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987 3.2S Spare wheel advice please

WAYNE997TTS

WAYNE997TTS

PCGB Member
Member
Hi Everyone

I am sorry if this topic has been covered before. There appears to be conflicting views on this from google searches of various forums and I wondered if anyone could point me in the right direction please?
I understand you can purchase a spare wheel for the 987 but it really needs to be fitted into the boot on a dedicated boot insert (at extra cost) and once in place takes, up most of the space available plus it costs around £400 + just for the wheel! Others have said that the 17" 986/996 (pn 996.362.130.01) spare wheel with the 105/9/17 tyre will work well enough but I've read comments that due to the rolling radius being different it's best to put on the front only and if necessary, swap wheels from front to back and this should stop any potential issues with the diff and the psm. This comment related to a car with 19" wheels, mine has the standard 18" wheels so I am wondering whether the rolling radius problem and the necessity to swap wheels about, is still a recommended requirement?
For the moment; like most others I suspect, I rely on various tyre repair sealents as a last ditch attempt to get home on a dark, wet night in the middle of Norfolk; but with a planned trip to the factory later this year, I'm thinking a spare which won't take up too much space or break the bank will be a wise investment.
I would appreciate any help you can offer and again; apologies if this has been done to death!

Kind regards....
 
Wayne,

You may find this link helpful:

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=729573

I'm sure that the non-standard rolling radius could trigger the problems you've mentioned, but I'm not sure that the larger rear wheel would fit at the front without fouling...let alone the handling implications! Roadside puncture repair kits are available - and have been discussed on these forums - as an alternative to the sealant.

Personally, I think your best bet is to ensure that you get good breakdown insurance for your factory trip and if the worst happens you'll be able to get a tow to a Porsche Centre or tyre specialist.

Jeff
 
Thank you Richard - very interesting and helpful.......Now to mull it all over and make a decision!....
 
I think swapping front and rear wheels is a non starter.

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator#

suggests the rear wheel on the front would stick out a further 27mm (with 1mm more clearance)

Also the front and rear tyres, 18inch or 19inch are different sizes with a different rolling radius. On the 18 inch wheel the circumference difference front to rear is 72mm or about 4%

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg4.html

You'd need to consider would a space saver have a similar rolling radius, and also if the space saver was fitted where the damaged tyre and wheel would go! I've not tried fitting one in the front or back of the Boxster


 
I've got a 987 with the 19" wheel upgrade, plus also have the space saver wheel from a 986 that I used to own (that got written off). Personally, I've only ever used the space saver on the 987 on the rear wheel whilst the front was left on a jack so I could take two wheels to the wheel refurbisher at the same time.

I would never drive on a space saver wheel, i know they are designed for it but I would just feel a little uneasy & would always rely on the breakdown cover I have if I got a flat. Plus, the 987 has the tyre gel & compressor if the worst came to the worst. I'm not 100% sure that the space saver will fit over the front brakes on a 987 S, but could be wrong on that point.
 
Madelvic said:
I think swapping front and rear wheels is a non starter.

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator#

suggests the rear wheel on the front would stick out a further 27mm (with 1mm more clearance)

Also the front and rear tyres, 18inch or 19inch are different sizes with a different rolling radius. On the 18 inch wheel the circumference difference front to rear is 72mm or about 4%

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg4.html

You'd need to consider would a space saver have a similar rolling radius, and also if the space saver was fitted where the damaged tyre and wheel would go! I've not tried fitting one in the front or back of the Boxster

Thanks for your response Madelvic - I must admit I had some reservations about the recommendations to swap the wheels around in the event of a rear puncture to avoid problems with the psm but assumed someone had tried this as its been discussed on a number of forums. I guess I'll have to try it myself to see whether its possible or not. As for the punctured wheel, the only place for it really is on the boot lid with adequate protection - secured with bungee cords. Obviously this would be a very temporary - get you out of a problem fix!
thanks
Wayne
Click to expand...
 
I have a few observations on some of the suggestions you have received:
  1. I ripped the sidewall of my 987 tyre in the Scottish Highlands near Ullapool - of course the sealant repair was useless.
  2. Calling the RAC was relatively quick, about two hours, but replacing the tyre took 24 hours and a night in a hotel - because of the special Porsche rating it had to come 500 miles from Stoke-on-Trent! The RAC guy from Inverness estimated the cost to a non-member at over £1,000 plus the price of a new tyre!
  3. Any form of spare requires you to find room to take the damaged one home. I spent an interesting afternoon with a friend trying to secure one of his Boxster rears into my 987, which proved impossible without an empty (then ruined?) passenger seat.
 
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