Porsche Tire Curse?

So last weekend, I am prepping my last 911 (88 Carrera) for sale, and I notice it is sitting a bit low on the passenger side. Lo and behold, I have a flat rear tire with a big screw in it. Not a huge deal, as it looks like a simple plug will fix it. ....then on Monday, I am showing off my new car (02 C2 Cab) to a friend and he points out that I have a nail head sticking out of the tread of my driver's side rear tire. I was a little pissed at two tire problems in one week, but again, a little plug will likely solve the problem. ...then last Friday I am driving in to work and I hit a pothole (actually a sunken drain grate) pretty hard - I thought I felt one of my tooth fillings coming out. I let out a few choice words and didn't think much more about it. Then when I am leaving for home, I notice that my passenger rear tire has a golf ball sized bulge protruding from the sidewall. It is next to a scrape on the wheel that I have never noticed before, so presumably the tire and wheel were damaged by the pothole. ...so off I go to Costco where the previous owner bought the tires just a couple of months ago, and they tell me that road hazard warranty only covers the original owner. To make matters worse, they say it will take 10+ days for them to get the tire in stock...I am worried about driving for any length of time with a damaged sidewall..... ...so off I go to my nearest independent tire shop, and they can get me a tire in 3 days......except....they advised me that they cannot order the older version of my tire. The tires I have are Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, and are apparently the N2 version, and all my dealer can source is the N3 version. Not sure what the difference is but the tire shop suggests that it is unsafe to have two different tires on the back Maybe they just want to sell 2 instead of 1 - no...I am sure a tire dealer would never do anything like that.... Anyways, since tires are the most important safety feature of any car, I am reluctant to take a chance. Anyone know if running a N2 and an N3 at the same time is a concern? Anyways, I just needed to vent. It sucks having to pay $500 (or possibly $1000) to replace essentially brand new tires.

And most probably fixing a bent rim

I have a similar problem: Dunlop SP 9000 have dried on front and show cracks in bottom of thread; only 50% worn... Back tires ok with 75% thread (newer). 205/55VR16 Front and 225/50VR16 Back Dunlop stopped making SP 9000!!! So I mix another model on front or scrap and replace 4 tires, two good ones and two older ones... This is a lot of good rubber... You would think they could produce tires that dont die prematurally of old age!!! I have a 1989 911 Carrera Cabrio; these are particularly sensitive to tire balance... Now they have added an N designation to tires which produces the above noted problem... But no garanty they will produce them for the life of the car!!! Great way to make money!

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Gee - Thanks for trying to make me feel better Anyways - I don't think the rim is bent - there is just a couple of scratches on the side near the outer edge. I think that the tire must have dropped into the grate and scraped the outer edge of the tire and the rim. Anyways - I guess i will only know when I get the bad rubber off and have a look.

I guess I need to update my avatar too....

Some times the differences between N versions is slight--sometimes significant. I can t speak for the Michelins. I know that the Bridgestone RE050A tires are VERY similar between the N0 and N1 versions, so I have a mix--but NOT on the same axle.

I made the mistake of not buying the wheel and tire insurance on the 335 and I've replaced 6 damaged tires and had three rim repairs in 3 years. I gladly paid the 1100 for wheel and tire ins when I bought the Pcar. I have found the Michelin Pilots are less susceptible to sidewall bulge than the OEM Bridgestones that came on the Bimmer, but they will get damaged if you hit something hard enough.

Buy a set of Hankooks or Sumitomos for the road good inexpensive tires if you pop one it does not hurt as bad.

You need to quit driving through construction sites! I second the HTRZIIIs. Dunlop Star Specs are my favorite, though. And don't get the tire/wheel insurance, it's a ripoff. Self-insure and you'll save money over the long run. Unless you enjoy drifting around construction sites, in which case you might as well take advantage of it. A quick plug for tirerack, but the last two sets of tires I've ordered from them have been on my doorstep in less than 24 hours. I know it's not guaranteed and service that fast is abnormal, but it's still amazing.

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The 335 is so much worse than the 996 when it comes to this. I'm convinced 335 shock travel is way too low to be useful. You end up crashing against the bumpstop over minor potholes or dips. -Shawn

I just found someone with two tires on good old Craigslist. If they check out, I will be $500 richer and have another spare... Maybe the curse has been lifted....

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I hope you are right. I don't drive around construction sights, but I do live in Houston. Potholes are a fact of life and can't always be avoided. This is the first time I've ever bought wheel and tire insurance, but the fronts are the same size as my 335 and that's where all my damage has been. I've spent an extra 3 grand in tire and wheel repair on it. We'll see how it works out on the P.