Hi, I have a new to me (used) 2001 996 C4. The tires that it came with are:

front: 225/40R18 (Potenza s-04)
read: 265/35R18 (bridgestone)

Some questions for you experts (some might be potentially dumb! :-)):

1- are the sizes correct (recommended for this car)?

2- how do I know the correct tire pressure? do I go with the tire manufacturer recommendation or Porsche's recommendation? (Although I am pretty sure these aren't the tire size that Porsche puts stock on the 996 so their recommendation might not mean anything!)

3- is it OK to have different brands on the front and the rear?

Thanks!!!

 

All answers are in the manual...

sizes are correct for NB
Tire pressures on driver's door jamb
No! same brand and type on all four.

 

Thanks.
What is "NB"?

 

Narrow Body

 

OEM tire pressure is 36 F; 44R.

 

Slightly lower if you want to prolong your tires or have non stock suspension.

 

I like to use Cosco for tires ... and you can get a nice pair of BFGoodRich G force Comp for a fair price ... but def have the same brand all around

 

So the tire pressure that Porsche recommends does not depend on the size or type of tire that's on the car?

 

Also, my friend says that I must get Michelin Pilot Super Sports. He says they are the best tire around... anybody agree or disagree?

 

I used Michelins, Pirelli, and Continentals on my 2002 C4 and all were fine. They all were on the approved Porsche list and N rated. The car was an everyday driver and all the tires performed about the same to me. Only problem is you will learn rear 911 summer tires only get around 12k before they need to replaced. They wear like butter. Good luck and enjoy the car.

 

I running Goodyear F1's in 19". I've also done some testing on tire pressures. I fill to 40 in the rear and 35 fronts. Seems to give a better grip and less breaking loose on the rears. This may be in part due to the 275/35/19's in back?

 

Michelin are as good as tires get. If you're in Mass. and drive year-round I would suggest the Pilot® Sport A/S Plus. If you park it for the Winter use the PS2's. There are other great tires out there, but the Michelin PS2 tires are among the best. Use the same compound and tire around.

 

Actually, doesn't depend on NB or WB, but what your rims are. That said, if it has 265/35-18, then you don't have the optional CII 18", where the rears are 285/30, because you couldn't fit 265s on them if you wanted, so your tire sizes are correct. Agree, first question is year round or just fair weather? Plan to drive in snow? PS2s or Super Sports are fair weather only, above freezing, even if there isn't snow on roads. In fact the S-04s are also that way. If plenty of tread on the fronts, just get new S-04s for the rear, really great tire. Pilot Sport A/S+ are great all season tires unless you plan on driving through inches of snow, (have them on my Cooper Clubman S) then you need dedicated snow tires.

 

Another consideration is if your priority is ultimate grip or longevity. Non a/s tires in general have lower treadwear rating than a/s of equal brands.

 

Wow - I'd be pretty happy to get 12k out of a set of rears!!!