What are the benefits of centerlock style wheels? Are they lighter, stronger, or is it simply 1 bolt is faster to change than 5?

I think they're also illegal in US for street. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

They are not illegal. Both, the Ferrari F40 and F50 have centerlocks and they are perfectly street legal. Just a lot quicker to change wheels during a pit stop.

Sorry all, I stand corrected. Were they ever illeal??
<img src="graemlins/oops.gif" border="0" alt="[oops]" /> <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> <img src="graemlins/icon501.gif" border="0" alt="[icon501]" />

They are not lighter they just allow a quick wheel change. They take a huge torque wrench-around 3 feet long- or an air wrench to install the center nut. The 959 had center locks and came with an expensive, planetary-geared torque wrench for owner use. <img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" /> <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

In order to put on centerlock wheels on the 996, similar to the cup car setup with the BBS magnesium wheels, what is entailed with swithing to the centerlock setup. How much does a new set of centerlock hubs cost (new or used)? Is anything else needed besides the new hubs? Has anyone done this conversion to centerlocks?

thanks if anyone can help out

I don't think they were ever illegal. Cars from wayyyy back had single hub nuts (commonly referred to as "knockoffs")..the only other tidbit of info I know of a centerlock being "bad" is that the 85-88 Ferrari Testarossa has a habit of losing the wheels due to the aforementioned torque needed to secure them....if you don't torque it enough, the wheel will come off while driving Ferrari reverted to 5 lug on the 88.5 TR...then came out with the centerlock on the F40. Go figure

Mike

<a href="http://p-car.com/99clubrace/casulty.htm" target="_blank">http://p-car.com/99clubrace/casulty.htm</a>

Look at the red factory GT-2 race car.

I think on the 993 it was about a $2000 kit to change them out to center locks.

Greg

This is a reply to an old post, but has anyone ever here converted their street car to the centerlock BBS racing magnesium wheels used on the cup car? Thanks.

Probably not something you would want to do as the parts are expensive, the tools are expensive and awkward and there are very few benefits except for tire change speed.

Close, but no cigar...

<a href="http://www.hobbystage.net/porsche/wwest" target="_blank">http://www.hobbystage.net/porsche/wwest</a>

If I'm not mistaken you torque the center locks on the cup car to about 350 lbs. Someone above mentioned a three foot wrench. The ones I've seen are more like 6 feet. Don't plan on carrying one in the boot.

If you want the look of centerlocks without the hassle, I believe BBS and/or RUF make a set of wheels that are 5 lug but have a fake centerlock in the middle. I saw a set on a RUF RGT and they are hard to spot as fakes unless you look very closely.

Karl