Need advice on suspension-
#31
06-08-2007, 01:35 AM
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Originally Posted by p0rsch3
Ok so I FINALLY got some time since purchasing my pcar to take a long drive and see what she could do.
Car was a joy to drive, except when I got up to 90+ mph. (If there are any SoCal law enforcement folks here...I was only going 65, honest!
)
Car got very floaty and hitting the 45mph freeway onramp sweepers at speeds I would normally take them at in my Dinan 330i (80-90mph) was less than confidence inspiring (to put it mildly).
Even at lower speeds, any sort of dip or road imperfection in a corner had my car washing around like a stock ricer and me muscling the wheel to keep her in check. I was surprised to say the least, since I figured the OEM suspension would be a bit more capable.
What do you all suggest to eliminate this problem while not adding too much harshness to the ride?
Will a set of progressive springs / shocks (HR + Bilstein, PSS9, etc) do the trick or will I also need to consider other component changes?
Car was a joy to drive, except when I got up to 90+ mph. (If there are any SoCal law enforcement folks here...I was only going 65, honest!
)Car got very floaty and hitting the 45mph freeway onramp sweepers at speeds I would normally take them at in my Dinan 330i (80-90mph) was less than confidence inspiring (to put it mildly).
Even at lower speeds, any sort of dip or road imperfection in a corner had my car washing around like a stock ricer and me muscling the wheel to keep her in check. I was surprised to say the least, since I figured the OEM suspension would be a bit more capable.
What do you all suggest to eliminate this problem while not adding too much harshness to the ride?
Will a set of progressive springs / shocks (HR + Bilstein, PSS9, etc) do the trick or will I also need to consider other component changes?
PSS9' are a good start for a daily driven car that isnt going to be lowered to much ( 1" -1.25") otherwise you start riding on the internal bump stops and the ride pretty much gets worse from there on out.
If you are going to track the car there are other options such as Moton, JRZ, Ohlins etc.
We specialize in suspensions and set up. I would be happy to go over and explain a few options for you, feel free to give me a call at the shop anytime.
Regardless of who you get the suspension from or work done at, find someone who knows what they are doing . There are way to many so called "tuners" out there who have no business touching cars let alone installing suspensions.
#32
06-08-2007, 01:58 AM
Originally Posted by newport996
PSS9s will do it without ANY additional harshness...while lowering the car as well.....best mod I have done...
#34
06-08-2007, 08:58 AM
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so it would seem after further investigating that my biggest issue is with excessive bump steer in higher-speed corners. Is this due to just having crappy shocks / springs or could there be other component issues at play here?
Thanks all for your input and knowledgeable feedback-
Thanks all for your input and knowledgeable feedback-
#35
06-08-2007, 10:14 AM
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Originally Posted by UCrazyKid
My stock shocks had 29K on them when I pulled them off. No leaks, working as they should and they sucked. The stock shocks are manufactured by Boge.
The ride you are describing in your original post is exactly what my car rode like until I swapped out the suspension. (float, body roll, harsh, noisey)
I guess suspension quality is all relative. It depends on what you came from . I had been driving a S2000 for the previous 5 years and it was head and shoulders above the stock carrera suspension.
The difference between M030 and ROW M030 is simply ride height. The ROW sits ~10mm lower.
We get into this arguement here all the time, but I will just state my opinion. The PSS9 is a great system, but for your interest I think it is overkill. Yes they are adjustible, but it doesn't sound like you are going to be doing any tracking. The PSS9 will cost about $2000 plus install with ride height, and corner balancing and you still don't have swaybars with it. The ROW M030 kit comes with new springs, shocks, swaybars and bushings for ~$1100. Installation does not require corner balancing. The trade off is that it is not adjustible. But seriously how often are you going to pull out your subwoofer and pull up the carpet to get to the rear adjusters? Or pull out your torx driver set to remove the plastic covers over your front struts to adjust the them?
All a matter of personal preference I supose. Whatever route you choose you will be amazed how your Porsche will be transformed by changing the suspension. It is possible to get superior handling without sacraficing ride quality.
The ride you are describing in your original post is exactly what my car rode like until I swapped out the suspension. (float, body roll, harsh, noisey)
I guess suspension quality is all relative. It depends on what you came from . I had been driving a S2000 for the previous 5 years and it was head and shoulders above the stock carrera suspension.
The difference between M030 and ROW M030 is simply ride height. The ROW sits ~10mm lower.
We get into this arguement here all the time, but I will just state my opinion. The PSS9 is a great system, but for your interest I think it is overkill. Yes they are adjustible, but it doesn't sound like you are going to be doing any tracking. The PSS9 will cost about $2000 plus install with ride height, and corner balancing and you still don't have swaybars with it. The ROW M030 kit comes with new springs, shocks, swaybars and bushings for ~$1100. Installation does not require corner balancing. The trade off is that it is not adjustible. But seriously how often are you going to pull out your subwoofer and pull up the carpet to get to the rear adjusters? Or pull out your torx driver set to remove the plastic covers over your front struts to adjust the them?
All a matter of personal preference I supose. Whatever route you choose you will be amazed how your Porsche will be transformed by changing the suspension. It is possible to get superior handling without sacraficing ride quality.
Nice post, BUT somwhat inacuurate....Install on PSS9's is CHEAPER as they come in one piece and go in that way...shocks and springs need to be installed seperately....so the coilover install is cheaper and faster...my install including 2 alignments was $450. To adjust they are on the top of the rear, the bottom on the front...in my cab, I need ZERO tools and it takes under 5 minutes....I have done it a few times. For LA streets this is the best setup and if you dont track your car, you can set it fairly soft and have a BETTER than stock ride....I have NEVER tracked my car, but its the best mod I have done, IMO.....
#36
06-08-2007, 10:18 AM
Originally Posted by newport996
PSS9s will do it without ANY additional harshness...while lowering the car as well.....best mod I have done...
#37
06-08-2007, 11:31 AM
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Originally Posted by newport996
Nice post, BUT somwhat inacuurate....Install on PSS9's is CHEAPER as they come in one piece and go in that way...shocks and springs need to be installed seperately....so the coilover install is cheaper and faster...my install including 2 alignments was $450. To adjust they are on the top of the rear, the bottom on the front...in my cab, I need ZERO tools and it takes under 5 minutes....I have done it a few times. For LA streets this is the best setup and if you dont track your car, you can set it fairly soft and have a BETTER than stock ride....I have NEVER tracked my car, but its the best mod I have done, IMO.....
#38
06-08-2007, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by UCrazyKid
Newport, Thanks for the clarification. My comments were based on a coupe. True that the PSS9's come pre-assembled and are easier to install because of that, but there is added work to set the ride height and do the coner balancing. In contrast the x74 kit comes pre-assembled as well, but does not need to be adjusted for ride height (fixed height) and cannot be corner balanced. x74 also uses Bilstein struts so ride quality will be similar.
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