ChrisF

Well tonight for the first time, I swapped on my set of center lock track wheels. After reading here about the horrors, the pain, the tools and everything else I ever wanted to know about these wheels, I took my time and did my first change verrrryyyyyy slowwwwlllly. My initial thoughts: I am in the minority camp that thinks swapping these wheels is pretty damn easy assuming you have the right tools and either a friend or brake pedal depression tool. I used the OEM socket, the Tooltopia 3 piece torque wrench and the Porsche collapsable breaker bar (thanks to those here who recommended them; they work great!). Taking my time, the whole change over, test drive and final torque check took me maybe 45 mins. My only hitch was that I could not figure out how to separate the nut assembly to do the full greasing per the service bulletin. Can someone please tell me how to accomplish this? Luckily, I just had the recall done and all nuts appeared to have a clean coating of grease in the prescribed locations.

After putting on my OZ wheels, I am seriously considering swapping tires and making them my street wheels. I think they look really good - even with the grey bolts. Sorry for the crappy cell pix:




Thanks again to all who contributed here and made everything so much easier. Cannot wait for my first track day this weekend and getting to know this car.

TRAKCAR

+1 I'm the advertisment against DIY and I seem to be the exception that does not mind the CL either.
I don't see what the big deal is.

Yes, some negatives;
- Buy $400.00 tools
- Changing wheels when car is hot off the track you have to clamp all brakes down while changing wheels, but usually you can plan it where you can let them coold down for a few minutes.
- Service or grease nuts

I can't see the pics? But I do like the OZ wheels!

If they are new and just serviced you should be fine with grease. If you want to take the nut apart (I don't, I only grease what I can see. The only way I figured out how to take it apart was by accident, dropping it on a towel on the floor. So that's what I do now.

Mine are going in next week for the recall.

deputydog95

Reter is the exception to a lot of things

5 bolts FTW!

911rox

hey ChrisF, just slap them thread down on a piece of wood with a cloth over it and they just fall apart with no effort... takes seconds! courtesy of Savy... works everytime...

NJ-GT

Is this the known Ostrich syndrome? hiding your head so nobody can see you?

CL are evil !!! They should never been made for street use.

Try adding spacers to CL wheels. Try swapping wheels from dry to wet with less than 5 minutes for a change. Try running a Club Racing enduro and swapping wheels. Have you seen wheels falling off in Racing from a loose center lock? have you seen the same with 5 lug bolts?

Porsche has done many rights with the GT3/GT2 cars and a few wrongs, Center Lock wheels is one of the few wrongs.

I can change my 5 lugs wheels 4 times faster than CL boys, try me.

brownan

I don't see what the big deal is either. I would have preferred 5 bolt but the CLs aren't a disaster. I swap them twice every DE, throw some grease on the cone part and bolt them back making sure the serrated bit is flush by sticking a 1/2" rachet extender in there an twirling it around. No biggie.

DJN

+1 !!!!!! EVIL.....Yes!

ChrisF, thank you for posting your experience, but I'll be interested to hear your comments after another 50 wheel/tire changes. It truly does take longer, and the additional care and maintenance is more suited to far fewer wheel/tire changes over time (i.e. not a track guys like you and me).


Enjoy!
Doug N.

911SLOW

Self induced hypnosis works.
I tried it with the 6 headlights; now I like them.

Too bad it doesn't work on the Panamera.

DJN

Centerlock wheels SHOULD have been a feature of the Panamera, not GT cars.

amaist

The only thing that makes 5 lug swap faster than CL is the ability to use a power tool to take the nuts off without cracking them loose first.

Swapping hot wheels is unpleasant no matter which attachment method is used.

Have you seen wheels falling off that were using Porsche street CL setup? I am sure it's possible but my guess is that the probability is similar to 5 lug system.

And torquing the wheels in the air is pretty much overkill. If it's absolutely necessary to torque them in the air with CL then it should be absolutely necessary to do so with a 5 lug system. And some OCD sufferers actually do that.

TRAKCAR

Just jealous they don't come on the Fiat where wheel removal is a 6x a day occurance to fix, flip or replace something.

But it's on.
At Daytona we will do it: You take off and replace wheels 4x and be times quicker then I change my CL's once.

And I don't even have to remember to charge my speedgun!

OCD check and do it. Totally overkill agreed.

DJN

Sorry, no I don't agree. Additional time sinks for CL wheel/tire remove and replace (not including maintenance) are:

1) carefully prying off center caps without wrecking them
2) bouncing off one's 40" beaker bar to loosen wheels that have been torqued to the HUGE new 440 ftlb/600Nm spec (by me or the dealer) and heat cylced at the track - even with proper greasing, them suckers are difficult to loosen and I weigh in at 190lb and am likely fitter than most fortysomethings
3) dealing with wheels that won't easily come off the hub - affectionately called "sticky wheel syndrome"
4) flicking out lock pins (or remembering you forgot to do it and need to take the center caps off again)
5) carefully installing center caps so you don't lose them

The whole process takes more time than with a standard 5 lug set up.

My two cents, again!
Doug N.

TRAKCAR

1. True
2. For once it helps to be that tall fat guy I guess. Maybe they are big boy wheels?
3. Never had that?? slide on and off super easy both OEM and BBS no resistance at all??
4. True, but with the right bolt just 1 second per wheel.
5. I don't bother with them on the track.
6. if you put your caps on for track you they pop off on the cool down lap.

OK, they are a bit more trouble and more costly factoring some reduced availability of wheels, but there also might be a small advantage compared to the wheel bolts and studs that I had both some problems with on my old 5 lug car and I think they are pretty.
I'm sure they will be a big hit at my spit and polish cars and coffee meetup. Only if it does not rain ofcourse..

Untill they fall off cars or stuff starts breaking I would take them again. Honest.
They seem nice and strong and solid to me.

masmole

get a cheap non-marring mini plastic tool designed to take apart cell phones from electronics store. takes 2 seconds to pry off!

never had this problem, but then I use a longer breaker bar. Maybe work out more?

happens with 5-lug wheels too, not exclusive to CL. A gentle kick does the trick.

takes 2 seconds with a needlenose pliers or wiggle with a screwdriver

again, takes 2 seconds.


Seriously, are any of the above really worth complaining about? I think the cost of extra tools (like torque wrench) and added expense of getting a 2nd set of CL fasteners are the only real issues. But then, you've already spent $120k+ on the car so the measly tools are just a drop in the bucket. After doing the swaps over 20 times now, I'm just as quick if not quicker with CL than I am with 5-lugs even when using a cordless impact driver to break/install the 20 lug bolts. Remember, with 5-lug, you actually have to hand-torque every single one of the 20 bolts even after threading them in quickly with an impact. With CL, you set the torque immediately after you thread the CL fastener (set, break, set) and there's only 4 of them!

ChrisF

Interesting theory. I'm a bigger guy and decently fit and with the tools mentioned, I had zero issue breaking the nuts or torquing them. Also, I am nowhere near as big a track rat as some folks here. I actually (flame suit on) enjoyed the swap. I would imagine it could get tedious if you were swapping very often or back and forth at the track. I usually swap a day or two before I track, drive to the track on the my R comps, drive home and swap back.

Links to pix fixed now....i think.