80's BBS Wheels, standard offset ?

[Jamie Summers]

I believe these were offered as a factory option at some point (maybe ???). Does anybody know if they have the same offset as standard Fuchs ie will 7" and 9" X 16" fit on my narrow bodied '89 without spacers. Currently running 7" and 8" X 16 Fuchs so not too worried re wing/ lip clearance on fronts assuming the offset is the same .........

Help please !

Thanks,

Jamie

 

[oliver]

I don't think the BBS wheels were ever offered by the factory. More likely to be an '80s aftermarket fitment.

IMO, the 3.2 Carrera looks so much nicer on the original 'classic' Fuch wheels. Going to 9s on the rears is also more than the normally aspirated 911 needs. You will increase the understeer. 3.2 drives best on 6s & 7s, but does look nice on 7s & 8s.

 

[Jamie Summers]

Oliver,
I agree with all you say, I'm just looking for a cheap alternative as a set of track wheels. Fuchs are just becoming prohibitively expensive and difficult to find.

Jamie

 

[Guest]

3.2 drives best on 6s & 7s, but does look nice on 7s & 8s.

I beg to differ. I have driven cars on 6/7 and on 7/8, and I know which I prefer. The car is just that much more 'solid' on 7/8.

 

[nigelp]

Jamie

If they are to be trackday wheels can I ask why 16s? The race boys seem to go for 15s as they make the car accelerate faster out of bends and that is what is needed on track, of course this reduces the top speed but you'll struggle to run out of speed on most UK circuits, unless you're superstar status! Which I'm not!!

Tyres are cheaper as well!

Nigel

 

[oliver]

It also lowers the car.

 

[Jamie Summers]

The reason for sticking with 16" is that my road wheels are 16" and in order to get the best out of 15" for track use it would require suspension adjustments. It's simply not economical to alter the set-up between track and road every time I do a trackday. I will go for a set-up that is a reasonable compromise between road and track and stick with it.

Anyway I did buy the wheels at the weekend and will be getting them fitted up with a new set of Colway Traxtar tyres and then I'm off to Spa next week - so I'll report back on how they perform.......

Jamie

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: nigelp

Jamie

If they are to be trackday wheels can I ask why 16s? The race boys seem to go for 15s as they make the car accelerate faster out of bends and that is what is needed on track, of course this reduces the top speed but you'll struggle to run out of speed on most UK circuits, unless you're superstar status! Which I'm not!!

Tyres are cheaper as well!

Nigel

My guess is that the simple answer is that he can get them at the right price. The only real 15 inch option is Fuchs and 7/8x15 are expensive and hard to come by. The selection of 15 inch tyres is also very slim. 16s give you a wider range of options (and 17s even more so).

I tried running 15s with 205/225 last year and was never overly impressed. A 205/50x15 is a small tyre compared to a 225/45x16. Put them side by side and the 205 is dwarfed. With our cars at road weight (ie 1250kg) I think the bigger tyres are nice to have - especially under braking. The point about gearing is true but it is not a big gain. A 245/45 stretched out on a 9x16 is not much taller than a 225/50 on an 8x15. My seat of the pants impression was that I really could not tell the difference. With others cars side by side in club racing I think it would be worthwhile but for track days, I'm not so sure that there is much point. My only real complaint with the 3.2 gearing for trackdays is the gap between second and third, but with a chip with a slightly higher rev limit this is not so bad.

I also agree with John, the 7/8 or 7/9 combo is a real improvement over 6/7. The wider front track gives a lot more front grip and makes turn in much sharper. My 1989 car came with 6/8 as standard which is a recipe for understeer - even with the 1mm bigger rear torsion bars compared with the early cars. While there are many other things you can do to alter the under/oversteer balance, changing to bigger front wheels is a step in the right direction. If you never venture on to a trackday then YMMV...

Richard