19" or 20" wheels - Harsh Ride Difference

[hemisfairarena]

I'm trying to decide on 19" or 20" ruger mesh wheels for my 06 997 c4. I am wondering about those who have ventured into the 20" range, if they have any comments on the difference in ride harshness- * is there much diffference ?- i realize 19" is more practical but the look of the 20's is awesome-

[GordieHM]

I would love to know myself.

[PTParks]

There was a post here in the past (do a search) from one of the representatives of one of the forum's wheel vendors that told about a Turbo owner that complained of a variety of issues with his car; ride, road noise, decreased performance, etc. Most of them were traced back to the 20" wheels. The decreased performance was attributed to the increased unsprung weight of the wheel and tire combination. They switched back to a set of aftermarket 19" wheels/tires and improved the performance (and the ride/noise) of the Turbo. I'm not against 20" wheels, but the car should be designed with wheels that size in mind.

[GOLENJEEPTJ]

Love my Modulare Forged 20"s.

[Aerodude]

I've heard the same about going from 18 to 19 on the 996 series. Looks better but ride is harsher. On the other hand, folks were initially concerned about the 991 having 20" wheels, but apparently it's fine. If it's anything but looks, it sounds like you're better off going with what was designed for your model.

[BOOSTTT]

Originally Posted by PTParks

There was a post here in the past (do a search) from one of the representatives of one of the forum's wheel vendors that told about a Turbo owner that complained of a variety of issues with his car; ride, road noise, decreased performance, etc. Most of them were traced back to the 20" wheels. The decreased performance was attributed to the increased unsprung weight of the wheel and tire combination. They switched back to a set of aftermarket 19" wheels/tires and improved the performance (and the ride/noise) of the Turbo. I'm not against 20" wheels, but the car should be designed with wheels that size in mind.

I have heard many strange things happen with the 20's and even the 19's with tires wider than the 305's. I have 305-30-19's and love the feel and look. Just have to keep the width at 305's from what I have read.

[BOOSTTT]

[K-E-V]

Do you have a 2WD or AWD? AWD is more finicky with tire widths due to the differential. The question that you should ask your self is how good are the roads where you live. Do you see a lot of pot holes and craters? If you see a lot of pot holes, even 19" can be dangerous due to the 30 profile tires in the back. 20" will be running a 25 profile which would be like a rubber band on the rim. Personally, I won't roll with a set of 20" rims since that'd be sacrificing too much ride comfort and performance.

Originally Posted by Aerodude

I've heard the same about going from 18 to 19 on the 996 series. Looks better but ride is harsher. On the other hand, folks were initially concerned about the 991 having 20" wheels, but apparently it's fine. If it's anything but looks, it sounds like you're better off going with what was designed for your model.

The 991s have the same profile wheels in the 20" options compared to the 19" option in the 997.

[ice350]

The ride difference between 19-20 is barely noticable. If it really means that much to you, get a softer tire as you increase size. Try the Bridgestone RE960 AS. It's one of the smoothest tires I've ever tried. The Hankook Evo V12 is also a nice riding tire. The secret is in the choice of tires.

[justatoy]

I ran 20's and from my experience......NO difference.In fact the stock 19's were only a smidge lighter than 20's.I am one who would definitely trade a pound or two for the look.Besides being a street vehicle,there are too many other variables to affect performance(dust,dirt and road quality) to make any difference.Again....this IS just my experience!


Cheers,

Stacy

[hemisfairarena]

Man, this is great to have such a good amount of feedback & i really appreciate everyone's input. Having said this there are obviously divergent opinions here..... My particular situation is that we do live in a rural area & roads are not always the best, obviously my dilemna is the awesome look of the 20" but w/ so little cushion i wonder if even the 19" are going to be an acceptable ride quality ?

[hemisfairarena]

I forgot to share some details-
the 19" tires would be the hankook v12- those would be 235 35 19 front, 305 30 19 rears

the 20" front tires would be conti extreme contact 235 30 20 front, 325 25 20 rears

both tires look like 280 treadwear which are midrange marshmallows


any more input would also be appreciated before i dive in & risk the ride quality

[BOOSTTT]

I'm using the EVO V-12's, but I really do like the Extreme contact dry pavement tires. I have those on my 300ZXTT and got a significant improvement in grip and ride comfort. Good choice. The size is not correct though. If you have the 4wd, then go with the 305's on back.

[hemisfairarena]

Wow - so the 325 is to wide for the c4 ? - i see the rim size is 19x11- but i thought there was some latitude for width- (tire rack doesnt have 305 in stock -)
please elaborate- thanks

[TJ Elliott]

All this talk about the negatives of 20" wheels and widths over 305 on the rear is nonsense. I run both 19" (235 front/305 rear) and 20" (245 front/325 rear) on a lowered 2007 C4S. I have run them on both street and track with no issues whatsoever. Regarding ride quality, the 20" are a firmer. I would describe the ride on the 20" to be in the same range as the 19" are when the car is in sport mode.

To the OP, ride quality and aesthetics are a personal thing. If you like the look of 20" rims with 325's on the rear go right ahead knowing there is no performance issue with doing such.