I bought a second set of wheels/tires for my 997.2. Do any of you guys swap yours out yourselves or do you have it done at the tire store? If you do it, will a floor jack lift he whole side up or do you have do jack each wheel? The only reason I am considering doing this is that I hate loading up this stuff and taking it to the stire store and then having to go back and pick up the other set. I know.....this doesn't fit in a 'huge dilemma' category, but just thinking of a way I can easily swap the set occasionally for a different look with minimal hassle..

 

It's easy to do yourself. Just do one wheel at a time and you don't have to worry about jack stands and stuff like that.

Just make sure that you find the correct jack point each time. I use a hockey puck on top of the jack cup to protect the car.

 

Another related question... Do you use power torque wrench or just regular wrench to change and get torque correct?

 

You will need a torque wrench so you can torque it to 96lbs. One wheel at a time. It's easy.

 

Lift from the rear jack point, and the entire side will lift up. I use a hand torque wrench to tighten them bolts to the proper setting.

 

I've been dealing with the same tire shop for over twenty years. I have a set of summer wheels/tires and a set for winter on my Panny. They charge me $10 twice a year to swap the wheels AND they store the unused set for me - no storage fee - so I never have to schlep them back and forth. They do a very good job for me and it's so convenient I see no reason to do it myself.

DMoore
'09 C2S
'10 P4S

 

Count yourself lucky. A basic tire rotation with balance here is $30. I can't imagine anyone doing a swap for ten bucks. If I could get it done for a tenner, you bet I'd let them do it.

Scott, For those less fortunate (me), it's really an easy job. And, as Ynot has pointed out above, get yourself a torque wrench and take you time so you don't scratch the wheels. 96 lb ft of TQ is the magic number.



While you have the wheels off, take time to clean the inside of each wheel.



And lastly, to make things a whole lot easier, pick up a wheel guide bolt like the one below (I bought mine from Suncoast for $9). Since we have lug bolts instead of lug nuts, it'll make getting the wheels on and off a whole lot easier. What I do is align the wheel so one of the lug bolts is TDC (top dead center), remove the lug bolt, insert the wheel guide bolt, then remove the remaining 4 lug bolts. Once you have all 5 out, simply slide the wheel off the guide bolt. Installation is the reverse.

Here's a link: http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...ode=997cwheels



Here's a photo taken when I was test fitting my Ruger Classics.

 

NC 997, I like the yellow box for painting the lug bolts. I made one also, so I'm not sure if I got the idea from one of your previous posts or if we both got the idea from someone else. And great advice about the wheel guide bolt. (rep points given!)

Also, don't forget the anti-seize compound on the lug bolts. You should be able to get a small tube at any auto parts store.

 

Wheel guide bolt is a must.
It makes wrestling with a heavy wheel and tire much easier. Definitely worth the $9.

 

I used to go to a tire shop outside Boston that did this. As long as you bought the tires there, they charged you next to nothing for the swap/storage. I do most of my own work on cars, but when somebody will do it for free, and check the balance is right for free too, and store your spare set, why not?

To the OP, this is the easiest thing you can do on a car short of adding washer fluid. I actually don't use a torque wrench. Years and years of working on cars and I've got a torque wrench embedded in my arm.

 

Looking at the pics above and seeing the gray paint rusting on the hub where the wheel bolts up... Does anyone know the proper method of making that look like new? My new 911 came with a deep gouge in one of the castings and I was going to make that a project this winter making it look better than new.

 

Message addressed to DMoore (Can't send direct PM as not enough posts).

I'm also in LA and was wondering what Tire store you use as you seem quite happy with them. (I'm on the west side of LA if that makes any difference).

Thanks,

 

you can clean it up, rough it up and use high temp paint on it, let it dry for 3-4 days.

not worth the effort since it is not visible. just keep it rust free is good.

 

I've painted mine as a DIY project and it isn't that hard to do. There is enough of the hub that shows with almost any wheel that a rusty or dirty hub will definitely catch your eye. This is the technique that I used and it has held up very well:

1. Prep: Make sure emergency brake is OFF and the car is properly blocked. Remove wheel (duh!) and spray the hub with brake cleaner to remove all the brake dust and dirt. Use a scotchbrite pad to remove any surface rust and rough up the surface enough to give the paint a good surface to adhere to. Do another pass with the brake cleaner and allow to dry completely. Do a final wipe with a dry cloth.

2. Masking: I used heavy-duty aluminum foil to cover the brake caliper, and newspaper to cover the wheelwell, suspension parts, and any body surface in the immediate vicienty. I don't recommend doing this job outside on a windy day, OK?

3. Painting: I used an industrial grade spray paint (Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel (stainless steel color) available at any Lowe's Home and Garden store). It is a very durable paint that comes in a large 14 oz. can and is available in a number of colors. Concentrate on painting the section of the hub that is directly opposite from the brake caliper. You can turn the rotor by hand to expose the next section to paint. Concentrate on covering the exposed surface of the hub and not the face of the hub so much where the wheel touches. The spray pattern with this paint is not so wide that you cover a wide area when applying. Apply enough to get a good even couple of coats.

4. Clean-up: Allow the paint to dry to the touch and remove all of the masking material that you used. Any overspray on the rotor can be removed with a rag and the proper paint remover. What little I ended up with on the rotor I let the brakes "scrape off" which leaves a perfect line around the perimeter of the hub where it meets with the rotor surface. This is no worse that the rust it removes after you wash the car, so don't anybody get their panties in a wad about paint on the brake pads. If you are careful when you spray there just won't be that much to worry about.

You hubs will still get dirty but the painted surface cleans up easily whenever you wash the car. You may think this is a minor detail until you do it and you see how much better the wheel and hub assembly looks.

 

I do my own. I use a jack stand for safety reasons. Is everyone telling me they just rely on their jack? Last time I did the swap (couple weeks ago), my Jack started leaking on the last wheel. It didn't give out but I was happy I had the jackstand under the car.