2 Questions

The steering wheel on my 911 starts to shake at about 70 MPH. I think this is due to uneven wear on the tires (I was told about this during the PPI), although it may be another wheel-related issue. So, I'm taking my car to a America's Tire Store on Friday. My roommate takes his BMW there, and has been happy with their service, so I thought I see if they can sort out whatever is causing the shaking. I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to wheel/tire stuff. So, what should I know before taking my Porsche there? I don't like walking into situations like this without some knowledge. I realize that you can't rotate Porsche tires like you can tires on other cars because the front and back tires are different sizes, but is there any kind of rotating that can be done? Are there any gotchas unique to Porsches that the tire place may not be aware of that I should watch out for as they work on the car? My second question is about washing as Porsche. There's a local detailing place with a stellar reputation that I'd like to take my car to for a wash, clay bar, and wax. However, their reputation is so good that they are booked for the rest of the month. So, I'll have to wash it a few times before I can get the detailers to put a good coat of wax on it. I don't want to end up with scratches or swirl marks, and so am a bit leery of washing/waxing it myself. I'm thinking of going to a "no touch" car wash until I can get an appointment with the detailers. Is there anything I need to avoid if I'm going to a car wash place? I once heard that the soap used at car washes can damage some kinds of paint (specifically paint used on German cars), although I' haven't thoroughly researched it myself. Is there any truth to that?

How old are the tires? You need to check your alignment. I had bump steer a while back and an alignment was the problem.

Sounds like your wheels need to be balanced and then get a good alignment. If you aren't running an asymmetrical tire or don't drive much in the rain, you can have the tires flipped on the rim to even out weak. As for car washes, I find the ones with the brushes get my car much cleaner. I know that might make you cringe but it's what works for me. For my race car, which I don't take through the car wash due to lack of windows, I just use mothers showtime or meguiars to dry wash it.

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I'm not sure how old the tires are. I'll have to double check the CarFax. The car is a 1999, with a little less than 40k miles on it.

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Carfax tells you how old tires are?

You might find that your wheel balance and alignment is ok, in that case look at the track rod ends, they are a known West Point on the 996!

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CarFax might tell you if the tires were changed, but only if the garage who changed them uploaded that information. So I was thinking to look for that.

https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/...-of-your-tires

I recommend photographing your wheels before you allow anyone to change tires. that way when they scratch them you can show them the before pictures

There is a date code on the tires. VERY important that you check on that. Chance of catastrophic failure at speed starts to go up at 6 years. https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/...-of-your-tires Cheers, D.

If they're the original tires with 40k mi. on them, 2 things - they're close to twenty years old and there's probably no tread left... In other words, it's doubtful they're the original tires. If they are original, just throw them away and get new tires - and don't do 70mph on your way to the tire store!... ** All the other suggestions re: alignment, balancing, tie rod ends, bushings, ball joints etc. are still in play... Good Luck getting it sorted out, and try to diy as much as possible - unless you got plenty of $$ stashed for maintenance.

Amazing!

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Yes! I wish the OP much luck. I think he/she may need some.

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Yeah! Makes me wonder why some people buy these cars

Just a couple points of interest on this subject to add to the good points that have already been explained. These type tires are very prone to flat spotting if let sit for long periods. It was very common at the dealership for cars to sit for months without being moved and the tires would flat spot and have a vibration at 60-70mph and until the car was driven long enough for the tires to heat all the way up and remain heated for a period of time. Also the wheels are very light weight and will bend easily if you hit a large pothole. Wheels should be checked when doing a PPI or when balancing or after hitting a pothole.

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Good point. More than likely you will need a new set of tires. I was told by the dealer that my car had 75% tread left, but in reality the inner treads are toast. If you have vibration that's all the sign you need to get new shoes. And of course, while they're in there, check everything related so you can save money by tackling it all at once. PPI's are a guide and surprises still lurk..... Good luck.

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The back tires both say 3417, so they are less than a year old. However, the front tires are a different story. The driver's side front tire says 1915, so that one is about 3 years old. The passenger's side front tire doesn't have a date, so I'm just going to assume that it's at least as old as the driver's side. If nothing else, I need new front tires. By the way, I didn't get the Porsche tool set when I bought the car. Does that mean I won't be able to get the anti-theft wheel bolts off? Will a normal tire shop have the tools to work on Porches? I'm starting to think I should go to an indie mechanic I know, and trust, who specializes in German cars. His garage is a bit far from my house, but he's knowledgeable about Porsches (and BMWs, and VWs, etc).

