Dirty Jacket

In the market for a 991 GTS. Love the look of centerlocks but they seem like a huge PITA to deal with. My wife and I had a spell of 4 nails in 4 different tires in a 6 week span (construction by kids school). But I always just drop into the tire shop by our house and with the tire insurance it’s never been more than a mild inconvenience.
should I hold out for a 5 lug, which are super uncommon and would limit my search further than it already is (blues/lava and NO Alcantara).

thanks

SilverSFR

Yes they are a pain. Yes you will be waiting for a long while for any blue or lava with lugs. But they have a cool factor and are what makes GT cars a step above the rest. Also most tire shops will not have the proper 4 foot long $2k torque bar to install and remove them with. Cheaper solutions are available 300-600$. 440 ftlb or 600 newton meters and wheels off the ground to torque to spec.

GTSence

If you are already questioning it, then I'd wait. My 997 GTS has CLs, and my 991.1 GTS has lugs. I rarely take the 997 more than a few hours from my house knowing that a tire problem likely means a flat bed tow.

Tier1Terrier

You may be holding out for a long time for a GTS with 5 lugs, no alcantara, blues or lava. I was in the market for quite a while and would have bought a vehicle with those same specs (plus a few other requirements) and NEVER saw one. But that was at a different time a few years ago. I don't like centerlocks or alcantara on seats so I can relate.

Dirty Jacket

If one of the 60 Club Coupe owners would list their cars now, I’d be set!

my absolutes are the blues/lava
id make an exception for alcantara if a Club Coupe were available, especially a manual
center locks I can live with, but may be a headache

cmorales954

Do you track? No? CLs are cool.

Do you track? Yes? CLs are the worst.

I swap my wheels/tire's 2-3x a month for track weekends and I absolutely hate CLs.

IXLR8

They might be, just that I could not turn down the GTS that the Centerlocks came with.

As for a flat, its not like a 5-lug or a CL comes with a spare tire or a jack. You either use a tire sealant on the spot or flat bed it.

mwswenson

Hi, I have center locks on my T-S; change wheels / tires 2X's per year going from summer to winter wheels & tires. Yes, they look cool; yes, PITA to change the FIRST TIME but not so bad once you have it down! And, you obviously need the right tools (torque multiplier, CL centering tool ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED if you have PCCB, torque wrench).

A suggestion: Purchase the car you really want and do the conversion from CL's to lugs. The CL's are easy to sell on eBay so some of the conversion cost is offset. I have bought and sold several sets of CL's as I migrated / updated model years.

Look at the following thread re: CL conversion.

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...onversion.html

Porsche_nuts

Many many threads on this.

Like anything else, once you know how to do it, it is not difficult. But like anything else you need the right tools.

c1pher

They are not as big of a pain as they see to be. The issue is having the right tools. There are a few solutions now that do not require a lot of leverage and making removal and proper torquing of the nut much easier. I think this is due to other manufacturers like BMW offering centerlocks so it’s become much more popular.

cbredesen

What others have said is all relevant but I can tell you that with CL wheels, you are severely limiting your shop options. Limping over to the local tire shop for a patch is basically not a thing with CL wheels unless you're lucky. Yes they can be changed by you but that's an entirely different proposition than a quick patch at a shop.

I think you'll be skeleton_waiting.png if you are looking for specific colors, GTS, 5-lug. Almost a unicorn. Go for an S, compromise on color or deal with the hassle. I love my GTS CL wheels but they are absolutely more work to take care of for a lot of us due to the limited number of places which can deal with them.

99-911

I'm in 5 lugs (plus NO alcantara) camp but with your must-have colors; I'd say if you get the right car jump on it & CLs can be sorted out later.
Also you might consider 50y anniversary cars (power kit + wide body) & highly optioned Carrera S (power kit + sport design package).

MingusDew

The people over in the 992 sub-forum get to talk about perfect spec, which contrasting thread to use, should they get the extended dash and door leather, etc., because they’re buying a new car. When you buy second hand, you could literally be waiting on people to die before your perfect spec comes on market. I guess you have to decide if you like waiting or driving more.

Foosh

When purchasing used, it's rare to find a configuration with everything you do or do not want. After a long search for a .1 TTS, I had to settle for a color I would not have ordered new, and CL wheels, which I do not care for at all. Compared to 5 lugs, they are a complete pain.

There are also things you wouldn't have ordered, but once you have them, you're pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't have ordered PCCBs, but now that I have them I'm extremely impressed with them.

TiptonInAustin

Is it hard to just buy a Lava Orange GTS with Alcantera delete (I got the only one I could find last month), and then convert it to 5 lug?