dak911

Our "new" to us 06 997S Cab rides very hard....19" Conti Sport 3 (N1) tires 05-09 vintage....I have the pressures at 29 front 34 rear now but still rides hard.
This is a garage "toy" used on weekends, in South FL, basically smooth roads.
What do I need to do the make this acceptable.
I remember back to the 911 days when I liked the 15" over the 16's for "ride" quality...do I need to change wheels or tires to a "softer tire"?

mdrums

Stock pressure cold for a 2006 C2S is 33 front/39 rear.

It's a sports car with a stiff suspension, they ride a little rough. If the tires are old or have 15,000+ miles they car can ride rougher than with new tires. Also if the car has high miles 40k + the stock PASM shocks could be worn out.

Not to sound mean or disrespectful but if you are looking for a plush ride the Carrera is NOT the car for you.

dak911

mdrums
"Not to sound mean of disrespectful but" not everyone is a DE or Autocross driver...some of "us" just like a nice ride in a nice car.
This is my 6th 911 from 74 thru 87 plus a couple of Boxsters, a Kremer 87 Targa with a 3.2 FI engine they built to ?? HP, a 64 cabrio and even a replica Speedster with a hot 4 cylinder.
Oh yes and back a "few years ago" I even raced BugEye Sprites...probably way before your time... but not to be mean or.....

TommyV44

kyrocks

^^
Ahh, once again the old guy cruisin' wash my car get all the scratches out person vs. the younger (at heart) thrill seeking harsh ride racer person. How fun.

Hella-Buggin'

stupid question, but, you're not in sport mode with the stiff PASM suspension setting are you?
A cab will be a stiffer ride than a coupe but I just did about 300 miles in mine this weekend with the wife
and two five year old in the car. Was it squishy?, nope, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

mdrums

Geesh...just trying to help.....hence the statment "not trying to be disrespectful"....so since you know it all old man...good freakin luck! I'm done offering advice.

simsgw

The biggest issue that pops right out at me is those tires. Sports cars are very sensitive to the tires. They are an important part of the handling and when they age, they wreak havoc on the ride. Any newer tires would help, but I can endorse the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Cindy had a bad stroke a few years ago and I could tell she was suffering with the original tires on my Carrera. (Not that she'd say so, having owned an NSX as her last sports car. I had to judge from the flinches and 49 years experience reading her reactions.) The Michelin PSS tires are much more comfortable.

As a side benefit that may not matter to your family, they handle better and the grip levels are higher than the Pilot Sport 2 model.

After a track day of elaborate testing, I'd suggest those tires and running them at pressures of 34/37 for ordinary road use. People with less experience would be better off with 34/39 or 34/40, but it sounds like you have the background to avoid doing anything clumsy at the more balanced setting.

Gary

helispud

You might try going to 18" wheels. You can get a tire like the Bridgestone Serenity that will ride better. You must realize though such a tire is not N rated, not speed rated for the speeds your Porsche can generate, and might not have the appropriate load rating for the rear tires.

helispud

You might check out post #71 from this thread https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...06-997s-4.html

alpine-al

QUOTE: ...when they age, they wreak havoc on the ride...

Another data point/opinion: I have the Conti Sport 2's on my 2007 C2 with cold tire pressures of 35 psi front and 42 psi rear. All four tires were manufactured in January 2006! The ride seems to be fine - even on the rough New England pavement.

The front tires will need to be replaced in the spring. Now I've got a reason to replace all four tires (due to havoc being wreaked on the ride). Although my wife might not buy that, she says it's a "comfortable ride" even after a few 200 miles rides. We're both over 50.

w00tPORSCHE

+ 1 for that. Mdrums was honestly trying to help out with his first reply. Geez. BTW, changing tires will certainly help if they have aged.

Edgy01

Before changing wheel sizes my money is on the tire age and heat cycles. I purchased a set of used 18 inch Carrera wheels (997 type) that had Continentals on them and the things were terribly harsh compared to my Carrera Sports with Bridgestones. It was the multiple heat cycles of the Continentals. Try buying NEW tires. The Cabriolets deliver a great ride, and are nicer than the coupes. I'm glad I got a Cab this time instead of a coupe.

kyrocks

Buy a Cadillac. Smooth as butter on those FL roads...

ADias

PAG has been revising tire pressures (down):

2005 997.1 -- 33/39 PSI

2009 997.2 -- 34/39 PSI

2012 GTS -- 34/37 PSI (same weight/tires as 997S)

991 (above 160MPH) 31/39 PSI (same basic weight as 997S)

991 (below 160MPH) 31/34 PSI (same basic weight as 997S)

Note: all for light load (up to 2 people no luggage) and referenced to 68F.

Given those recs,and further private analysis, I use 33/37 PSI and all is good. When hot, my tires measure 37/42, which is just fine.

This is the 991 tire pressure label: