ATM Posted December 18, 2023 Report Share Posted December 18, 2023 3 hours ago, ½cwt said: 986 17" rear tyre size is 255/40/17. I've never understood why the 986 would share tyre sizes with the 996. Every gen after this the rear engine variants have much wider rears than the mids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted December 18, 2023 Report Share Posted December 18, 2023 1 hour ago, ATM said: I've never understood why the 986 would share tyre sizes with the 996. Every gen after this the rear engine variants have much wider rears than the mids. Remember the S had the bigger brakes and no standard traction control. They had to put rubber on it that went with the 17" rims, so Carrera 2 wheels and tyres was probably an easy solution, just with different off-sets. Rear got narrower from the 987 onwards due to t/c being standard I suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdh Posted December 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2023 That makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATM Posted December 19, 2023 Report Share Posted December 19, 2023 14 hours ago, ½cwt said: Remember the S had the bigger brakes and no standard traction control. They had to put rubber on it that went with the 17" rims, so Carrera 2 wheels and tyres was probably an easy solution, just with different off-sets. Rear got narrower from the 987 onwards due to t/c being standard I suspect. Yeah my assumption is they already had 17 n rated from the 996 so just used those on the 986. It was all done on the the cheap. This was before the S was released so around 1996. Remember the 986 saved Porsche from bankruptcy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdh Posted December 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2023 (edited) Out in the car again today for another test. I'm no motoring journalist and don't know the jargon. The 18's follow the ridges and uneven bits in the road a bit more than the 17's. Called tramlining? The turn-in is a little sharper than the 17's. There's a bit more clanking from the rear but not much. Steering seems just as light, I really love the steering on the 986, I prefer it to the 987. 17's feel slightly more compliant but I would say it takes the 'edge' off the drive and you don't have to concentrate so much. I thought there would be a marked difference but not really. What I would say is that it could be down to the Michelin Pilot Sports being a really good tyre. They are really grippy in the wet. It's funny, I'm always trying to get my cars to ride a bit smoother or slightly quieter but when you do that to a 986 it turns into a labrador and not a eager little Terrier, which I think is what it's all about. Cracking cars, even with their quirks (which thanks to you guys we can sort out on here). Mine really does make me smile when I take it out, and I can't say that about all the flashier ones I've had in the past. Edited December 19, 2023 by kdh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATM Posted December 24, 2023 Report Share Posted December 24, 2023 On 12/19/2023 at 6:47 PM, kdh said: The 18's follow the ridges and uneven bits in the road a bit more than the 17's. Called tramlining? Has the car had a recent GEO? If the steering needs adjusting a lot then that can be a tell tale sign. I've bought a couple of P cars that felt twitchy at first but then after a GEO felt totally transformed. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdh Posted December 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2023 (edited) Good point, but it's perfect with the 17's so I put it down to the larger wheel size. But yes a geo may help. Edited December 24, 2023 by kdh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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