Hey tj, the fact that you track & street the 4s has some credibility to me- but are your rear rims 20x11 ? If so, will this be wide enough to accomodate the 325 width ? Just help me understand- thanks

 

My 20" TechArts are 8.5" (245) front and 12" (325) rear and I run Pirelli P-Zero Nero tires. These are my street rims now but I did run them on the track for 2 DE seasons with no issues. There's not a lot of tire selection for 20" rims. However, I'm hoping that will change now that the 991 comes with 20".

My track rims are 19" OZ Ultraleggeras with 8.5" (235) front and 11" (305) rear. This past year I ran Michelin Pilot Sports Cups but I'm switching over to the Pirelli Trofeo for this coming DE season.

FWIW, I feel that tire selection (i.e. sidewall stiffness/tread noise) and tire pressure have just as much impact on the ride quality as does moving from a 19" to 20" rim.

 

Thanks for everyone's help, special thanks to tj- i feel i have the knowlege to make a quality decision !

 

The reason 20" are fine in the 991 is because PAG fits them with tires with a larger diameter than in the 997, preserving the 997 tire profile. Also, PAG rims are light.

When a 20" is fitted on a 997 the rubber diam is the same and therefore its profile is smaller. Also, after market 20" tend to be heavier.

I think 20" makes no sense on a 997 and should deteriorate performance.

 

Porsche engineers designed the 997 for 18" wheels. Marketing felt the 19's would sell better and so the engineers where out voted. Let us all know how the 20" work out for you.

 

I'm running the exact same Rims/Tires, ride is very comfortable and Michigan roads are among the worst in the nation.

It's all a matter of personal preference, you can flame the OP for wanting 20's, it's his car and can realistically drive it into wet cement if he wanted to

 

Your tire selection will highly influence ride quality! If the main usage of these wheels will be for the road, 20s are acceptable.

Let us know if we can be of any help for the Rugers.

 

I'm perfectly happy with my 20's. I think the H&R springs had more of an impact on the ride than the wheels. But with my Hankook V12's I actually have LESS road noise than I did with the stock Bridgestones!

 

How wide are you running on the rear? For 325 you're limited to Pirelli PZero Nero or Michelin Pilot's.

I've seen Continental 325 come up for cheap, however I cannot find 245/30/20 or 235/30/20 for fronts.

I'm curious if anyone is running the Continental's?

 

I've never noticed a difference when I upgraded. Buy good tires.

 

Surprisingly enough, I am running STOCK tire widths on my 20s. Even on the rear, I am running 305/25/20 on 20x11 wheels. The tires still look wide as heck, but I really think that it's hard to tell, even from the back of the car. I decided that I didn't really need a wider tire - and those 325s are pretty pricey, and as you've noticed, selection is limited across manufacturers.

What really seems to matter more is offset - if properly spec'd, it can really enhance things.

 

I thank everyone for weighing in, i spoke with matt at champion after seeing the above posts- i'm resolved to avoid the potential for controversy & stick with the 19 " ruger mesh hyper silver for now- matt gave me a smokin deal (approx $ 200 less than the other company i was going to order from) i may still venture into the 20" realm but not until i move up 1 inch for the time being.

 

I have 20 x 12's, So it was recommended to go with the 325. Although you are right the Hankook's run 280/tire, versus 450 per Pirelli or 550 per Michelin. Continental is at 290 but I can't find fronts otherwise I would buy those.

 

I just got the Rugers from Matt also... smoking deal FOR SURE! I also requested a custom power coat color... can't wait!

 

Like to add the fact the a shorter sidewall - as in the case of the 20 inch rims - will increase the possibility of damaging the rims. There is just not as much "give" in the sidewalls.