GT3 sway bars??

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by JP-s-in st. louis

Does anyone know if the 996 front and rear sway bars will work and be an upgrade to a 986 Boxster.

TIA
Josh

It's probably not a great idea to get a set of bars that aren't designed for the specific car that you're putting them on. 911's have different weight distributions (and roll centers) than Boxsters and putting on bars set up for them will really mess with handling balance. The rear bar on a 911 will be pretty stiff when put on a Boxster, if it actually did fit. There are some really good factory and aftermarket sets out there that would probably be cheaper and work out better.

I'm very impressed with my M030 bars, the car is very neutral, tending a bit towards oversteer.

[easyc]

The front of the boxster is identical to that of the 996... so the bigger GT3 bar will work fine... big change in handling too... for the better. The Front GT3 bar is one of if not the best front Sway from the 986... I run one FWIW... the rear GT3 will not work though... there are other options though. HR, Tarrett, and others... you will probably will want to get new droplinks too.

[John V]

GT3 bar won't work at all.

The GT3 front bar is not a bolt-on solution. You need different endlinks because the GT3 bar doesn't have the bend in it that the stock Boxster / 996 bars do.

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Josh, I replaced my stock '02 sway bars with a set of the larger M030 ones. The flatness in cornering is dramatic at least by the seat of my pants. Great mod. Got a good deal at Sunset in Portland OR.

AKL

[JP-s-in st. louis]

I need to find out if I have the ROW suspension or not first I guess. Any clue on how I go about that task?

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by JP-s-in st. louis

I need to find out if I have the ROW suspension or not first I guess. Any clue on how I go about that task?

You could measure them. They should match the sizes listed here:

http://www.cb-racing.com/boxster_030.html

[easyc]

Check your option codes... or get under there and look for the part number on the sway bar themselves...

[John V]

Originally Posted by JP-s-in st. louis

I need to find out if I have the ROW suspension or not first I guess. Any clue on how I go about that task?

You wouldn't have the RoW suspension on your USA car, unless you or one of the previous owners installed it. Regardless, the RoW 030 sway bars are the same as the USA 030 sway bars.

In my experience the M030 bars don't really change the car that much. The GT3 bar is a pretty dramatic change, whether or not it's an improvement is a matter of personal opinion... but it is a drastic change.

[insite]

John's right that the GT3 bar is a dramatic change. even on its softest setting, it's a LOT stiffer than the M030.

as for fittment, you need the GT3 bar & bushings, but you also need adjustable drop links; the stock links are too long. they're available from Tarrett or TRG. i also have a couple of sets if anyone needs some (i made extras).

the rear GT3 bar from the 996 will not fit the boxster. i've found that the H&R rear pairs nicely with the GT3 bar for a base boxster. for the S, use the rear M030 'Base' (not s) bar. the H&R rear is a bit too stiff for a boxster S; you'll have trouble putting the power down out of the corners (unless you have an LSD).