gabbar

Curious if I need to get the wheels aligned with every tire change. I haven't done that before with other vehicles but is is something special about 911s ? I need rears ( 10K miles on Carrera T ).

Also any shop to avoid ? Can I get the tire change from America's tires or any independent shop ? It is much cheaper than dealer.

thanks for your help.

wareaglescott

I dont personally. Take a look at the tires you are replacing and see if they have any uneven wear. If they look good your alignment is likely still good.
I wouldn't pay for the dealer to install my tires either. You need to be careful though because tire shops love to beat up wheels. I have a local place I trust and I take my wheels off myself and take them to them to mount and balance the new tires. More trouble but worth it to me.

gabbar

Does this wear look normal ? There's still tread remaining but the inside of the tire is really worn out.

gabbar

Thanks. I have almost never done my tire change at the dealer but this is my first 911

spiderv6

Tirerack is your cost benchmark. Many dealers will be very close to that if you push them.

Personally I let the dealer do mine. It ends up being about $50 a corner above the local discount guy but I pay that as my 'tax' to get it done right.

I think many dealers have actually become quite competitive. I recently did all 4 on my daily driver BMW and the dealer was a few bucks away from the discount guys. Throw in a loaner and the ease of just letting them do it is worth the tax for me.

whiteducktail

On alignments, i believe that when it is done, it is worth it to seek out the best alignment technician/shop possible. In my experience, the best alignment shop is Roger Kraus Racing in Castro Valley.

gabbar

thanks, will check if they can be close to tirerack prices.

gabbar

Just looked them up. Not far from where I live. Will try out.

CSK 911 C4S

In 5 years and 94,000 miles I've only had my wheels aligned once at 9500 miles at the dealer.

The tires were worn so poorly and noisy as heck and since the alignment tire wear has been even and tires quiet.

I live in TN where the roads are pretty good. If you live in a winter/salt climate with bunch of potholes you might want to check your alignment more often.

gabbar

Bay Area ( California) roads are not the best. I have had my wheel damaged a few years ago going over a pothole.

DBH

Rear tires, as a general rule, wear out twice as fast as the fronts. This is a performance car, so you'll notice the inside of the tire will wear quicker. All of this is normal. Unless there is some kind of irregular wear, like cupping, you do not need an alignment. Shops, particularly dealers will push for an alignment even if it's not needed as it's a real money maker for them.

bkrantz

Agreed. And best way to even out rear tire wear is plenty of high speed cornering!

chuckbdc

I have gotten more than15 k miles out of the rears on my 991.2 C2S with even wear across the tire (normal street use no track or autocross). I have heard a lot say they get 10k from rears.

It surely depends on how hard you push the rears. I have had 911s since 1974 and know how sensitive they are to use and style. But I would guess from the wear pattern you have you can do better with an alignment IF it is done right. You should discuss your uneven wear with the shop where you take it for an alignment.

PS- one thing to watch is tire pressures. If after an alignment the tires go up unevenly or unusually fast it is the sign of a likely screwed up alignment- camber or toe in- even if you cannot feel anything off. My dealer did one at an intermediate service and screwed it up. I got them to check it and show me the alignment report and they redid it to correct uneven alignment at the outer limits of what is specified, with no argument. Any competent race shop can set your alignment to suit your taste/need in handling and tire wear.

Sidvicious7

It appears you may have a bit too much negative camber on your rear tires. When you have new tires installed have the shop check the rear camber.

JW911

Find a shop that will check your alignment at no cost, and only charge you once they show you the report showing it is out of spec and you then approve the alignment to be completed. My Audi dealer operates this way. And surprisingly they don't have any qualms about showing me the specs are perfect and not charging me. There must be other shops that operate this way.