The anti-theft wheel bolt socket will not be something a tire shop will have. An independent shop is not the best bet, either. After you have checked the pocket on the spare tire cover, or any other storage area on the car, you may want to get 4 regular wheel bolts to replce the anti-theft bolts. To get the bolts off, it IS possible to remove them with a 12 point socket of a size I can't remember. You pound the socket on, and remove with the socket handle...it's easier than it sounds. Other than above socket, I don't think there are Porsche-specific tools needed for normal maintenance. That said, if it were my car, I would take it to an independent shop over a tire shop. You should get the real problem IDed rather than what you think is wrong. It would be worthwhile to get an idea of other things that may/may not need attention. You can then prioritize the needs/spending.

"Amazing!" "Yes! I wish the OP much luck. I think he/she may need some." "Yeah! Makes me wonder why some people buy these cars." I'm one of those "some people" and I bought into the idea of a Porsche 911 as a touchstone of automotive brilliance. And yeah, wish me luck too, because I plan to fight the "Porsche tax" the whole way. I won the first round - replaced the front axle boots for 1/6 of what a dealer wanted. These cars are 15% of their original value, and it makes no financial sense to pay maintenance as if they were $100,000 cars. If OP goes to the local "Bob's Big Tire Barn" or whatever, more power to him.

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lols. the 15% price is b/c of the M96 motor. everything else is cheap

Yes, it only makes sense to maintain a car that was once '$100.000' is if you want the $100,000 experience.. Few people do that, which is a big part of the reason surviving, well-maintained cars often appreciate, or in the case of well maintained 996s today, may be somewhat more expensive than others. The reasons for the 996s low value today are well known and easily found. While the M96 motor iS a problem, it is vastly overstated...it's single digit %-ages. To say 'everything else is cheap' is not to recognize that German cars of any stripe tend to be more expensive to maintain than others. Excellence has a cost. And, admittedly, dealers are not the best choice for cars of a certain age. Knowledgable mechanics for 993s and earlier are hard to find at most Porsche dealers. For those looking to buy used Porsches, shop carefully, and pay attention to what is said above. Some are just used cars.

New tires?!? Alignment?!? New tie rod ends?!? Oh my god, whatever will I do... Seriously folks, these are all pretty basic parts, with basic fixes, and are things that will need to be done over the life of any car. Chill out. Compared to the 1973 air-cooled VW I'm restoring, which has parts that aren't even manufactured any more (I'm looking at you 9-degree left inner tie rod end), dealing with this issue is...well, it's not really an issue at all. It's common knowledge that the best ways of dealing with any work or maintenance on a car, Porsche or otherwise, is (in descending order of desirability): 1) do it yourself 2) get a reliable and affordable indie mechanic to do it for you 3) sell your soul to the devil to fix the car 3) disembowel yourself in protest of the unfairness of the universe 4) take it to a dealer to fix it

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Chill out? Judging by your OP - You were totally clueless. Now it seems, not so much - maybe just your writing style. In any case, as you've probably realized, The rear tires wear quicker than the fronts. Good luck with 'er

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True, that's what I was thinking, sort of a Dr Jeckle - Mr Hyde style. Hope you get it sorted GL !!

The "chill out" was primarily directed to the trolls, not the people being helpful. Any advice or insights are welcomed and much appreciated. About cars in general, only somewhat clueless. When it comes to Porsche specific stuff, like needing a special tool to get a special bolt off so I can remove the wheels, I'm definitely clueless (as this is my first Porsche). This Porsche is also the first nice car I've ever owned (my VW Fastback is cool, but not nice), so I'm being extra careful about what is done to it, who I take it to, how it's washed, etc. I'd rather risk sounding clueless on the forum than showing up to a tire place, for example, and having them do something wrong and damage or break something because neither of us knew about some little thing unique to Porches.

Oops, sorry! Didn't mean to come across that way.

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Cool... No such thing as stupid questions, but you will learn very quickly that there are plenty of questionable answers. Generally speaking, you will need fairly thick skin when "putting yourself out there" on public forums. This place in particular can get a little caustic, but it's usually not malicious. The upshot is that there are loads of smart and helpful people here. A good start is to use the search function and do plenty of reading before asking questions - chances are it's already been covered in some depth. If not, try not to be too general lest you stir the ire of the Renn-Trolls...

Noted, thanks. It seems to me that people fall into one of several categories when it comes to car knowledge: 1) Can't even change a tire 2) Changes their own oil and things like air filters 3) Isn't afraid to pull an error code and then muck through a Bently's and/or YouTube videos to figure out how to swap out a simple bad part 4) Is wiling fix things that are a bit more difficult to access, and may require some disassembly of the car to access, like ball joints, brake pads, rotors, etc. and then there are upper tiers of car knowledge, like working on transmissions, rebuilding engines, and knowing a great deal about electrical systems. I'm definitely in category 3, but am trying to move into category 4. Anyway, that's how my journey from being totally clueless to being a little bit knowledgeable about cars has developed.