Palting

I just ordered a second set of wheels. This will be a track car, so I expect frequent tire service, dismounting worn tires and mounting fresh ones. My Porsche dealer is a good hour and half away. I will transport the wheels off the car with my truck, so I can bring them anywhere.

So, a simple question from a CL wheel noob to fellow track rats. Do you trust the mounting/dismounting tires from the CL wheels to any reputable tire shop, or MUST this be done at the Porsche dealer? My concern is marring or disfiguring that central lock face of the wheel. It's the only thing that holds the darn wheel to the car.

Thanks in advance!

Todd B

Mounting/unmounting tires can be done by anyone. I have a tire changer and balancer. Dealing with center lock rims is nothing special with tire changes, the real procedure is removal/installing the wheel on the car.

ipse dixit

A reputable tuner or aftermarket shop is fine.

astolfor

Man! If you are going to do it often enough buy yourself a torque wrench and a jack, put them in your truck and do the changes yourself. Can you imagine what the pain and battle would be if they screwed things up! The other day I was at a Turn2 event at the Ridge in Shelton WA, and I saw a "specialized" Porsche shop with their trailer supporting the event with free small mechanical thigs, loosening the CLs with the wheels on the ground bearing the entire car weight. This is a huge NO with CL. You might get away one time, but those threads (unlike the lug nuts) are not meant to bear any weight.
I will do it myself.

misterwaterfall

He's talking about mounting the tires to the wheels, he references taking them off/putting them on himself...

And I would trust the Dundon crew to do it the right way

Palting

Astolfor, I will taking the wheels off the car myself, the wheels and tires will be in the back of my truck to and from the shop. I expect be changing wheels at the track, so I actually have 2 racing jacks and that gigantic torque wrench .

Thanks for the replies all. There is an aftermarket wheel/tire and bling shop near me. Looks like they're going to have a regular costumer.

astolfor

BTW I deliberately left their name out, as I do not like to bad mouth.

I do not need to trust. I saw it with my own eyes, a red GT3 flat in the ground, owner holding the steering wheel, while the CLs were loosen, no jack on sight as they were changing wheels on another car. The owner even move the steering wheel when getting out of the car, with loosen CLs, it hurt to watch.

I would get the tires mounted on the wheels at a reputable shop or dealer, and mount and unmount the wheels myself at the track.

Mike in CA

You don't need to take your wheels to a Porsche dealer, but I do think you should be selective. There are plenty of "reputable" shops that might be fine for most work, and that I would trust with my truck or trailer, but not with the GT3's wheels and tires. Do a little research on shops in your area and be sure that, at minimum, they have the right equipment and experience to do the job. For example, my installer uses top of the line Hunter equipment that never touches the wheel when removing a tire. I once went to a local shop with a good reputation to change out a tire on my Cayenne and they managed to punch a hole in the sidewall. Lots of shops sell aftermarket wheels and tires, but that's no guarantee that they do first class work which is what you want when you're dealing with wheels as expensive to replace as the GT3's.

TRAKCAR

SmokinGTS

Tomorrow morning I will transport my wheels to a tire shop and they will mount and balance new cup 2 (N1)'s. I prefer to clean my wheels and remove the wheel weights before taking them to be mounted. I tell the guys to balance them to zero tolerance.

Mike in CA

Glad you've been lucky so far. I prefer not to take chances with ****hole shops precisely because I don't want scratched wheels, damaged TPMS, or worse.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokinGTS

…. I prefer to clean my wheels and remove the wheel weights before taking them to be mounted. I tell the guys to balance them to zero tolerance.

I do the same. My installer is an independent who works out of his own small, fastidious shop and prefers not to deal with filthy wheels, which suits me fine!

TRAKCAR

Palting

LOL. That relieves any trepidation I have.

Mike in CA

I hear you...

Palting

I thought I'd give an update.

So, I ordered a full set of OEM wheels in Satin Platinum, along with TPMS sensors, valve stems, and a new set of MPSC2's. Loaded everything up on my truck, took them to a neighborhood wheel and tire bling shop. They took one look at the 12" wide rear wheels and the 30 profile tires, and they got intimidated and waved a white flag. Closest Porsche dealer is an hour and a half away. So, I drove over to the neighborhood Chevy dealer that services my truck. They had to get the service manager to come out and look first. They told me the can do it with their ""Vette specialist", and that it would be $110 per wheel. This car will nickel and dime me, only it's not nickels and dimes! LOL!!