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Centre lock wheel removal socket

k11pol

Well-known member
Joined
18 Feb 2010
Messages
267
So what's the best centre lock wheel removal tool and where can I buy ?

The Michelin 4s are going on 😂😂 but don't want the alloys damaged in the process.
 
Well - that the wheel socket from the frunk takes a 3/4" drive is a clue that it isn't going to be a trivial tool...

For removal I use a Norbar HT3 5:1 torque multiplier (it is the one rated at 1300Nm with 1/2" input and 3/4" output) and a 750mm breaker bar. For putting them back on I use a Norbar 4R industrial torque wrench (though you could use a conventional torque wrench through the torque multiplier if you don't want to fork out for both tools).

Both were sourced second hand (the former from eBay, the latter from a friend) as brand new they are terrifyingly expensive tools.

Conveniently (as they aren't always available for sensible money) there is a torque multiplier the same type as mine on eBay right now, starting bids from £149 here.

[footnote : at risk of stating the obvious - if using a torque multiplier: use the reaction bar against the floor. Using the alternative brace included in the kit against your wheels would destroy them. That is best left for truck wheels and railway sleepers, not lightweight alloys].
 
Thanks Colin, I didn't realise that there was a socket included in the tool kit , I was expecting to have to buy that as well.

To be honest I've not looked in the tool kit , I best go do it now.
 
I have a (probably a bit numpty) question. Well two actually:
1) what is the advantage of centre lock wheels on a road car?
2) how practical are they in everyday use? You know, removing the wheels for cleaning, a puncture at the roadside, that sort of thing.

Be interested to hear experiences from owners with cars with centre lock wheels.
 
A1) Purely cool looks, there's no other reason (if that's your thing). Accept, perhaps arguably some cars are less valuable in the 2nd hand market.
A2) Everyday use is just is just the same as every other wheel :wink:
On the extreme occasion of a puncture it's just the same as any modern car. Use the tyre fill and when it doesn't work call roadside recovery. Removing wheels for cleaning :eek: You're having a giraffe :floor:
 
Cameo said:
Removing wheels for cleaning :eek: You're having a giraffe :floor:

You are one of my neighbours and I claim my free prize.
 
Counter Of Beans said:
I have a (probably a bit numpty) question. Well two actually:
1) what is the advantage of centre lock wheels on a road car?
2) how practical are they in everyday use? You know, removing the wheels for cleaning, a puncture at the roadside, that sort of thing.

Be interested to hear experiences from owners with cars with centre lock wheels.

As stated above - the only positive is that they look nice aesthetically. They come with a legion of downsides though : limited choice of wheel styles - both OE and aftermarket (all of which are disproportionately expensive); you can only really trust OPCs, independent Porsche specialists or (if you have the tools and know the process) yourself to remove and refit them (limiting your options on all aspects of maintenance all the way down to a tyre change); they have a finite life for track use (which doesn't apply to cars with standard 5 bolt hubs) with replacement schedules for the hubs, bearings, wheels nut assemblies and even uprights and finally of course the cost of investing it tools to swap them yourself is somewhat more that for normal wheels. The nut itself is also serviceable (it isn't simply a nut - it has multiple parts and must be lubricated in a specified way with Optimoly - a particularly good high temperature grease which can be a bit of a pain to source and again: is not cheap).

As for practicality though - you might be surprised to hear after all of the above that it is not terrible. 911s haven't had spare wheels since the 996 so a roadside puncture is no different (can of sealant, plug repair in situ or back of a flat bed). As above - tyre swaps have to be done by someone with the right tools and knowledge so if you wanted to use a local or mobile tyre fitter then you will be taking them off and putting them back on yourself, though the process of doing that is not unduly fraught as long as you know the procedure, correct torque and have invested in appropriate tools for it.

The short version is that I have always in general recommended against them on models where they are optional unless you have your heart set, but once you are used to them, have the knowledge, tools and acceptance of additional costs (even a single plastic centre cap for Porsche CLs is £40 and there are no cheap aftermarket alternatives) then actually they aren't difficult to live with.

I'll leave you with the traditional footnote for those expensive centre caps. If you've washed the car (especially jet wash, but it can even happen when doing it by hand) it is possible for traces of moisture/condensation to get to the other side of the O ring. Even just fitting your wheels in a very humid environment/weather can result in this. If you then take the car on track, the amount of heat that builds up in the hub will boil that into steam and can get enough pressure to pop them off into the undergrowth never to be seen again. If you are lucky then it will happen as heat soaks in just as you get back to the pits and pops them off there, but not usually). Solutions are either to simply take them off before your first hot lap of a track session after refitting wheels (you can put them back after those laps - you are just getting them hot enough to boil away any slight trace of moisture behind where the cap sits) or to drill a tiny hole to release the pressure somewhere on the cap.

Happy centre locking all :thumb:
 
Brilliant reply Colin, many thanks. I hadn't even thought about the cost of centre caps, for example.
Cheers, Mike.
 

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