8Jx18 front wheels on a pre-facelift 996 that 'should' use 7.5

[declandio]

Hi all

 

Please excuse the newbie question :)

 

I just bout a pre-facelift 996 that is fitted with standard 17" 'technology' rims.

 

I'm looking at upsizing to 18", mostly because 18" tyres seem to be a lot cheaper these days than their 17" equivalents (at least, in the UK they are).  EG, a Michelin PS2 'N' in 205/50/17 costs almost £180 whereas the same tyre in 225/40/18 is £110.  That's a huge difference!

 

I'm hunting around for some decent 18" rims and found a nice set of original 5-spokes (pic attached) for a good price, but the fronts are 8J.  In the manual, it says 8J is for MY02 and up and for my model, the 'correct' size is 7.5J.

 

I've also uploaded a pic of my vehicle, 'as is', for good measure :)

 

Can I fit these on my car and would there be any detrimental consequences?

 

Many thanks!

[Hilux2400]

It's best to stick to the manufacturer's options size as otherwise it could be seen as a modification.  It's not just the rim diameter it's also the offset that needs to be right. The wrong offset alters the track width and hence the road holding characteristics, not that it would be that significant at normal road speeds in the UK. The offset is also stated in the handbook.

 

If you want some 7.5j fronts and 10j rears which are genuine Porsche Turbo type then email me as I have a set available in pretty good condition.  They came off my 2003 C2 996 which had the wrong wheels when I bought it.  I attach a picture of the car with these turbo wheels.  I have since fitted the correct size 8/10 X18's wheels which should have been on the car at the time of manufacture.

 

H

 

 

[declandio]

Thanks for your response...

 

The offset on the ones in the photo above - Front 8jx18 et50

 

Only difference seems to be 0.5" wider...  the manual says 7.5J 18 RO 50 for 'up to model year 2001' (mine is '99) and 8J 18 RO 50/52 for model year as of 2002...  tyre size for both is the same- 225/40/ZR18 

Edited November 2, 2014 by declandio

[Loren]

8" fronts are fine - I have them on my MY99 - stay with the same offset and you can go to a 235 front without rubbing.

[declandio]

8" fronts are fine - I have them on my MY99 - stay with the same offset and you can go to a 235 front without rubbing.

Thanks for that Loren, much appreciated and quite timely since I read your response whilst on my way to take a look at the wheels... and ended up buying them for £360!  Not a bad deal at all considering the rears have plenty of wear left on the tyres so I won't need to replace them for quite a while!  

 

Front 8jx18 et50

Rear 10jx18 et65

 

So I'm good to go, thanks again...

[Hilux2400]

That's a good price with the tyres as well - a bargain I'd say.

 

H