I got into an argument with a Barrier guy at the Porsche Aircraft Experience show yesterday. He was trying to explain how it's just fine and dandy to drive around in a car with no spare tire and inadequate means of removing a wheel - yes, we were discussing the centerlocks.

Anyone here with centerlocks care to comment? He made it sound like the target GT3 owner would have no desire to change a flat tire. I don't know about you guys, but calling AAA and waiting for a flatbed rates right up there with waiting for the Comcast guy to show up.

I was also reminded of a tale told by Larry sometime last year of getting a flat out in the boonies, and basically being stranded because while it would have taken days to get a replacement tire, the car couldn't be loaded onto a truck with a flat either.

Also, what's the deal with centerlocks that can't be put on with an impact wrench? Don't they know that the whole appeal of centerlocks is to make superfast wheel changes like in F1? (I'm not alone in thinking this, am I?)

 

NEVER use a impact gun on centerlocks! The torque for the nut is like 3-400ft-lbs. There is a special wrench for them.

Yea, I kind of agree, most newer Porsche owners will not change a flat, I bet most do not know how.

I just carry a BMW "Mobility" kit in my car, it's a air pump with sealant, that should get me where I need to go. My C4S rear tires will not fit in the back, if I have a passenger, one will not fit in the front. We just removed the run flats from the MINI, & got the MINI air pump with sealant, taught the Wife how to use it.

Lets not forget, almost no modern cars even come with a spare! So you got nothing to change to!

 

I have a 2010 GT3 and I hate the center lock wheels for the reasons described above. Even if you have the proper torque wrench and spindle from Porsche (The spindle $550), it still takes two people to remove the wheel.

I used to enjoy pulling my wheels every few months to check the treads, brakes and detail the calipers but with the Center locks its just not possibl. They look look cool, have some rotatoing mass advantages but for everyday practicality, they are useless.

I am considering a Turbo S but would want it with non center locks which in addition to the things already mentioned, I dont like the looks when compared to the stock Turbo wheel. Definitely not a big fan of the centerlocks. I do far more road driving than track and I know it wll suck when the inevitable flat tire comes.

 

"Center Locks" Just another way Porsche has come up with to separate you from your money. There is NO WAY there is any advantage to those wheels in street or a street/track applications for the average owner.

BTW a nail through or near the sidewall of the tire cannot be repaired temporarily with the "fix-a-flat" tire goo. You are definitely looking at purchasing a new tire or maybe more if you have AWD. You'd better hope the nearest tire shop has a machine capable of handling wide wheels without scratching the finish.

If you expect to get your car on a flat bed, you'll need about 10 pieces of 2X6X18 lumber (and no Jason it doesn't have to be clear cedar, hemlock will do just fine. )

Bottom Line - If you're going to worry about flat tires, don't drive out of a 25 mile radius of Seattle/Bellevue!

 

Buicks still have spare tires and so does my Audi.

 

And you're welcome too Larry....I was happy to drop everything, ditch a date with a lovely damsel, grab all those wood pieces, a wheel/tire, and drive all the way out to rescue you and your car out in the boonies.

Seriously aside, I have mixed feelings about these center wheel locks. I love the way they look but like everyone else here, hate the fact that they're so much of a hassle to deal with when having to remove/install them. Maybe one day, they'll come up with an easier way to do that. I actually watched Jake at Motoring Unlimited demonstrate how the center lock hub is taken off on a Carrera GT and WOW is all I could think.

The special tool needed


How it works (minus the impact wrench also needed)

 

Well at least you don't have to worry about your wheels getting stolen.

 

Well, a 305 spare tire doesn’t exist and never will because it’s just too big. Mini/collapsible spares are not a great alternative due to limited usage and speed as well as possible drivetrain damage not to mention adverse handling with one on. So that is why a 911 or 987 will never have a spare tire, ever again.

While center locks may be a gimmick, Porsche did it for a reason. They don’t want mom and pop stores, or discount tire taking away any tire business from them. Those places will look at the centerlocks and say sorry we are not equipped to help. So yes if you get stranded anywhere away from a dealership you are super screwed unless you have a big breaker bar and torque wrench with you. The better faster and more expensive a sports car is, the less practical it is, if you didn’t realize that at the time of purchase I don’t know what to tell you. That is what I’m guessing his point of argument is. Would you be pist off if your motorcycle got a flat that the manufacturer didn’t think it would be a good or feasible idea to put a spare tire on it?

That front end power lift system would help load onto a tow truck though, guess its not an option, maybe a necessity.

They didn’t equip centerlocks to facilitate fast tire changes. How many owners track their ROAD car to the extent of needing a pit crew? Rhetorical questions aside, didn’t they use to charge you for the floor mats on the invoice? They are the most profitable car manufacturer for a reason.

BTW generic fix a flat rarely works and will damage your wheels TPMS sensor, which will probably be $80-100 per wheel or more. I haven’t seen how other forms of tire sealant work, such as that slime stuff, or the OE but in general if it comes in can or pill form its usually too good to be true.

Speaking of “impossible” to remove wheels. I worked on cars for a living in my early years. Do you know how many cars crappy and high end are equipped with locking lug nuts? If you live somewhere that you have to worry about coming out to find your Lexus or Porsche up on cinderblocks, move! The majority of the people with such locking devices loose them more often then not. Also the standard issue spouse is the only one who knows where it’s hidden or it’s at home problem. There is a special tool for extracting them as well. It takes only a minute longer to remove a locking nut over a regular one. There was an auto broker we did a lot of business with that purchased cars from wholesale auctions that I was beginning to suspect someone at the auction house was removing the key to be funny. It cost the broker hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to have us remove the lock. Very profitable, but I still hate those to this day. They provide a solution to a stupid and often over emphasized problem.