996 mk1 suspension - damper alternativ for sock ride height.

[rival38]

2001 manual. 90k on car, 45k on motor, overall she is in tidy condition. Everything works as it should and I have done a few of the preventative maintenance items, coolant flush, low temp T stat, new water pump in my 3 months of ownership plus new disks and pads and a full suspension check / geo at Centre Gravity.

My ORIGINAL standard dampers (B4?) tested ok. IIRC all 0.3 `somethings`, not leaking and operating evenly - but obviously well past their best, and it shows on ridged B roads. They struggle to keep the rubber on the road if it is bad and many are in my locality. Occasionaly they are a little overcome and send an uncomfortable judder hrough the bodyshell. On smooth roads all is well and the CG geometry is fabulous.

Replacement looms, but I want to keep the ride height stock as I live down a 1/2 mile rural track. Almost all the web threads I have found relate to lowering. I have found a few mentions of the Koni FSD damper which needs stock springs to work on a 996. Has anybody gone this route? feedback would be very welcome if so. Or alternative suggestions?

As an aside my stock springs have probably compressed somewhat with age, so I may already be much closer to MO30 ride height than stock. But I dont really want to be any lower. The car is for road not track, and I want to improve both compliance and control.

Many thanks!

[jkh112]

Can't answer your question directly but I can comment on the mo30 kit. At a similar mileage I replaced my standard suspension with a full mo30 kit. As you thought, the reduction in ride height was minimal. The damping is significantly better than with the tired originals.

[gordonc]

send ur dampers to Bilstein around £100 a corner new piston and seals much cheaper than new ones and just buy springs to suit

[Jimbo965]

I've got a set of Bilstein B6 fitted to 996tt which is the same as X73 option. Cost about 1000 euro plus fitting.

By the way the original set was sent back to Bilstein in Leicester for service and calibration check which only cost just over £200.