997 Carrera 2S suspension replacement

[Nico61]

Hi All, I have a Gen1 997 C2S and the suspension is getting a little baggy to say the least. I have spoken to the guys who look after it for me about upgrading the suspension and whilst I do trust them I have made the fatal mistake of scanning forums etc whilst having some spare time at work.

The car is for road use only, if it ever sees a track it will be from the car park! I do however want to use and enjoy the performance of this absolute belter of a car.

So far I have been recommended Bilstein B6 with Eibach springs and no PASM, KW V3 with no PASM, and Bilstein B8 coil overs with PASM?????

So, what is the received wisdom of the Porsche lovers here??

[YoungMD]

I too would like to hear some good recommendations on this; by the way, in what way do you feel your 997 suspense is 'baggy'?

[Nico61]

I think it is unsettled at higher speeds, the rear seems to move around a lot. My garage tell me the shocks are not in great shape and that's how it feels. I want the car to feel more planted at all speeds.

[996TT02]

If they are anything like 996s (and they are probably near identical) then coffin arm bushes are a regular failure and so are track rod ends, plus many other bushes that can fail, and geo is easily lost too at the rear, if it feels iffy I'd really just look at fixing what is broken since you want it for road use. Standard set up is plenty sporty enough, let's face it, these are sports cars not saloons, if you want more you should be needing a very valid reason for it. "More" inevitably comes with compromises that are shifted towards a specific intended purpose, and away from others, you may find that there are downsides unless that intended purpose comprises your main usage of the vehicle.

The car on shaker plates should help determining if there are any problems with the suspension, then the geometry should be checked, with the rear end adjustment being very tightly done up afterwards (insist on this).

[Nico61]

996TT02 said:

If they are anything like 996s (and they are probably near identical) then coffin arm bushes are a regular failure and so are track rod ends, plus many other bushes that can fail, and geo is easily lost too at the rear, if it feels iffy I'd really just look at fixing what is broken since you want it for road use. Standard set up is plenty sporty enough, let's face it, these are sports cars not saloons, if you want more you should be needing a very valid reason for it. "More" inevitably comes with compromises that are shifted towards a specific intended purpose, and away from others, you may find that there are downsides unless that intended purpose comprises your main usage of the vehicle.

The car on shaker plates should help determining if there are any problems with the suspension, then the geometry should be checked, with the rear end adjustment being very tightly done up afterwards (insist on this).

Thanks, good advice. I do really just want the car for road use. I would expect to change all the bushes as a matter of course, they do wear on all cars and if Im taking off the suspension its false economy not ??

[PorscheGT4]

Nico61 said:

So, what is the received wisdom of the Porsche lovers here??

JRZ

[Nico61]

PorscheGT4 said:

JRZ

??????????

[Nico61]

PorscheGT4 said:

JRZ

Ah!! Have had a look, cannot find a UK retailer tho???

[Ian_UK1]

Nico61 said:

Hi All, I have a Gen1 997 C2S and the suspension is getting a little baggy to say the least. I have spoken to the guys who look after it for me about upgrading the suspension and whilst I do trust them I have made the fatal mistake of scanning forums etc whilst having some spare time at work.

The car is for road use only, if it ever sees a track it will be from the car park! I do however want to use and enjoy the performance of this absolute belter of a car.

So far I have been recommended Bilstein B6 with Eibach springs and no PASM, KW V3 with no PASM, and Bilstein B8 coil overs with PASM?????

So, what is the received wisdom of the Porsche lovers here??

One simple recommendation. Take yourself and the car to Chris Franklin at Center Gravity. He's arguably the best Porsche suspension specialist in the country. Chris will not only advise on upgrades, but will also thoroughly analyse all the suspension/steering components on your car and provide you with a clear picture of exactly what's currently wrong. Once your suspension's repaired and/or upgraded, Chris will spend time with you to set-up your car exactly as you want it (based on how you use/drive it).

As for personal preferences, I had the suspension on the Gen-1 I used to own upgraded to Bilstein B16 Damptronics. These are a coilover system that allows ride height adjustment and (more importantly) cornerweight adjustment whilst keeping the PASM intact. The handling of the car on the Damptronics, due to their higher spring rates and infinitely better damping (compared to standard) was nothing short of a revelation. Less roll/pitch, more body control, better turn-in, more adjustability through a corner and better outright grip being the most notable characteristics. Whilst the ride is firmer, it's so much better damped that it's not too much for road use. The grin factor is insane!

Let us know how you get on.