Wheels

Steel wheels were standard on 912s from 1965 to 1969. The came either painted or chromed. In 1997 forged Fuchs alloys were standard on the 911s and optional for the other models.

There have been a variety of Fuchs available over the years including 14, 15, and 16 inch diameters in several rim widths and offsets.

Offset is the distance from the flat part of the hub where the studs go through to the centerline of the wheel. A deep dish hub will have the centerline moved away from the center of the car when mounted. This makes it less likely to rub on the inner parts of the car such as inner parts of the fender well or the shocks. Wheel Enhancement describes 5x14, 6,7,8,9 x 15 and 6,7,8,9 x 16 Fuchs wheels ranging from the '67 911S to the '89 911 Speedster. However, they are silent on offsets.

offset

offset = backspacing - (overall_width)/2

Some wheels stamp the offset on them, for example, 23.3mm.

backspacing

Backspacing is the distance from rim edge to the flat surface where the wheel mounts on the hub. Lay a straight edge on the edge of the rim and measure from the straight edge to the flat surface.

overall_width

Overall width is the distance to the outside of the rim to the other. This is greater than the rim width by the thickness of the bead and can be found by putting a straight edge on both sides of the rim and measuring between them, say through the center hole. You could hold the two straight edges together with a bunge cord or rubber band.

+ rim width +

The rim width (6 inches on a 6X15 wheel) should never be used on any wheel measurement because the bead width is variable from wheel to wheel and can be from 1/2 to 1 inch. You can not measure this dimension with the tire on the rim, so don't use it. Some reported offsets are wrong because rim width was used in the calculation.

The size is stamped on the wheel, for example '6J15'.

Steel Wheels

The first wheels for 912s were steel with 4.5 in. rims, 15 in. diameter, both measured to the inner corners of the rim excluding the bead. Silver paint or optional chrome was available. These were the same rims used on the 356C, the first street Porsches with disk brakes fitted all around. These wheels were standard through 1967.

In 1968 the steel rims were widened to 5.5 in.

The proper way for a company to rechrome wheels is to cut them apart, chrome, then weld them back together. They can also weld in a ring at the same time, increasing the width.

	Painted steel wheels on a '67 912.
	More common are chromed wheels. These are on a Harry Serrano's very nice 1967 912. The hub caps have the same optional enameled crest on the hub caps that are on my car.
	Here are the more common unpainted crests on chrome wheels on Lisa Fitz' 1969 912. Enameled crests were not an option in 1969.

Fuchs

In the years from 65-68 there were two Fuchs options, 4.5x15 and 5.5x15. These are probably not suitable for tubeless tires.

A common size for early Fuchs suitable for 912 are 6 x 15. There have been at least 2 and maybe 3 different versions of this wheel. Here are some of the common smaller Fuchs. The wheels that are labeled as 6Jx15 (note the 'J' designation) have beads that are suitable for tubeless tires.

911.361.016.10	5.5x14	46mm offset
901.361.012.01	4.5x15	42mm
901.361.012.04	5.5x15	42mm
901.361.012.06	6x15	early deep dish. 36mm
911.361.020.10	6x15	late - 1972

	Fuchs on 1971 911T
	These Fuchs are on a 1968 soft window 912 targa.

Last modified: Sat, 11 Jan 2003

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