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Hey everyone!
I wanted to give back to the group a little after not finding too much information about Eibach's new lowering spring kit. The point of this post is to share some information and pictures with the group in case anyone is in a similar situation comparing options. I poked around on the interwebzzzz and looks like there were 3 popular options out there for springs: H&R, TechArt, and Eibach. After doing my research, it looks like these drop the car the most, the middle, and the least. I have a few other toys (heavily modified 996 turbo, mildly modified 997 c4s, panamera e-hybrid and a heehaw truck), so I wasn't looking to get too crazy, but the OEM ride height was just killing me! I have PDCC and PASM, and love the OEM features so did NOT want to go to a full blown coil-over setup. I have coil-overs on the turbo and 997 and know the slippery slope that comes with it. I'm sure I could spend 10x as much and get a nicer setup, but I doubt this car will see any HPDE events (ok...maybe 1 hehe) so I wanted to stick with just springs and retain the factory shocks for PASM. I have the DSC sport module, and absolutely love it as it makes the car much more comfortable in normal mode and a bit grippier in sport. In a perfect world, whatever option I went with would do a few things for me:
1. Lower the car a hair more, so it didn't look like an offroad vehicle
2. Not be super low where I'm dragging the front lip on everything
3. Not be super bumpy or ruin the ride quality
4. Improve handling characteristics when driven aggressively
5. Work with my existing PDCC and PASM setup
I ended up choosing Eibach because of their reputable brand, and i've used their springs / sway bars on other cars and been extremely pleased with their results. I've used H&R products before, but their springs for this car was too low for my liking. If you were wanting a more track focused setup, they may be a better option. The Techart kit looked great, but decided to go with Eibach as they lowered the car THE LEAST of the 3, and I was a hair more comfortable with the brand. I'll do my best to break this summary down into a few different sections so it's easier to digest. If you want the TL;DR, just scroll to the bottom now. If you want a ton of information, and pictures, keep reading.
THE BEFORE:
So let's start with how the car sat before I started. My build is a 991.1 S with PDCC and PASM. While I do enjoy getting in and out of steep driveways without cringing, I've driven lowered cars for decades now and the ride height was killing me, I think you can see why. The wheels are factory sized 20s, and run the factory size tire.
The Install:
I'm not going to go through a massive step by step, since there are tons of other links / DIYs for that, but thought I'd give my 2 cents on the install in hopes that the next person attempting to do this has. If this isn't for you, just pay a shop, and skip to the review section If you've done suspensions before, this isn't any harder. My best recommendation is to take a ton of pics as you go, of how everything goes together or comes apart in case you get stuck. I have a 2 post lift in my garage and wouldn't consider myself a talented tech, but the install took me a night to do solo with the appropriate tools. The fronts went extremely quick, I left the top hats where they were, and used the 21mm Schwaben strut nut socket to undo the shock from the top hat after unplugging the PASM connector. YOU WILL NEED this tool to do the fronts, though the rears you can get by with using a regular 19mm open ended socket. Schwaben offers a 19mm strut nut socket for this, I bought one, and it showed up 2 days after I was done installing the suspension...so go figure! I guess I have one for the next time I do a set! I unbolted 10mm brake line bracket, the sway bar end link (I have the PDCC option which may look differently than yours) and the bottom bolt/nut holding the shock in and lowered the carrier . After taping off the front fender, the shock compressed down far enough to gently slide the old spring out and the new spring in. The top hat bent back on and the shock went back into the top hat. ONE WORD of advice, is to make sure the rubber carrier which has two notches in it which fit inside the top hat. I had to loosen things up and twist this into place after I took the photo like a dunce...don't be like me, don't be a dunce
here is the correct orientation:
