Early model 944 wheel spacers

[Wallachie]

I have a square dash model 944 with cookie cutter wheels, the rears look totally lost in the rear arches so I am considering adding a set of wheel spacers in due course.

I have been reading a few internet posts on spacers but can't quite find any definitive answers, so I'm asking to see if any members here have added a set, and if so, what is the optimum width?

Thanks

 

[924Srr27l]

I have a square dash model 944 with cookie cutter wheels, the rears look totally lost in the rear arches so I am considering adding a set of wheel spacers in due course.
I have been reading a few internet posts on spacers but can't quite find any definitive answers, so I'm asking to see if any members here have added a set, and if so, what is the optimum width?
Thanks

Porsche were disappointing here as the early 944 kept the narrow body 924 suspension, but they fitted wider front wing arches & and rear body arches. Porsche had to fill the bigger gaps and their solution was to fit 911 wheels which were the incorrect offset.

They are 29mm more outboard than the 924S but they did the job and were enough to look good (at the time)
although this set up changes the front scrub angles which affect the handling / steering turn in.

Porsche did rectify the situation properly for the later cars, but if you want to go wider wheeled "for Looks" there are no set rules so you can do what you want if you're not fussed that the car will not drive as nice.

You'll have to buy Spacers that Bolt on to your existing 5 studs and they will have 5 more stubs spaced apart for the wheel to bolt to.


R

 

[944 man]

The cars aren't sensitive to offset at the rear, so you can use hub-centric spacers, but you should be aware that a wider rear track will promote understeer to some degree.

 

[924Srr27l]

The cars aren't sensitive to offset at the rear, so you can use hub-centric spacers, but you should be aware that a wider rear track will promote understeer to some degree.

Wider tracks transfer weight quicker, and slide more than narrower widths. So a wide rear track only will pivot the rear quicker than stock.
Hence why when people fit incorrect offset front wheels it's pushes (Understeers)...

The drift boys use this to good effect, wider rear rims / tyres and wider track to break the rear traction quicker, especially with a LSD.

R

 

[Wallachie]

The cars aren't sensitive to offset at the rear, so you can use hub-centric spacers, but you should be aware that a wider rear track will promote understeer to some degree.

Thanks. Yes I'll be adding hub centric, but are all 944 spacers going to be the same is basically what I am trying to find out?

Not too worried about any possible understeer, the car will never be driven that hard anyway as it'll only ever be on the road.

 

[924Srr27l]

The cars aren't sensitive to offset at the rear, so you can use hub-centric spacers, but you should be aware that a wider rear track will promote understeer to some degree.

Thanks. Yes I'll be adding hub centric, but are all 944 spacers going to be the same is basically what I am trying to find out?
Not too worried about any possible understeer, the car will never be driven that hard anyway as it'll only ever be on the road.

The Porsche wheel pattern is 5x130, the spacers you'll need will need to be specific to the 944,968,928 centre spigot and Wheel nut arrangement, and not the same as Boxsters , later 911's as they use Wheel Bolts not nuts.

Thickness and width is up to you to decide?

Do a search on ebay "porsche 944 wheel spacer" there will be a fair few different companies offering spacers in different thicknesses Make sure they are Hub centric (The centre fits over your existing Hub centre), and also has the same spigot on the outside to locate the wheel centrally otherwise you'll get vibrations..

I put Spacer (adapters) on an Early 944, with BMW 850 BBS splitrims (all for show) which worked out well but the car
didn't handle as well, but you often can't have both when you start modifying things from Porsche stock settings...

R

 

[944Turbo]

I have a square dash model 944 with cookie cutter wheels, the rears look totally lost in the rear arches so I am considering adding a set of wheel spacers in due course.

I have been reading a few internet posts on spacers but can't quite find any definitive answers, so I'm asking to see if any members here have added a set, and if so, what is the optimum width?

Thanks

How lost? not sure if they made cookie cutters for post 86 ABS but the offset would be very wrong and they would be lost!
Also I think there is a factory spacer - that I seem to recall (from about 15 years ago) someone had a 944 where they had been removed, If I am remembering correctly this also led to a substantial movement inboard of the wheel. Have you got a photo?

