considering new coilovers

[tonythetiger]

I have a 2001 MANUAL Boxster s with 100K and using the extra time at home to wrench.
Looking at replacing struts since the car is 20 years old and has original shocks. Honestly, everything is working OK from what I can tell. I replaced the suspension stuff in the rear a couple of years ago to eliminate the clunk I was getting at low speeds. Want some opinions, should I replace the shocks or leave well enough alone? Some of these coilovers are really good looking...will it make a difference?

[Racer Boy]

Whether you choose stock or coilovers, at 100K it's past due to refresh your suspension. It may feel fine now, but with a suspension rebuild, you will be amazed at how great the car drives.

[tonythetiger]

Originally Posted by Racer Boy

Whether you choose stock or coilovers, at 100K it's past due to refresh your suspension. It may feel fine now, but with a suspension rebuild, you will be amazed at how great the car drives.

I did the suspension rebuild and that stopped the clunking, I didn't change out the shocks...they seem to be working fine. Rebound and no bounce, etc. It's 2 grand and alignment so I'm polling to see if I will really see a difference or if I should wait until something is obviously wrong. I drive the car around town, never gonna race.

[Stroked & Blown]

I hear that the ROW M030 suspension setup is VERY good for road use and even part time track use.
I got a steal on Ksport coilovers a couple of years back. While they are great for autocross (especially after track alignment & corner balance) they are too stiff for daily driver use.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Stroked & Blown

I hear that the ROW M030 suspension setup is VERY good for road use and even part time track use.
I got a steal on Ksport coilovers a couple of years back. While they are great for autocross (especially after track alignment & corner balance) they are too stiff for daily driver use.

Yes, the M030 ROW or US spec is a really good upgrade

[tonythetiger]

Originally Posted by JayG

Yes, the M030 ROW or US spec is a really good upgrade

at around 3 grand, this isnt happening. :+)
I am looking more towards something like the yellowspeedracing setup. not sure they are real, but reviews have all been positive and they are also pretty goodlooking.

https://yellowspeedracingusa.com/collections/all/products/dynamic-pro-sport-coilovers-1997-2004-porsche-boxster-986

I would want to know that it will make a difference to what I feel now, because the stock stuff seems to be working just fine.

[jcp]

I’ll throw in this. I thought my original struts were just fine also.......until I pulled them out to change the bumpers. Two of them had lost their gas pressure and one of the fronts had lost much of its damping. I could feel a large difference between the weak one and it’s mate by putting them in a vise and pulling /pushing them through their travel. Replaced them with Koni Special Active struts front and rear. There is a very noticeable difference when driving. The car is much ‘tighter’’ feeling.

[tonythetiger]

Originally Posted by jcp

I’ll throw in this. I thought my original struts were just fine also.......until I pulled them out to change the bumpers. Two of them had lost their gas pressure and one of the fronts had lost much of its damping. I could feel a large difference between the weak one and it’s mate by putting them in a vise and pulling /pushing them through their travel. Replaced them with Koni Active struts front and rear. There is a very noticeable difference when driving. The car is much ‘tighter’’ feeling.

thank you...logic tells me they are past serviceable use, but it'll be 2 grand to sink into a 100K mile car. If several folks weigh in like you and share some life experience, I will probably come to the conclusion that it's worth it.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by jcp

I’ll throw in this. I thought my original struts were just fine also.......until I pulled them out to change the bumpers. Two of them had lost their gas pressure and one of the fronts had lost much of its damping. I could feel a large difference between the weak one and it’s mate by putting them in a vise and pulling /pushing them through their travel. Replaced them with Koni Active struts front and rear. There is a very noticeable difference when driving. The car is much ‘tighter’’ feeling.

I'll second this ^^^.

With 100K miles, I guarantee that your shocks are ready for replacement. When you take them off, you'll be able to compress them by hand.

The car will drive noticeably better with new shocks.

[edc]

A lot depends on your intended use and of course your preferences. For fast road use I prefer the Koni FSD over the M030. I've had old and new M030 and the FSD feels more composed over the bumpy stuff and just as if not more composed when you want to change direction quickly, brake hard and corner hard.

