sgt911

A current updated PDF of this procedure is kept at: https://www.rnrfunco.com/pub/wheeldollycr2.pdf

Here's how I remove/install my 911 center lock carbon fiber wheels all by myself (no helper required).

After reading the user manual on removal/reinstall of centerlock wheels and watching how the local dealer mechanics do it I had a couple glasses of wine and came up with this method on handling my carbon fiber wheels. This method does not require a second person but that's not a bad idea anytime you're jacking up a car and pulling maintenance on it. The goal was to keep the wheel from turning without any weight on the spindle and wheel hub so I could loosen the nut and subsequently tighten it back. So I built a pair of strap-on dollies. I started with 2 moving dollies from Home Depot, 2 30" 2x10s, a handful of deck screws, a 30' 4" nylon strap from Pilot/Flying-J market ($24.99 on sale) and the following SS hardware from McMaster.com:

1 90268A033 18-8 Stainless Steel Coupling Nut, 1/2"-13 Thread Size, 1-1/4" Long 8 Each 8 0 2.71 Each 21.68
2 91122A120 18-8 Stainless Steel Square Washer for 1/2" Screw Size, 0.562" ID 8 Each 8 0 4.18 Each 33.44
3 92356A728 18-8 Stainless Steel Square-Neck Carriage Bolt, 1/2"-13 Thread Size, 4" Long, Packs of 1 8 Packs 8 0 1.62 Per Pack 12.96

Extra tools: Craftsman 3/4" drive breaker bar with 6" extension, 4' SnapOn torque wrench (snapon.com p/n CTECH4R600A 3/4IN DR FIXED ELECT TRQ WR $1340+tax+free-shipping) and centerlock spindle extension shaft/guide (Suncoast p/n CLTOOL $169). The CLTOOL comes bare so I bought a $2 rubber coupling in the plumbing Dept at Home Depot just to prevent the threaded end of the CLTOOL from getting dinged up. OTC-1532A gato jacks ($272/ea) from Summit Racing - at least 2 and if you have room to store them get 4. The Porsche multi-tooth tool for the centerlock nuts as shipped with your 991 from Porsche - RTFM for where they hide it and the centerlock cap removal tool tucked inside it. I don't get a penny from any tool maker/vendor mentioned herein - I'm just stating what I use and where I get them.

The moving dollies are rated at 900# each so don't completely let your 3600# 991 down onto the dollies. If you do, you win the idiot award.

Here's what the strap-on dolly looked like after assembly:


Strap-on dolly assembly

Look, you can really screwup your car, life and onlookers if you don't know what you're doing. If you're a "more-money-than-brains" Porsche owner (not that there's anything wrong with that), please get a certified mechanic to do this for you or at least guide you through this. RTFM. Then RTFM again a few times. Read the user manual pages on centerlock wheel removal/replacement several times then have someone test your retention of the info on those pages. Don't blame me if you break something or hurt yourself or others.

Also, do not use any electric or air torque wrench on the Porsche centerlock nut. The Porsche centerlock nut/spindle design is nothing like what you see on NASCAR TV, don't give your beer to anyone to hold.

Based on what I did:
Using 2 OTC 1532 gato jacks with a hockey puck on each, jack up the rear (or front) of your 991 high enough so the dolly will just slide under the tire. Jack up both sides of the car on a level surface so each spindle is parallel with the pavement even if you're only removing one wheel. Then slide the dolly under the tire(s) and lift the strap up over the tire. Then tighten the 1/2" hardware holding the strap to the dolly/2x10. I use a Milwaukee p/n 2558-20 1/2" drive 12VDC electric wrench with a 5/8" deep-well socket to tighten the strap. The strap doesn't have to be real tight, just tight enough to keep the tire snug within the strap. The dolly should be firm under the tire yet still slightly movable side to side. The idea is to have the spindle and hub assembly suspended so there's no weight on the spindle and hub whenever the nut is not tightened to 600nm. Then you can loosen the nut following the user manual guidance (except you don't need a helper). I used half of the OTC jack handle as a cheater bar on my 3/4" breaker bar. When you're loosening the nut the dolly can wiggle a little but should remain under the tire.





