Can Boxster 987 coilovers fit 986

[Steve Tinker]

A couple of questions for you suspension gurus....

1) A guy in the Porsche Club is selling a set of 4 Sachs Racing fully adjustable coilovers for a 987 Boxster/Cayman - anybody know if they will fit my 2001 986 Boxster S?

2) He is also selling a Tarrett Engineering front & rear swaybar kit including adjustable drop links to suit a 986/987. Again, has anybody had experience with this Tarrett combo - what benefits will I have if I fit just this kit to my standard Porsche suspension?

[alpinaturbo]

Hello
Seems nobody knew the answer, why the 987 suspension does not fit 986.

The answer is that:
1. Front hubs on 987 feature larger diameter where the strut fits into them, therefore 987 struts are larger in diameter and cannot fit into 986 front hubs.
2. Front sway bars are different.
3. Everything in the rear can be used between/fits both the 986 and 987.

Obviously, maybe swapping hubs from 987 onto 986 would to use 987 front struts on 986 chassis, but nobody has tried it and I think there were some changed that would require other components swap.

[Steve Tinker]

Thanks for the info Alpina - sure looks like you the only knowlegable one here....
Good job I held off buying them!

[Brad Roberts]

and.. the aftermarket JRZ's, Moton's, Ohlin's all ship with a sleeve to compensate for the difference in diameter. They made a shock for the Boxster/996 and just added a sleeve to the kit for the 987 upright


I knew the answer just haven't logged in for 6-8 months now



B

[Steve Tinker]

Thanks Brad - I used to look forward to your many comments a couple of years ago.....

[MOMO@SRT]

The suspension components on the top end are the same and directly bolt on; however, it is the wheel carrier end that does not bolt up, at all. Reason, the bottom of the strut for 987s is about 1/8" wider, hence, the bottom of the strut will not slip in between the 986 wheel carrier.

As a result, one would have to replace most, if not all, lower suspension components... from wheel carriers to hubs, bearings, etc. And even then, the 987 strut is still taller. By how much, I am not certain as I haven't had the opportunity to obtain this info nor measure the difference myself.

I am currently working on potential suspension swap solutions and will let everyone know as soon as I learn more. The main reason for becoming interested in such a inquiry is because not many manufacturers are including the 996 and 986 chassis to their modern suspension builds.

Moreover, the 987 and 997 are the closest parts for such a project and for the record, the 987 and 997 have stronger chassis and suspension components than the 996s and 986s, and if the parts were interchangeable, they would make a great update for 986 and 996 owners.

As an example, the attached image shows all the parts that would hypothetically need to be swapped out for the 987 suspension to fit onto a 986 chassis, but we should also remember that the total suspension length (end to end comparison) is still a big issue and geometric challenge (as I mentioned, the 987 strut is a tad bit taller, which can significantly make a world of difference in performance and ride quality).

I hope this information somehow helps those of you who are interested in this subject!

Happy New Year! Cheers, MoMo