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03-21-2009, 05:04 PM
Curtis427 wrote:
As mentioned, I have this setup on my car, but it requires a lot of compromise.
I vowed to stop giving away secrets but I can't help myself sometimes. This isn't for the feint of heart, if you don't want to take a hammer to your pretty car then you haven't gone down the slippery slope enough yet, do more track days. CCW made my wheels and they knew the right offsets to do this. They have been very good to me, so I highly recommend them.
1. Splash shields have to go
2. Have to roll the fenders (this chips paint if you don't do it right)
3. Some of the studs that hold the splash shields have to go
4. 265 in front you need to put a 2x4 in front of the tire and turn the wheel bending everything out of the way.
5. The 265 will rub the front coolant hard lines at full lock. I have a Kalani trick custom part for this, patent pending.
6. 315 rear will rub the vertical seam on the top of the wheel well (smash that thing flat)
Probably more I'm forgetting. Hopefully I talked you out of that. It's just not worth it.
As Steve mentions, I think you'd be fine running 245's in front with a smaller wheel. 245/295 Hoosiers is probably the way to go. At the end of the year Hoosier sells unused Grand Am tires in these sizes so pick up a few sets. They are the same compound as regular Hoosier R compound tires -- even though they are not DOT legal and they are slicks, they are not sticky like race slicks. (confirmed with Hoosier)
I ordered new springs for my PSS9 -- it's "sort of" a street car still, but there is no rubber on the car. The springs will get it a little closer to race mode.
I think out of the box the front spring rate on the PSS9 (and stock susp) is way too soft and the front end washes out. Normally soft front springs would make the car oversteer but in the case of PSS9 it makes the 996 understeer because the contact patch is so screwed up.
As an aside, soapy box, this is a great example of how most people fix the wrong end of the car. I know guys that will have the PSS9 understeer and so they will put on a smaller rear tire! Stupid stuff. The problem is that people believe these somewhat false rules-of-thumb about suspensions which aren't always true, e.g. less tire pressure means oversteer/understeer. Stiffer springs cause over/understeer. If things are adjusted too far it can have the opposite reaction.
Your Avatar picture looks like the second to last right hander at Pocono North. Very easy to get that inside tire up in the air with either stock suspension or PSS9 because of the proportionally weak front springs. The rear sway bar could also be too weak or disconnected.
For a killer street setup I'd get rid of the rubber bushings, get spherical rear upper trailing arms, solid radius arm bushings, spherical rear toe arms, and run 245/295 Hoosiers. It's also MANDADORY with PSS9 and grippy rubber to have spherical camber plates because you will rip out the factory rubber bushing. Unless you're slow, then you won't. Probably looking at $3k or so worth of stuff without wheels.
I'd also suggest upping the front spring rate (no warranty here) to ~350 lbs, leaving the valving the way it is. Please confirm with Bilstein the strut can handle that -- they told me it could.
The springs on the 996 PSS9 are 70 mm ID which is unusual. Not many companies make these -- I bought them from King Motorsports -- the brand is Swift Springs and you can find their webpage and catalog from Google.
Anyway, more information probably than you wanted, feel free to PM and I'll give you my number if you want to talk more about it.
In the end you're always better off getting as much track time as possible rather than upgrading. If you're like me though -- I like to play with settings and tweak things and I get at least as much fun out of doing that as I do driving.
Quote:Can I get 9x18 on the front and 11x18 on the rear and what offset would I need.
As mentioned, I have this setup on my car, but it requires a lot of compromise.
I vowed to stop giving away secrets but I can't help myself sometimes. This isn't for the feint of heart, if you don't want to take a hammer to your pretty car then you haven't gone down the slippery slope enough yet, do more track days. CCW made my wheels and they knew the right offsets to do this. They have been very good to me, so I highly recommend them.
1. Splash shields have to go
2. Have to roll the fenders (this chips paint if you don't do it right)
3. Some of the studs that hold the splash shields have to go
4. 265 in front you need to put a 2x4 in front of the tire and turn the wheel bending everything out of the way.
5. The 265 will rub the front coolant hard lines at full lock. I have a Kalani trick custom part for this, patent pending.
6. 315 rear will rub the vertical seam on the top of the wheel well (smash that thing flat)
Probably more I'm forgetting. Hopefully I talked you out of that. It's just not worth it.
As Steve mentions, I think you'd be fine running 245's in front with a smaller wheel. 245/295 Hoosiers is probably the way to go. At the end of the year Hoosier sells unused Grand Am tires in these sizes so pick up a few sets. They are the same compound as regular Hoosier R compound tires -- even though they are not DOT legal and they are slicks, they are not sticky like race slicks. (confirmed with Hoosier)
I ordered new springs for my PSS9 -- it's "sort of" a street car still, but there is no rubber on the car. The springs will get it a little closer to race mode.
I think out of the box the front spring rate on the PSS9 (and stock susp) is way too soft and the front end washes out. Normally soft front springs would make the car oversteer but in the case of PSS9 it makes the 996 understeer because the contact patch is so screwed up.
As an aside, soapy box, this is a great example of how most people fix the wrong end of the car. I know guys that will have the PSS9 understeer and so they will put on a smaller rear tire! Stupid stuff. The problem is that people believe these somewhat false rules-of-thumb about suspensions which aren't always true, e.g. less tire pressure means oversteer/understeer. Stiffer springs cause over/understeer. If things are adjusted too far it can have the opposite reaction.
Your Avatar picture looks like the second to last right hander at Pocono North. Very easy to get that inside tire up in the air with either stock suspension or PSS9 because of the proportionally weak front springs. The rear sway bar could also be too weak or disconnected.
For a killer street setup I'd get rid of the rubber bushings, get spherical rear upper trailing arms, solid radius arm bushings, spherical rear toe arms, and run 245/295 Hoosiers. It's also MANDADORY with PSS9 and grippy rubber to have spherical camber plates because you will rip out the factory rubber bushing. Unless you're slow, then you won't. Probably looking at $3k or so worth of stuff without wheels.
I'd also suggest upping the front spring rate (no warranty here) to ~350 lbs, leaving the valving the way it is. Please confirm with Bilstein the strut can handle that -- they told me it could.
The springs on the 996 PSS9 are 70 mm ID which is unusual. Not many companies make these -- I bought them from King Motorsports -- the brand is Swift Springs and you can find their webpage and catalog from Google.
Anyway, more information probably than you wanted, feel free to PM and I'll give you my number if you want to talk more about it.
In the end you're always better off getting as much track time as possible rather than upgrading. If you're like me though -- I like to play with settings and tweak things and I get at least as much fun out of doing that as I do driving.