[tonythetiger]

Originally Posted by thstone

I'll second this ^^^.

With 100K miles, I guarantee that your shocks are ready for replacement. When you take them off, you'll be able to compress them by hand.

The car will drive noticeably better with new shocks.

Yep, I think that's enough convincing. I think I'm going with the yellowspeedracing setup, they look really cool and the feedback has been positive, but havent heard from anyone with a 986 that used them. The price is right and again I just drive around the neighborhood (spirited turning and the like, but not racing). I like that it is complete, mounts, hardware, adjustability and shiny yellow. The K sports look awesome also, but about 400 bucks more.

looks like I will button everything up, wait a month for them to come in and tackle that in the early summer. At least I know the bolts will come loose. I will have changed out clutch, IMS, exhaust, driveshafts, water pump, AOS, sparkplugs, tubes, coils, starter, thermostat, belts and any hoses that look dicey. Oh...and new tires, just because.
Doing the IMS today and maybe sliding the tranny back in. Waiting for the Fabspeed exhaust to arrive. That will give me a little time to scrub some of the grime off the underside, my shafts have been slinging grease for a few thousand miles.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by edc

A lot depends on your intended use and of course your preferences. For fast road use I prefer the Koni FSD over the M030. I've had old and new M030 and the FSD feels more composed over the bumpy stuff and just as if not more composed when you want to change direction quickly, brake hard and corner hard.

I went for the Koni FSD (currently known as the "Special Active" now) over the M030 as well. A lot of the 993 and 964 folks often track their cars running the Koni FSD/Special Actives and have great results without having to sacrifice comfort on the street. I'm happy with my setup.

[Escy]

I'm running Yellow Speed Racing on my 986. They are great value for money.

[Stroked & Blown]

Originally Posted by tonythetiger

at around 3 grand, this isnt happening. :+)

These kits WERE running at $1k.
Looks like they can still be had for $1,700 but at that point you are getting into PSS9 territory (but that doesn't include swaybars).
https://www.********************************************** ******.com/product/SKU986PROMO.html
edit: replace asterisks with
sun coast parts
(no spaces)

[tonythetiger]

[QUOTE=Escy;616962]I'm running Yellow Speed Racing on my 986. They are great value for money.

how long have you been running them and are they holding up? I'm a street driver, although VERY spirited. I dont like a harsh ride but expect to feel the road and the car to stiffen somewhat.
the others I run across in the bargain bin are godspeed (800 bucks) and ksport (1200 bucks). I could go either way or stay in the middle. Ive seen some reviews on the godspeed and some folks say they fail after a few years.

BTW, These look great; I'm sure everyone would like to hear more about them.

I'll look again at the M030 and Koni option. It looks like with these options I am reusing the springs and hardware, but Koni are also on sale at pelican. I guess I am gambling that my springs are serviceable and still equal across the corners, no uneven sagging?

Thx

[tonythetiger]

Stroked...thank you for the link. that is a good price for the M030 upgrade. Something to consider.

[Racer Boy]

I put Bilstein Sport dampers and ROW M030 springs on my 2002 2.7, and am pretty happy with it. Much firmer than stock, but they aren't harsh. The car now sits slightly lower, but it's not really that noticeable.

Since I am cheap, I didn't replace the sway bars, but I did put a used Cayman rear bar on. It is now a bit easier to point the car with the throttle on track. In street driving you don't notice much difference.

[mipstien]

I found these this morning while searching. The thing that caught my attention was the remote 40mm air rise and lower.
https://ceika-store.com/products/ceika-type-1m-coilover-kit-for-porsche-986-boxster-96-04?variant=16318692753472&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2PP1BRCiARIsAEqv-pTwSxqmM2r4frBoBTF4UHqH1BtAIhmjYYPCMkqqrKfCZ4E-OULm_80aAjVlEALw_wcB

[Van914]

You can check out
coiloverdepot.com

[tonythetiger]

YEP...Pulled the trigger on the yellowspeed...I was almost going for the KSport, then at check out they nickel and dimed me on tax and shipping...sad, they were 200 bucks more already, which I accepted, then...so if KSport ends up reading this, that's why you found my cart full, sitting in an aisle.