h&r shocks and gemballa springs?? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

kyle986driver · 09-12-2006, 04:18 PM

hey guys, after my last autocroos(4th one) i am considering doing some suspension work to eliminate some body roll. I have found a set of brand new gemballa lowering springs for about $150. I have also found a USED set of H&R coil over shocks for about $400. After watching videos of my runs i see that my car hardly squots at all but dives like crazy when hard on the brakes. So what are your guys two cents? I have some concerns with buying used shocks, but the price is so good its worth it to me to look into it. The seller says there is about 2400 miles on the shocks. Thanks

Sammy · 09-13-2006, 06:17 AM

Stiffening, my friend, is not always the answer (sometimes it is, but not always)... There is a finely tuned balance between the components of the chassis that shifts the weight to the right places at the right time. My friend is finding out the hard way with his 240SX that he spent a lot of money on a turbo and complete coilovers and the bottom line is he doesn't the rubber to make it work. He is running Goodyear F1's but they just don't have the traction needed to really take advantage of what he did with his car. I personally believe he needs some wide competition tires, possibly slicks, to make this thing kick some arse!

I am also looking to improve the handling performance of my car for autocrosses, but I am going to begin with wheels/race tires and strut braces and then go from there.

I'm sure a few people will hop on and tell you to get more experience first seeing that you've only done 4 autocrosses.

Perfectlap · 09-13-2006, 11:53 AM

do not under any circumstances buy used shocks. I've had brand new ones fail on me after only a few months. Getting the Porsche back on the lift to replace a blown shock will cost you a needless expense.

I also don't recommend trying to figure out your own suspension. Call a Porsche tuner in your area (Maybe ask Brumos Porsche for a recomendation) and ask what they have that maybe you can check out and drive or if they've done recent work on a Boxster. But do this only after you've gotten in about 12 events.
After your first full season you should add up your experience and consider new tires and such. The tires are the key, put your dollars there and you could shave as much as two seconds a lap, which in Autocross is enourmous. Maybe a set of harness belts too. Being glued to the seat takes weight off the steering wheel which aids concentration.

The factory set up from Porsche on sticky tires is more than enough to get you fastest lap of the day without any mistakes on your part. When you reach the absolute limit (consistently within half a second of the quickest time in your class)
then consider modifying beyond tires.

P.S.
check out the EVOLUTION driving school. They are based out of central Florida.
Well worth the $350 or whatever they are charging.

MNBoxster · 09-13-2006, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

do not under any circumstances buy used shocks. I've had brand new ones fail on me after only a few months. Getting the Porsche back on the lift to replace a blown shock will cost you a needless expense.

I also don't recommend trying to figure out your own suspension. Call a Porsche tuner in your area (Maybe ask Brumos Porsche for a recomendation) and ask what they have that maybe you can check out and drive or if they've done recent work on a Boxster. But do this only after you've gotten in about 12 events.
After your first full season you should add up your experience and consider new tires and such. The tires are the key, put your dollars there and you could shave as much as two seconds a lap, which in Autocross is enourmous. Maybe a set of harness belts too. Being glued to the seat takes weight off the steering wheel which aids concentration.

The factory set up from Porsche on sticky tires is more than enough to get you fastest lap of the day without any mistakes on your part. When you reach the absolute limit (consistently within half a second of the quickest time in your class)
then consider modifying beyond tires.

P.S.
check out the EVOLUTION driving school. They are based out of central Florida.
Well worth the $350 or whatever they are charging.

Hi,

^ What he says...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

kyle986driver · 09-13-2006, 01:19 PM

ok thanks guys, what your saying is true. I am going to do the evo school as soon as i can. I have already thought about stickier tires, but have decide to wait a few more months of racing before i go that route. What you guys didnt say anything about is the lowering springs, i am considering these not only for the lower center of gravity and such, but because my car needs to be lowered on a looks stand point. It has 18 inch wheels and sits kinda high for my likeing. thanks for the help..

Sammy · 09-13-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyle986driver

ok thanks guys, what your saying is true. I am going to do the evo school as soon as i can. I have already thought about stickier tires, but have decide to wait a few more months of racing before i go that route. What you guys didnt say anything about is the lowering springs, i am considering these not only for the lower center of gravity and such, but because my car needs to be lowered on a looks stand point. It has 18 inch wheels and sits kinda high for my likeing. thanks for the help..

If you are just going for looks than do a search and I'm sure you'll find plenty of people that have asked the same question.

Using lowering springs for performance will "help" with the center of gravity and squatting issue but please keep in mind that lowering springs will almost always increase the stiffness (never heard of it not increasing stiffness but always is a strong word). This stiffness will affect the way your car handles and not necessarily in a good way. Chassis compliance is important in all types of racing and if stiff was always the way to go they would all take the shocks and springs out and run chassis similar to shifter karts. Even drag racing requires the car to squat to get the weight over the rear tires for better launchin.

I'm pretty sure that you'll find that in order to kick butt at autocrosses you'll need some race tires. I don't think I could do anything to my car that would allow me to keep up with high powered cars (like Vettes) that are running competition tires. I think stiffening without better rubber would simply make me more prone to spin.

kyle986driver · 09-13-2006, 04:12 PM

no, im not JUST going for the look, i also want that extra bit of stiffness. Thanks for the help

Sammy · 09-14-2006, 06:05 AM

I reread my posts and I should've put more smiley faces. I didn't mean to sound like it was a stupid idea because I am also looking to get more performance out of my car for the track. If you do decide to make the purchase please post your results as they would be valuable to someone like me who intends to get every little bit out of his Boxster without slapping on forced induction. I love the way this car handles, looks, feels, and with a little more power it would be hard to beat!

Regards,
Sammy

Perfectlap · 09-14-2006, 02:17 PM

The installation fee of lowering springs really makes me think they are not a good idea.
Its a crap shoot.
Once the car is dropped you are stuck with that ride height.
If you HATE it then you will have to get her back on the lift and swap out something else you do like. That's two install fees.
And one man's paradise is another man's night mare. Even if you drive the same I wouldn't put any stock into what another driver has to say about his ride quality.
Driving an expensive Sports car needs to be a precise experience.

My advice if you are set on lowering the car: Billstein PSS9 Coil overs.
Expensive but the 9 compresion and rebound settings and limitless ride height
combinations will turn your Boxster into a land shark. The only draw back is that you might get bumped up one notch into the CaymanS/CarreraS class and you'll have your work cut out for you to place above mid pack. Short of that Go to a local PCA event and ask to ride with a Boxster owner who opted against full coil overs and just went with the Eibachs.

also smaller/lighter wheels will make a bigger difference then a 1" - .5" lower ride height over a lap. I have the 20 pound carrrera 5 spokes with R compound tires an excellent combination. Anything under 20 pounds is a big help. But lighter tires is more beneficial than lighter wheels. Reducing moving weight is key.