Rear End Feel
 

When I'm pushing my Box really hard around turns the rear end has this floaty feeling that I HATE. It doesn't kick out and spin out the car or anything but I just can't stand the feeling...it doesn't inspire confidence by any means. I'm trying to take care of this before I perform any other mods to the car.

I recently went from 9" wide wheel in the rear w/ a 265 on it to a 10" w/ a 275 mounted,helped but didn't resolve my issue completely.

I'm thinking a Technobrace is a good start and if that's not it I will try a RoW 030 5-spd rear sway bar(it's thicker than the 6-spd Row spec).

Anyone else care to chime in? Anyone else get this feeling when pushing their Box? Could this just be me not used to the extra +50hp that this 986 S had over my old base 986?

Thanks in advance! Have a great Easter!

I went from a 99 to an 00S. I think I know what you mean. I installed the brace system (discussed here) and it helped. FWIW, from what I've read about sway bars, the general rule of thumb is to loosen the end (front or rear) that's not sticking, and tighten the other end. When I get around to replacing sway bars, my plan is to go with something that's adjustable such as the HR's, the GT3, or the Weltmeister.

Are you referring to the Mantis bar or Technobrace?

I you have a floaty rear end, putting a stiffer sway bar is not the fix. A stiffer sway bars is to reduce roll/lean. IMHO I believe your shocks and struts may be worn if you are getting a floaty feeling. This is because as you lift off on the throttle the weights shifts forward and as you put the throttle on the weight shifts to the rear and if your shocks and struts are worn this weight shifting is more evident.

On a different note, the technobrace helps keep your camber by reducing the stress between your suspension arms. This will help your car track better and reduce oversteer. I'm really impressed at how much it changed my cars handling. I used to be able to hit the throttle and be able to flick the rear end out. With the technobrace it just sticks and tracks no drama. I have not had enough practice with it to get some nice power slides, but maybe someday as I get better.

yup, my guess would also be bad shocks. they are either blown, or well worn.


that is if we are interpreting "floaty" correctly.

I thought the Technobrace and the Mantis bar were essentially the same thing. What I've got is just as boxs2000 described.

Every Boxster I've driven has a bit of a floaty rear end. I think the shocks are valved so they're a bit compliant in rebound damping. I've driven cars with M030 and not, with new shocks and old(er) and they all feel about the same. I don't have a solution other than making sure the alignment is good and just getting used to it.

The advice given here is all good depending on the issue. Can you be any morespecific about the feeling that you are experiencing? Is it almost a rocking or a slipping or a skipping? I think "floating" may be a bit too vague to know the right corrective action.

It's not a skipping or rocking feel by any means. I just get a feeling that the rear end doesn't feel as in sync with the rest of the car when I'm driving hard around turns.

I've not noticed anything that I would describe that way in my car. These cars were pretty well regarded for their handling balance by the press right out of the box. I'd first go with the alignment suggestion and maybe play with tire pressure.

Rear control arms worn?

Rear wheel bearings worn?

I don't think anything is worn. I had a PPI done and my car has seen two mechanics,1 was a family friend who would have said anything if he saw anything wrong. All of which was done in the last 2k.

I'm just starting to think this is how the car is. I just thinks it's a combination of;

-extra power I'm not used to

-I'm just really on edge since I spun out my last Boxster

I'll push it really hard next time I'm driving, I just think I need to get used to it. The back end hasn't gotten loose on me,nor has it done anything that would seem unusual.

You should consider supporting your PCA autocross events. Its a great place to get some free driving tips, improve your driving and have a blast while doing it. It is also very safe so that when you do loose control, the worst that will happen is killing some cones, a few scuff marks that will usually buff out, and a bruised ego.

That is something I WILL do this season. I tried to make it to Alameda Point but was too crammed with Mid-Terms and such for college.

I experience two quirks with the rearend of my car. The first is similar to what you describe. It is most noticeable on the track just past the apex on a turn that requires a sharp turnin. The rearend does kind of a "jog". It comes right back but is a little unnerving. I have 17" wheels and the tires do have some sidewall flex which is what I have attributed most of this to.

Secondly, upon very hard acceleration the backend kicks to the side as I shift from first to second gear. You can really feel the torque from the drive wheel and again can be a little bit unnerving. I attribute this to the lack of a limited slip diffential. I have contemplated whether a LSD would also help with the first issue I described as well. Any thoughts from those who have LSD on how it changes the rearend feel? Is LSD a waste or would it help?

I experience this same problem... It is on the shifts, and especially moreso, on a downshift, that one side tends to squat more than the other. I was wondering if it had to deal with lack of LSD also. Recently I installed a set of adjustable aftermarket rear trailing arms (track arms, as some call them), with the spherical bearings rather than the OEM rubber bushings, and that seemed to have helped a little bit, but I still get some of that same feeling on the shifts/downshifts. I am wondering now, since the addition of the spherical bearing type arms helped to eliminate a bit of that play, that perhaps it could be an issue with the motor mount bushings perhaps? What do you guys think?

Hey Blinkwatt, I used to have that same feel on the rear end as well (based on what I interpret from your description). I added a Technobrace recently, and it really does wonders for these cars. Compared to the front and rear strut braces that I've added in the past, which, i did indeed notice an improvement on handling from... The Technobrace did so much more to improve handling. The rear feels extremely planted and solid, especially through turns and any sort of road imperfections. It inspires way more confidence to accelerate through turns, as the rear end just feels so much more solidly glued to the road.

I'll be posting a little review on the technobrace soon.

Hope this helps bro..

Chaudanova,

Where did you pick up the technobrace from?

Smart arse reply - - Does it feel "floaty" because you are lifting off the gas or eis it floaty even when you plant your foot on the gas? Could it just be the inherant weight transfer of cornering and, by lifting off the gas, also shifting the weight forward.. that makes the rear end feel light? just a thought ;)

Thumbs up on technobrace, I put it on and significantly reduce oversteer. The rear end just tracks no drama...although I kinda miss the little wiggle my car would do when accelerating hard out of a turn. You can get it from http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site/Products.html
simple design, perfect fit, easy install.