anyone else think their car needs lowered?

[Perfectlap]

if you are going to do a suspension mod...do a suspension mod.

if you have the means go with a full kit, new shocks and springs. On an expensive car like this I wouldn't consider anything other than coilovers which allow you to adjust the ride height. If you pass up on the coilover kit you are stuck at the ride height which you may not like at all.

I had a very experienced mechanic I once used refuse to install a set of eibach springs on a previous sports car on principle. He said there is no point in having to do all this labor, re-align the car and then face the possibility that the ride may be all wrong. You need to do some proper driving in a similar car with the exact set up you are considering before you pull the trigger.

Also, lowering a car that is often driven on public roads, particular one on 18" wheels and higher, is going to take a toll on your car. All the joints and connections through out the car will slowly start to loosen. The car will start to rattle and before you know it things are starting to break. If your car is a Sunday driver with few miles clocked in a year its probably safe. But if you drive that thing allot know what you are doing. Lowering a car is not a cosmetic adjustment, its a performance mod. Needs to be tested on the road before you make a change that you will be stuck with or have to pay allot of labor to undo.

[David_J]

Not lowering a car is like not putting braces on your kids teeth when they have big gaps.

If you're going to do it, do it right. Go with coilovers. Yes just adding springs will give you the better look and a slight increase in performance, but adding coilovers will be a night and day difference in ride quality and handling.

I spend just under $4k out the door for Cross coilovers, installation, alignment, corner balance, and tax. Well worth it in my opinion.

-David

[Perfectlap]

That sounds a bit high. How much did you pay for the CC's?
You can get a set of Bilstein PSS9's installed for under $3K with alignment--
and if you're lucky they'll let you sit in it during the alignment.

I'm definitely going this route when it comes time to swap out the shocks and springs.

[David_J]

I think the suspension was like $2700-2800. Then the labor, alignment, and corner balance was another $700-800. Then tax was another $300-320 or so.

I could have gone with the PSS9s, but I wanted something a little higher end. I autocross the car and was looking for that extra edge over all the cars with PSS9s.

Not overpriced in my book. Yes I could have gotten the suspension for cheaper online, but cheaper is not always better. I purchased them and had them installed from one of the few distributors in the US. The customer service was top notch, and that itself is worth more $$$ in my book.

-David

[SD987]

I'm surprised that the way you're addressing what you describe as the "big gap between the tires and fenders" is by lowering the car rather than getting 19 inch tire/rims, which I think is what Jeff Squire was getting at. My previous base 987 had the 17" OEM rims and that gap you're alluding to was horrendous (not to mention that the 17" rim design is pretty uninspiring). I would agree that while not as bad, the gap is still present with the OEM 18" rims you have. The 19" (Carrera S) wheels on my current car eliminate that gap and make the car appear lower (although the rim design remains uninspiring).

The 987 wheel wells are designed to look flush, and therefore more appealing, with the 19" upgraded tires that Porsche sells for that model, just as the 986 with 16"s looks like poo when compare to the upgraded 18" wheels.

PASM, which I have, lowers the car by 10mm (just shy of half an inch) and anyone who tells you that they can spot a car with PASM from the outside is pretty much FOS (a non-Porsche acronym), so I don't think lowering your car by that amount will achieve the effect you're looking for.

As far as how the car feels on the inside, compared to its competitors, Im curious what your reference point is, as both the SLK and Z4 "feel" like you're riding higher, than in the 987.

[z12358]

Originally Posted by SD987

I'm surprised that the way you're addressing what you describe as the "big gap between the tires and fenders" is by lowering the car rather than getting 19 inch tire/rims, which I think is what Jeff Squire was getting at. My previous base 987 had the 17" OEM rims and that gap you're alluding to was horrendous (not to mention that the 17" rim design is pretty uninspiring). I would agree that while not as bad, the gap is still present with the OEM 18" rims you have. The 19" (Carrera S) wheels on my current car eliminate that gap and make the car appear lower (although the rim design remains uninspiring).

The 987 wheel wells are designed to look flush, and therefore more appealing, with the 19" upgraded tires that Porsche sells for that model, just as the 986 with 16"s looks like poo when compare to the upgraded 18" wheels.

Getting the 19" rims will not increase the diameter of wheel (the rim + tire combo), as 17", 18" and 19" rim + tire combos produce wheels of about the same overall diameter. Actually, the diameter of the 18" wheels (rim + tire) is slightly larger than the diameter of the 19" wheels.

The only way to fill out the gap without lowering is by using a larger diameter wheel. This means getting larger profile (vertically fatter) tires than recomended for each particular rim size. This will actually raise the car a bit but will fill the wheel well better. This will also affect the suspension, and the speedo and odometer measurements as they have not been calibrated for these larger diameter wheels.

Z.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Thanks for all the ideas.


I went onto bilstein's website and there are some adjustable suspensions w/ shocks & springs for the boxster (not sure if it has coilovers) or not, but there was also no price on the site.



The idea of 19" wheels and fatter tires seems logical, but I worry about adding too much unsprung weight. Lightweight 19" wheels will be VERY expensive!


Can I buy and use coilovers independently or do I need to replace multiple suspension parts?


Adjustable ride height does make sense. I wish I had PASM but I don't :-(

[z12358]

Bilstein PSS9 is a complete adjustable height solution. I have heard many good reviews about it and it is widely used by Porsche enthusiasts. It costs about $2k + installation, more or less.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Interesting debate and no one answer will fit all owners. As I see it, there are really only 3 reasons to lower the car, each has it's own merits and drawbacks:

• A. To make a better Track car by lowering the CG.
  
  B. For the aesthetics, to remove any wheel well gap.
  
  C. It's the one area where you haven't modded the car.

For A., lowering the car also lowers the CG, decreases body roll and weight shift, which reduces the inside wheel's potential for lift. But, suspension travel is also reduced altering the ride quality. Notice I didn't say negatively altering ride quality because this is somewhat subjective. What some may deem too harsh or jarring, others appreciate as more feedback or tauter feel.

B. while reducing the wheel well gap, will also alter ride quality in addition to reducing ground clearance, which on a primarily street driven car could have some inherent negatives (which one may well be willing to assume) such as grounding out or not clearing obstacles. Be sure to re-aim your headlights if you do.

C. for some people is an obsession. They are never done. So, after Wheel, Tire, Intake, Exhaust, Interior, Sound System and the like are completed, this may be the only remaining area to be modded. Perfectly OK, it's their car, their money; Porsche even recognizes owners desire to customize their car(s) and encourages it.

There have been a few reports of people lowering the car and regretting the results, while many others praise this mod. The smartest thing is to objectively evaluate what you want from the car and how you use it. This may mean that lowering doesn't make sense for you, or maybe it does. If it does, people will often use any, or some combination, of all 3 reasons to justify it.

For me, it doesn't make sense to do it (already have 18" Turbos and am satisfied with it's appearance, don't Track this car), but it did make sense for one of my other cars (for some of each reason - A., B., & C.).

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99