it right the first time - Thanks for the help -Can not wait to get back on track

[anthony1k]

I run 245s on 16X8 phone dials and I'm pretty happy. 245 is as wide you can fit in the 8 inch wheels. I doubt that 245s will fit correctly in the 7 inch ones but I might be wrong. If you're budget minded, phone dials are an excellent choice. They are strong, plentiful and cheap. In case you're not aware, a great source for Porsche information and parts is Rennlist (http://www.rennlist.com). I bet that if you place a posting in the 944 forum that you're looking for phone dials you'll get several responses.