I have been reading ALL of the previous threads on spare tires, on this and other boards, but unfortunately remain confused. I know this has been covered in some detail, but a lot of what I found was dated and speculative, or I didn't understand. Overall, I couldn't figure our where we are now with options on this.

Could someone kindly describe what the options are for a 997 (C4 - 18" wheel) spare tire, in simple "layman" terms??

I know about the various plug kits. But is there now a simple way to actually carry some type of spare tire that a normal person could change on the road??

Sorry for the old topic - - but thank you for your help.

 

Simple way to carry........NO..........Is it possible....YES..in the back seat!!! That's the truth of it all. Stinks.....but with the AWD, there is simply NO ROOM to carry a spare.

 

What about the spare that comes with the 996 turbo I realize you have to inflate it but still better than no spare IMO

 

You should think about where to put the big old flat tire first

 

Exactly............NO ROOM!

 

Charlie:
This thread shows you everything you need to put a collapsible spare in a 997 4S: https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ght=spare+tire

The spare and jack probably adds about 30 pounds of weight to the front of the car but it's certainly fine for every day driving.
As for the flat,...I know that someone has posted (here or elsewhere) that even a 305/19 can be put into the rear seat area by sliding the seat fully forward. It's big, but not that big.

The decision to carry a spare for me really boiled down to my peace of mind. Frankly, if I'm tooling around in Boston I would likely try the Porsche fix-a-flat stuff or dial Porsche roadside assistance instead of mounting the spare. I also carry a Black & Decker battery booster under my passenger seat for similar peace of mind reasons. I guess I just like redundant safety systems!

 

I know for an absolute fact that you can fit a rear, 997 tire into the back seat. I've done it. It fits with enough room to spare (no pun intended) that I'm certain you can also fit the 295's that run on the back of a 997S there also.

 

Dave -

Thanks so much for the reply/link.

I've read through it all, but have some quick follow-up questions:
- Is this "emergency wheel set" some kind of standard offering for Porsches?
- Who makes this?
- Can you get it from local dealers, or only from Sunset Porsche?
- I'm in the process of ordering a C4 (non-S), w 18" wheels. Does this make a difference in what I order?
- Is this setup loose in your boot, or somehow tied down?
- It looks like the tire is deflated. Do you carry some kind of pump?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is all completely new to me. I plan on taking the car cross-county somewhat frequently, so a spare would be nice. (And these long drives are the key reason why I'm sticking with 18" wheels.)

I would think a deflated 18" tire/wheel (i.e., the flat one) would fit in the back seat, wrapped nicely in some kind of plastic bag. At least if/when needed.

Thanks for your help!

 

I know the flat will fit in the rear or we can always leave the wife behind.

 

These are all Porsche parts that can be ordered through any Porsche dealer. I believe that in Europe the cars can be ordered with this collapsible spare but I'm not positive about this. As for the 18" vs 19" - I think the spare will be the same (S- and non-S have the ame bolt pattern) and I believe the rolling diameters are only slightly different. You inflate these with the standard ciggy lighter powered air compressor that comes standard on all 997 models (hidden under carpeting in boot).
As for the fit of the spare: as you've probably gathered the C4 models have slightly reduced boot space compared to the C2 (about 3 bags of groceries versus 4 bags). The spare tire will fit in a C4 if leaning backwards as shown in the pics from my earlier referenced post. It fits fairly snugly against the roof of the boot and it does not move from side to side at all during hard cornering. I also installed a Das Schild (see other post) to make the fit just a tad snugger and because others have recommended it to protect from inside out dings.

And don't be sorry for asking these questions! Your p-car dealer almost certainly doesn't know the answer to these questions and Rennlist is one of the few places (and the best IMO) where you can find them.

 

Sunset Porsche sells the collapsible spare and the factory jack. It is not cheap: around $700. Sunset ships quickly and they have great customer service.

 

Would clearance be a problem for a generic spare? Have a C4S here. With two different tire size, 1) can a generic spare fit both front and back. 2) Can a generic spare clear the break calipers, especially the back? Are there run flat tire for 305's? Similar to the Corvette?

I got a punture/slash in the rear tire last month and it took many calls to find a dealer (Wheel Enhancement) that stock it. Other dealer don't stock them at all due to being expensive and odd size. If I where you, plan ahead and call for dealers that stock them in case of flat. All else fail, Porsche roadside service... Good Luck!!!!

 

Thanks again Dave, this is very helpful.

Does this spare work equally with front and back tires? Can you drive full speed on it (say, 75 mph), for long distances (say 500 miles back home, or at least to a dealer)?

If you got a flat with snow tires on, would you still use this spare? Would you have to do anything different, like drive slowly (i.e., limp into a dealer)?

Besides the torque wrench, are there any other gotchas when changing a Porsche wheel?

 

In some countries Porsche is forced to equip them with a spare,--Saudi Arabia comes to mind. I would attempt to find out what they put in the kit. I think all bets are off if you are dealing with a PCCB equipped car,--I'm not certain that that 996 spare will fit over the yellow caliper cars. I have since redirected my energies toward a radial tire repair kit to keep me temporarily on the road.