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Porsche 911 Tires and Wheels

49 messages,  Last post on Sep 30, 2011 at 10:56 PM

You are in the Porsche 911 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Porsche 911, Tires, Coupe, Convertible

Messages Page 2 of 5

#10 of 49 Re: tire wear [habitat1] by fedlawman

Mar 13, 2007 (7:54 pm)

Replying to: habitat1 (Mar 13, 2007 6:04 pm)
"How about next week?"
 
I was hoping for a little more depreciation. 2 years from next week should work.

#11 of 49 Re: tire wear [fedlawman] by kyfdx HOST

Mar 13, 2007 (7:57 pm)

Replying to: fedlawman (Mar 13, 2007 7:54 pm)
Hmmm... I saw a '99 911 for $28K the other day...
 
Guess I'll be ready in about six more years... Maybe about the time you are done with it, fedlawman..

#12 of 49 Tire Question by habitat1

Mar 14, 2007 (1:56 pm)

I have been told by Tire Rack and my Porsche dealer that the OEM Pirelli P-Zero Rosso 19" 295/30 (N rated for Porsche) rear tires for my 911S Cab are completely out of stock and on back order. There is no word from Pirelli as to when they will be available.
 
Replacing just the rear tires with Michelin or another brand is not recommended, unless you replace all four tires. Given that my fronts are only about 50% worn, I don't want to throw them out.
 
Has anyone run into this issue and/or considered replacing the rears with 305/30's (standard on the Carerra S4)? Apparantly they are in stock, albeit in low supply.

#13 of 49 Re: tire wear [habitat1] by designman

Mar 14, 2007 (4:41 pm)

Replying to: habitat1 (Mar 13, 2007 6:04 pm)
You need to look at the inside tread and shoulder. I’m not sure about this but I think the rear tires on Porsches have some toe-out which means the inside edges wear much faster. This is in addition to the negative camber. Your tire wear is not inconsistent with what I have heard. However I suggest taking a close look at the inside edges. Did he point out the area of wear when it was on the rack?
 
With regard to the 997 Turbo, here are some anecdotal notes. Last week I was stopped at a highway gas station and a gent pulled up in a 993 Turbo. I chatted with him and he told me he had a 997 Turbo but didn't like it and dumped it. Recently I had my Boxster in for service and noticed two used 997 Turbos on the showroom floor. I am not suggesting anything other than my outlook is to be vigilant with all new models. You can take a considerable hit on them. It happened with the 996 Turbo and 996 GT3.

#14 of 49 Re: Tire Question [habitat1] by designman

Mar 14, 2007 (5:22 pm)

Replying to: habitat1 (Mar 14, 2007 1:56 pm)
Replacing just the rear tires with Michelin or another brand is not recommended, unless you replace all four tires.
 
Do what you want but I'd have no problem replacing front and rear with different brands. The logic is to keep symmetry on the axle. Plenty of people do what you are considering when switching brands. Front-to-rear is asymmetrical to begin with when you consider the front/rear differences in tire sizes, suspension settings and wheel angles.

#15 of 49 Re: Tire Question [designman] by habitat1

Mar 15, 2007 (5:32 am)

Replying to: designman (Mar 14, 2007 5:22 pm)
Thanks for the input - another tire store rep here told me the same thing - Michilins in rears and Pirellis in front would be O.K.
 
However, my dealer, before finding out the 295/30's were out of stock, quoted me a very good price on the Pirelli's ($360 vs. $440+ at Tire Rack). So I'm going to see what he comes back with on the 305/30's Pirelli's. I have to believe they will fit fine, since they are standard on the C4's and even on the C2's, there is a 5mm "spacer option to push the tires out further in the wheel well. I don't have that option, so I doubt I will have a rubbing problem just going to 10mm wider rear tires. It might actually make my speedometer more accurate, given that it reads 70 when I'm actually only going about 65. Any thoughts on the 305/30's idea?
 
P.S. The Michilins are in the $480 range. A friend has the Michilins on his 911S Coupe, and I'll be darned if I can tell the difference. Supposedly lower road noise, but on a Cab, that's not a major factor.

#16 of 49 Re: Tire Question [habitat1] by designman

Mar 19, 2007 (5:07 pm)

Replying to: habitat1 (Mar 15, 2007 5:32 am)
I'd probably want to stick with the 295s because they're enormous as it is. If you go with the 305s just make sure they are set up within spec but I am sure you realize this.
 
It seems preferences among owners are split between the Pirellis and Michelins. I've heard that the Michelins last longer. Seems those PZeros melt away quickly in comparison.
 
BTW, I also heard that TireRack won't be getting Pirellis for the 997 or perhaps all P-cars because Porsche allegedly has an exclusive arrangement with Pirelli. I have no idea whether this is rumor or fact. I read it in the blogs. Seems odd.

#17 of 49 Re: Tire Question [designman] by habitat1

Mar 20, 2007 (5:50 am)

Replying to: designman (Mar 19, 2007 5:07 pm)
Tire Rack has the Pirellis in the 305/30 size (specifically for Porsche) in stock. They are the standard tire on the C4S (same exact wheel) and according to the Tire Rack advisor, will fit the C2S without any problem. Approximately $25 per tire more.
 
Haven't decided what to do on the Pirellis vs. Michelins, as I still prefer not to mix and match brands (not sure why) but at least there is an option. I'm going to try to get an unbiased opinion on my tread life later this week.
 
Also, I called Porsche North America cutomer service, just to see if they were aware of the situation and had any advice. It took awhile to get the rep to understand that I wasn't asking him to come to my house with tires under his arms. I just thought management should know that I got 5 completely different responses from 4 different dealerships on availability and alternatives. Supposedly, I'm to recieve a follow up call from Porsche later this week after they investigate the matter and give me an "official" response. At this point, I'll just take a free Porsche hat and figure it out myself.
 
Thanks for your feedback/suggestions. I'll try to get an extra hat for you.

#18 of 49 Re: Tire Question [habitat1] by habitat1

Mar 20, 2007 (1:41 pm)

Replying to: habitat1 (Mar 20, 2007 5:50 am)
Well, low and behold, my Porsche dealer magically came up with a pair of Pirelli 295/30's that will be "released" by Porsche North America to be shipped from their designated distributor out of their "private stock". And, even more amazing (given Porsche mark-ups) they are selling them to me at a price $20 less than the Tire Rack price.
 
I guess the call to Porsche customer service paid off - they must have rattled the cage of the dealer for giving me some poor information and I'll have new tires next week. But no free hats.

#19 of 49 Re: Tire Question [habitat1] by designman

Mar 20, 2007 (8:06 pm)

Replying to: habitat1 (Mar 20, 2007 1:41 pm)
Sounds good. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Guess I'll have to pop for the hat though.

Messages Page 2 of 5

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