The rears took a bit more effort but still weren't overly difficult. The three 13mm nuts are easily accessible from the rear by folding the rear seats down and lifting the carpet / removing the foam. If you've installed a DSC sport controller (which I can't recommend enough) you know where these are. No special tools are needed to get to these bolts. I used a bottle jack to compress the spring and used some heavy duty zip ties to help compress the spring. I'm honestly not sure if this was absolutely necessary to remove, but certainly helped on the re-install b/c the shock clearance. There is an ABS sensor that should be unplugged as it's quite tight removing the shock. I marked the eccentric bolts, loosened one nut, and unbolted the lower arm to be able to pull the shock assembly out. I used a spring compressor to compress the spring, and remove the top 19mm nut while using a 9mm socket to hold the strut. This is where the Schwaben 19mm strut nut socket would be used but wasn't necessary...it would make the job easier however. Just like the fronts, there are notches in the foam that matches up with the notches for the top hat bolts. Make sure these are seated flush when you put everything back together. IMPORTANT: This next part was a bit of a risk, and I think it paid off well. The OEM PASM shocks are used on multiple vehicles, so there is a C clip that holds the rear spring perch and provides adjustment for height. There are also different part numbers on your shock which apparently have different settings. From the factory, mine was on the middle setting. I didn't find any information on this as to what to do with it, but based off of feedback from others that have lowered the car they suggested lowering this to the bottom clip, so I did. The pictures / stance you see I think confirms this was the right move. Apparently people have compressed the springs enough while the suspension is in the car enough to move this, but there is little room in the rear (especially for a spring compressor) so I would go ahead and just do this now. If you think my pics have the rear too low, then maybe only try dropping it 1 or none. Techart's instructions which I found on the internet said to leave it on the middle setting for my shock serial number / car, but I guess i'm a rule breaker.
THE RESULTS:
First let's take a look at what it actually did. I'm sure the car is still settling, but after a few minutes drive here is where the car sits now. Eibach claims .8" F and .5" rear, though I did lower the perch in the rear so that may be a hair off. From the factory, a PASM car (not S-pasm which is 10mm lower than factory) the heights are 28" rear and 27.5" front. This is from the ground to the middle of the fender arch. The new heights after being lowered are 27.5" rear and 26.75" front, so .5" drop in the rear and .75" in the front, PRETTY CLOSE to as advertised (again, with the lowered perch on the rear shock). Since I left the top hats alone in the front, the wheel drove straight, but still wanted to get an alignment. I opted for a more aggressive front camber setting though I think that's why my front wheel looks a little tucked. Here are the before and after alignment settings I used. We couldn't pull the right rear camber in any more, but maybe after it settles I can pull it in. Another project for another day. (If anyone's in the Cincinnati area, I had a great experience with Source One Automotive (huge NSX / performance guys), and they got me all setup. Couldn't say enough nice things about that place, the owner, and workers.)
before alignment but after spring install :
after alignment :
and now...the glamour shots...
aaaaaand some light painting shots...
aaaand some rolling shots
FINAL IMPRESSIONS: Ok, so you've made it this far, nice work! So what do I think? Well.. for one, I would absolutely do it again. I'm very happy with the spring rate, and the ride quality is very similar to OEM. I can tell it has springs so bumps are a hair more noticeable, but I doubt my passenger will tell the difference. I also have the DSC sport module, so your results may vary. Temperatures here in Cincinnati currently 50-55 so I haven't pushed the car 100%, but I can tell a nice improvement in the twisties. I would say the trade off of 10% stiffer ride is worth the 15-20% better performance and 100% better looks. I can't tell if it's my eyes, but if I had to make one suggestion to Eibach, it would be to raise the front JUST A PINCH. I'm not sure if the car looks lower in the front than the rear because of my more aggressive front camber, or desperate need for spacers up front now (LOL), but other than that I'd give them a 95 out of 100. I'd definitely buy them again.
I will leave you with some final spring rates. Here is what I currently know about the 991.1 platform vs eibach vs a few others. After reviewing this data, this would make sense that my ride is very similar to what it was before, but bites a little better in the corners.
