Page 22 - KCRPCA SeptOct 2021

NUTS & BOLTS
CENTER LOCKING HUB
GOING FROM 379 FT/LB DOWN TO 96 FT/LB. GOOD BYE “BREAK B---H”
TECHNICAL EDITOR KARL WILEN
Porsche released the center locking wheels with the 997 models to the general public. They were quite popular to order when they first came out as owners saw the racing heritage and just had to have them. Unfor- tunately, they quickly came to the realization that center lock wheels were kind of a pain to deal with! Instead of 5 lug nuts per wheel torqued to a mere 96ft/lbs, all of a sudden there was only one lock- ing lug, a special tool required (though contrary to many dealer’s statements, the tool does come with the car), a really big torque wrench (not included and $$$),
a torque spec of roughly 370ft/ lbs for the street, and what in the racing circle we refer to as “The Brake Helper.”
See Picture 1
A giant torque wrench and the center lock hub tool.
Ok, maybe we don’t use the term “helper”, but this is a PG publication (or at least it is after Stan is done editing my articles). The “Brake Helper” is a second person to hold the brake pedal
on when loosening or tightening the center locks, because due to the high torque, you can actually spin the wheels on the ground unless you are applying the brake at the same time. It’s up to you
to convince your wife or kids to help you change your wheels, and well...good luck! Ultimately, many owners have decided to convert their center lock wheels back to a regular 5 lug wheel pattern for ease of wheel removal, etc. This is especially handy for those tracking the vehicles that are swapping wheels/tires/brakes on a regular basis. There has also been some reports of center lock failures on the racetrack, but it
is my firm belief these instances
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