They do look a little inboard even if standard but are a nice light wheel. What size are your wheels and did the cookie cutters come in more that one size and with a wider rear? The turbo's have wider rears I think the 2.5 n/a didn't but Its a long time since I owned one! (just wondering if you have 2 sets of fronts!)

 

[944 man]

The cars aren't sensitive to offset at the rear, so you can use hub-centric spacers, but you should be aware that a wider rear track will promote understeer to some degree.

Wider tracks transfer weight quicker, and slide more than narrower widths. So a wide rear track only will pivot the rear quicker than stock.
Hence why when people fit incorrect offset front wheels it's pushes (Understeers)...

The drift boys use this to good effect, wider rear rims / tyres and wider track to break the rear traction quicker, especially with a LSD.

R

Thank you Roger. If I need your advice on painting wheels then I will ask - I certainly do not need you to explain chassis dynamics to me.

 

[944 man]

I have a square dash model 944 with cookie cutter wheels, the rears look totally lost in the rear arches so I am considering adding a set of wheel spacers in due course.

I have been reading a few internet posts on spacers but can't quite find any definitive answers, so I'm asking to see if any members here have added a set, and if so, what is the optimum width?

Thanks

How lost? not sure if they made cookie cutters for post 86 ABS but the offset would be very wrong and they would be lost!
Also I think there is a factory spacer - that I seem to recall (from about 15 years ago) someone had a 944 where they had been removed, If I am remembering correctly this also led to a substantial movement inboard of the wheel. Have you got a photo?

They do look a little inboard even if standard but are a nice light wheel. What size are your wheels and did the cookie cutters come in more that one size and with a wider rear? The turbo's have wider rears I think the 2.5 n/a didn't but Its a long time since I owned one! (just wondering if you have 2 sets of fronts!)

The spacer frequently sticks to the wheel and people don't realise that it is there, but when missing off the rear the studs wind through the wheel nut caps, so its hard to miss.

 

[Wallachie]

I have a square dash model 944 with cookie cutter wheels, the rears look totally lost in the rear arches so I am considering adding a set of wheel spacers in due course.

I have been reading a few internet posts on spacers but can't quite find any definitive answers, so I'm asking to see if any members here have added a set, and if so, what is the optimum width?

Thanks

How lost? not sure if they made cookie cutters for post 86 ABS but the offset would be very wrong and they would be lost!
Also I think there is a factory spacer - that I seem to recall (from about 15 years ago) someone had a 944 where they had been removed, If I am remembering correctly this also led to a substantial movement inboard of the wheel. Have you got a photo?

They do look a little inboard even if standard but are a nice light wheel. What size are your wheels and did the cookie cutters come in more that one size and with a wider rear? The turbo's have wider rears I think the 2.5 n/a didn't but Its a long time since I owned one! (just wondering if you have 2 sets of fronts!)

It's an '85 car, wheels are definitely the correct sizes, they just look a little lost. Probably doesn't help the look when parked next to the Turbo though!

Untitled by Graeme Wallace, on Flickr

Untitled by Graeme Wallace, on Flickr

 

[924Srr27l]

The cars aren't sensitive to offset at the rear, so you can use hub-centric spacers, but you should be aware that a wider rear track will promote understeer to some degree.

Wider tracks transfer weight quicker, and slide more than narrower widths. So a wide rear track only will pivot the rear quicker than stock.
Hence why when people fit incorrect offset front wheels it's pushes (Understeers)...
The drift boys use this to good effect, wider rear rims / tyres and wider track to break the rear traction quicker, especially with a LSD.
R

Thank you Roger. If I need your advice on painting wheels then I will ask - I certainly do not need you to explain chassis dynamics to me.

Paint wheels? this thread is about changing the rear wheels only? with an incorrect offset. You say it'll understeer (to some degree)
Please explain?


R

 

[924Srr27l]

Autocross Racing example: Widening the track at the rear will predominantly transfer load from the outside front tire to the inside front tire, thus most likely reducing understeer/increasing oversteer.

Widening the front track will predominantly increase the load on the inside rear tire, but the transfer will be relatively less effective then changing the rear track. I would expect this to reduce oversteer/increase understeer.

R

 

[Jenko944]

did you find a solution to this?

 

[Rapsey0909]

Hi all I understand this might be an old post but with the oval dash 85 86 model (23mm offset) did they also use spacers.
Can see porsche 21mm spacers on the net but not sure which models have them