socalsteve

Hi all,

Considering upgrading to a GTS, but was wondering about the centerlock wheels.

What is the point of them?

Are they a pain in the *** to deal with?

Besides changing tires, will you ever have to think about them?

Will I have to go to a Porsche Centric wheel and tire place only?

As always, thank you very much!

Steve

Tcc1999

First, I think the tools that you'll need to remove a CL wheel cost about $700 or so, then there is the technique required. (There is a Sticky on 6Speed that details the process.). So, if you are a track guy, or someone who switches to winter tires, or flush your own brakes/change brake pads, or just like to take off the wheels to clean them, yes CL's are a PITA.

Insofar as going to a Porshe centric wheel and tire place, well, good luck. In the Bay area I've found very few places, other than the local Dealer, that have the tools and knowledge to work on CL's. So, it's drive for an hour and wait for the service (brake flush, alignment, tire change) or drop the car off at the dealer and pay twice as much. I think if you are looking for shops that can accommodate CL's you should try the GT3 forum as those guys may have more experience about this.

On the benefits side, well, they look pretty nice. And the point of them? I do not think it is functional. Instead, I suspect PAG just wanted a sportier looking 997; everyone seems to have varying opinions and aesthetics is a common theme. But what it comes down to is how often are you really going to be removing your wheels and if you don't do it yourself what is the cost/inconvenience factor of a dealer versus Indy. I ordered my GTS and thought about optioning lugged wheels but got sucked into the look of CL's. I like them well enough but, as I think you can see, they do limit your service options. I would not order CL's again but if I were looking to buy a GTS, having lived with CL's for two plus years, if I found a car I liked that had them (and most do) they would not be a deal breaker.

You should also know that there is a way to convert CL mountings to a lugged set up. I can't recall if the info is here or on 6Speed but there is a long description and pictures. If you just can't get past the CL's, but also have to have a GTS so equipped, the cost is somewhere around $2K to do the conversion.

Good luck.

mdrums

Your answers....

Yes they are a PITA
There is no point to them at all
No place other than a Porsche dealership or highly qualified Porsche indy shop can deal with them

I have my own 4' $400 torque wrench so I deal with them my self.

unclejosh

I have 20+ track days on mine without issue.

paver

I have a bunch of trackdays on mine with no issues either but there is no benefit to having them. SoCalSteve, if the car you want to buy has them then I wouldn't necessarily let it stop you. They do limit who can change wheels and tires for you. If you only change tires once every two yrs and have the local P dealer do it then they will never be an issue. Buy the car and enjoy it.

Domer911

My car came with them. Given what I now know, I definitely prefer lugs to CLs, but it wouldn't prevent me from buying what might otherwise be the right car for me!

Swoody

My opinion as well. Not tracking on the weekends etc... so changing them is not an issue for me. Basically they will come off when new tires are going on. I like the looks of them and if I were to start tracking, I would just buy the requisite tools and enjoy it all the same. Sure lugs are easier but, it is what it is!

Alan C.

I have CLs on my car and they do, as noted, require a bit more time to change. Like most mechanical things if properly maintained they tend not to be a big issue. mdrums likely has more track miles on CLs than anyone I know of. If he had a mechanical issue I'm sure he'd let us know.

I picked up a used 3 piece torque wrench and a breaker from a member. It's a good idea to have your own available or know someone close by with the tools.

If you find the right car I wouldn't let a set of CLs be a deal breaker.

kosmo

Isnt ironic that cl take longer than 5 lugs?

fbfisher

They look awesome. You're not changing wheels for track or winter. You're not going to let some idiot mess with changing your tire anyway, so get what looks cool and enjoy. When it comes time to replace the wheels, find an expert and pay the price, it's a GTS in LA, live it up.

unclejosh

Centerlocks are very common throughout motoring history from knock offs on old Jags and MGs and Ferraris to modern Ducati superbikes to most modern race cars...I don't mind the extra effort myself + they are beautiful