Loosen and remove the centerlock nut and set it aside, it'll be greasy but keep it clean, i.e., don't get dirt or grime on it. RTFM about the grease and cleanliness. Then screw the CLTOOL spindle extender onto the spindle where you just removed the nut from. Then you can pull the dolly with the wheel strapped onto it away from the car.



CLTOOL screwed onto spindle



Sliding the wheel along the CLTOOL




Now the wheel is strapped to the dolly and can be moved about. Don't let the dolly roll down the hill.


Now you can work on the car or wheel or do whatever you needed to remove the wheel for.

When it's time to reinstall the wheel, slide it back onto the CLTOOL. Make sure the spindle and CLTOOL are parallel to the ground and at the proper height so the wheel slides easily onto the CLTOOL.



Sliding the wheel back onto the CLTOOL.


Push the wheel firmly onto the spindle and unscrew the CLTOOL. By hand reinstall the centerlock nut onto the spindle and snug it up by hand. It will only go on a little bit by itself, it needs the Porsche multi-tooth tool pushed onto it to thread further onto the spindle so remove the Porsche multi-tooth tool from your breaker bar and use it by hand on the nut. The Porsche multi-tooth tool pushes in the locking splines so the nut can thread fully onto the spindle. RTFM - the user manual on this procedure. Once you have the nut as tight as you can by hand wiggle the wheel to make sure it's fully seated in on the spindle. Then move the Porsche multi-tooth tool onto the 4' SnapOn torque wrench and tighten to 600nm, then release 1/4 turn and retighten to 600nm. RTFM on this tighten, loosen, retighten procedure.

If this is your first time removing and reinstalling a $7000 carbon fiber wheel, remove it and reinstall it a couple times, RTFM in between reinstalls before lowering the jack/car just to make sure you're 3000% sure you got it right. There is no sicker feeling in your stomach than what you will feel after screwing up something like this. Kinda like what the Boeing engineers felt after the 2nd 737Max crashed. Check check double check your work. Now is a good time to have a 2nd person check your work and torque.



Porsche multi-tooth tool on SnapOn torque wrench.

Once you're sure you got it right, jack the car up a little bit so you can loosen the strap hardware and slip the strap off the top of the tire and slide the dolly out from under the wheel. Then lower the car and you're done.

Good luck and work slowly and surely.

Martin S.

Good gawd this wheel carrier is clever. Me and my Porsche 991.2 GTS buddy will be building a pair. I can't believe comments on this doesn't exceed 100 pages....

We use RENNtorq for our wheel changes and ALL the right tools. A wheel carrier will make it that much easier. Thanks you for your post....with 9,000 posts myself, I know how much time this consumes, hours and hours!

Martin

Jack F

I use the black Delrin threaded extended thst one of our members made.mi believe his name is something like SmokinGTS or something similar. It has a thread cap to protect the threads. Anyways, I use a dolly also but just leave it on the ground and lower the wheel a few inches. Cant be too careful wheels that are 7K each. Best to you!

IXLR8

I use large zip-lock bags to place the CenterLock nut into. It keeps them clean.

Actually what I do is fully disassemble the CenterLock nut, clean all parts in gas and dry it thoroughly before applying fresh paste. Then I place it in a zip-lock bag till I need to install it. But then, that is me.

I've been doing CenterLock wheel removal and installation on my own since I have had the car.

I use a torque multiplier to remove the CenterLock nut using a 24" breaker bar. I do not use a torque multiplier to install the CenterLock nut even when using a torque wrench...too many inaccuracies in doing so. I use my Precision Instruments 3/4" split beam torque wrench instead.


As always which is why I do it all myself to make sure it is done right.