This is all sourced from different rennlist and 6so posts so don't shoot the messenger, just sharing what research i've found. All numbers are in n/mm. If you want to convert to lb/in multiple it by 5.71111111
Basic 991.1 Carrera Chassis: 24 / 48 991.1 Carrera / Carrera S PASM Chassis: 28 / 62 (what I have) 991.1 Carrera / Carrera S PASM Sport Chassis: 33 / 108 (this is the one that's 10mm lower from factory)
Eibach: Front is progressive 22-32 and rear is progressive 46-70
991.1 GT3, 991.2 GT3, and 997 GT3-RS has rates of 45 and 120 * apparently there is some discussion on the .1 vs .2 rates as they moved to a progressive spring and lightened PASM load for .2 GT3, but for this post you get the idea
It’s interesting that you dropped the rear perch and still only achieved the stated drop. The springs next to each other look the same. I wonder if Eibach expects much more settling, especially since it’s progressive. In which case, will you be past your desired drop? And what effect on handling then?
It’s interesting that you dropped the rear perch and still only achieved the stated drop. The springs next to each other look the same. I wonder if Eibach expects much more settling, especially since it’s progressive. In which case, will you be past your desired drop? And what effect on handling then?
Great question, unfortunately I don't know the answers to those questions. I've been told springs don't really 'settle' too much after a lap around the block but I could be wrong. I imagine the effect on handling isn't going to change since they are progressive and will get 'stiffer' as you push them. My assumption is the engineers at Eibach tried to mimic the rake of the factory suspension, (which i've been told rake improves ride quality).
1st - I would like to say how really nice and super professional your post was. Must have spent a lot of time on this and I for one appreciated it. Lots of great knowledge shared with photos!
2nd - your car looks 1 million times better lowered!
3rd - i have SPASM and feel that this is very close to what I am running stock height - yours looks a smidge lower. I am afraid that going the Eibach way will essentially keep me at stock height since I have SPASM.
1st - I would like to say how really nice and super professional your post was. Must have spent a lot of time on this and I for one appreciated it. Lots of great knowledge shared with photos!
2nd - your car looks 1 million times better lowered!
3rd - i have SPASM and feel that this is very close to what I am running stock height - yours looks a smidge lower. I am afraid that going the Eibach way will essentially keep me at stock height since I have SPASM.
1. Thank you! Yeah it took a few hours lol...not to mention the nights shooting / editing etc. Hopefully it helps the next guy when they do a set!
2. Agreed! I'm re-falling in love with the car all over again at this point! Just hate the crummy weather now
3. If I had the SPASM I don't think I would lower it either. You also have stiffer rates, which is a nice bonus. If you ever feel like your ride is too stiff check out the DSC sport controller.
Thanks for the great writeup. And super nice shots too!!. This is so timely for me...I literally just ordered Eibach springs a few days ago for the same reasons you stated. I know most members here prefer H&R or Techart, but I have used Eibach in past cars, so I know they're pretty good. Can't wait for them to get here. It'll be a nice little winter project from me.
Thank you for this thread! Those zip ties give me an idea that I think will work I need to lower my rear spring perch and was too afraid to try to do it with compressing the spring with a pryer like some have done. The spring compressor won't fit.... This should work!
Thank you for this thread! Those zip ties give me an idea that I think will work I need to lower my rear spring perch and was too afraid to try to do it with compressing the spring with a pryer like some have done. The spring compressor won't fit.... This should work!
I would recommend MORE than I used, start from the bottom spring and go ALL THE WAY to the top spring.You'll need longer zip ties that I used. The goal would be to compress the spring enough that you could lift it higher and undo the clip. Check this video out. The car is on the lift, there is a screw jack underneath of the shock, and i'm lowering the car so it's un-compressing the shock/spring.
I used these zip ties, and think you could go a little heavier / longer. If I was in there messing around i'd get as much zip ties in there as you could
I would recommend MORE than I used, start from the bottom spring and go ALL THE WAY to the top spring.You'll need longer zip ties that I used. The goal would be to compress the spring enough that you could lift it higher and undo the clip. Check this video out. The car is on the lift, there is a screw jack underneath of the shock, and i'm lowering the car so it's un-compressing the shock/spring.
I used these zip ties, and think you could go a little heavier / longer. If I was in there messing around i'd get as much zip ties in there as you could
I think 7 of these should be good per string? 1225 pounds of tensil strength. That's more than double the spring pressure. I'll just lower the car with some wood under the spring or even rotor, attach and raise.
I think 7 of these should be good per string? 1225 pounds of tensil strength. That's more than double the spring pressure. I'll just lower the car with some wood under the spring or even rotor, attach and raise.
If i'm sticking my head in there, I just want to make sure it's not going anywhere The more the merrier when it comes to safety!
Awesome thread! Not only the info and the opinions, but the clear, well-lit, correct angle photos too. My man brought his strobes and light wand out for this.
So many spring threads include a potato picture taken in a dark garage where you cant tell if it's a wheel or a blown over garbage can.
Oh and the pic will be around post #30 after multiple requests, and the OP telling folks, "I'll take a pic tomorrow".
1st - I would like to say how really nice and super professional your post was. Must have spent a lot of time on this and I for one appreciated it. Lots of great knowledge shared with photos!
2nd - your car looks 1 million times better lowered!
3rd - i have SPASM and feel that this is very close to what I am running stock height - yours looks a smidge lower. I am afraid that going the Eibach way will essentially keep me at stock height since I have SPASM.
I went from PASM Sport to Techart and I dropped about .75" all around just upon initial installation. May have lowered even more. Just in case you wanted some feedback. I also put mine on the lowest position on the perch.
Awesome thread! Not only the info and the opinions, but the clear, well-lit, correct angle photos too. My man brought his strobes and light wand out for this.
So many spring threads include a potato picture taken in a dark garage where you cant tell if it's a wheel or a blown over garbage can.
Oh and the pic will be around post #30 after multiple requests, and the OP telling folks, "I'll take a pic tomorrow".
I ended up trying the zip tie method on the rears of my .2 GTS with PASM Sport and the zip ties broke. I guess I got ****ty ones.
End of the day, I didnt even need them. My strut slipped right out after I disconnected 3 arms. Maybe since it was a PASM Sport spring? Who knows. I wasted some time trying to make something work that didnt even help me!
11-30-2020, 06:28 PM
991.1S Eibach lowering springs review / professional pics / WALLPAPER CONTENT INSIDE
If you've done suspensions before, this isn't any harder. My best recommendation is to take a ton of pics as you go, of how everything goes together or comes apart in case you get stuck. I have a 2 post lift in my garage and wouldn't consider myself a talented tech, but the install took me a night to do solo with the appropriate tools. The fronts went extremely quick, I left the top hats where they were, and used the 21mm Schwaben strut nut socket to undo the shock from the top hat after unplugging the PASM connector. YOU WILL NEED this tool to do the fronts, though the rears you can get by with using a regular 19mm open ended socket. Schwaben offers a 19mm strut nut socket for this, I bought one, and it showed up 2 days after I was done installing the suspension...so go figure! I guess I have one for the next time I do a set! I unbolted 10mm brake line bracket, the sway bar end link (I have the PDCC option which may look differently than yours) and the bottom bolt/nut holding the shock in and lowered the carrier . After taping off the front fender, the shock compressed down far enough to gently slide the old spring out and the new spring in. The top hat bent back on and the shock went back into the top hat. ONE WORD of advice, is to make sure the rubber carrier which has two notches in it which fit inside the top hat. I had to loosen things up and twist this into place after I took the photo like a dunce...don't be like me, don't be a dunce 
I need to lower my rear spring perch and was too afraid to try to do it with compressing the spring with a pryer like some have done. The spring compressor won't fit.... This should work!
