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Note I already have DSC. It's been amazing but I still want a bit more comfort. It does very well w high-frequency low-amplitude imperfections. But when it comes to nasty expansion joints in SoCal w 2"+ elevation change, there's not much DSC can do since the spring travel is limited. I just did a quick search on Tirerack and it doesn't show 19" wheels as an option for my car. Since mine's an S it's got slightly larger brakes than the base... so maybe 19s won't clear my brakes and therefore is not an option for me?
I guess another option is if I can find aftermarket option springs that is actually softer than my SPASM springs. Not sure if such thing exists.
not every single 19" wheel will fit but there are several to choose from still. I have 19" TE37's on my S and the brake clearance isnt the concern, it's clearing the rear LCA area so i had to use spacers because of the TE's inner barrel design.
BBS E88's will clear easy and will look awesome with meatier tires. you can do a search to see pics of 991.1/.2 with these and see if you like that look for yourself. the beefier sidewalls and switching to michelins will by itself help a ton too.
Thanks guys it sounds like swapping out to 19s w Michelins is the way to go! I've got standard brakes but do have Rear axle steering. I live in an apartment in LA so I'll have to find a shop that will let me keep my 20s until my lease is over. I took a look at my wheels and there's plenty of space for the brakes! Maybe even 18s will clear haha.
My understanding is that the normal DSC map goes from 5% to 80% so perhaps make it to like 0% to 30% so that it never stiffens up? I haven't tried any other mapping yet.
Well...since you confirmed you have rear axle steering-Tire Rack was right...**Most** 19's will not clear the arm in the back. On the front its no issue, but on the rear it is. Looks like you will have to stay with 20's unless you want to go with a custom set of 19's that will clear (I hear forgeline has some offerings that may work but are pricey). Another option is running a set of 992 base wheels which are 20s out back and 19's up front?
Well...since you confirmed you have rear axle steering-Tire Rack was right...**Most** 19's will not clear the arm in the back. On the front its no issue, but on the rear it is. Looks like you will have to stay with 20's unless you want to go with a custom set of 19's that will clear (I hear forgeline has some offerings that may work but are pricey). Another option is running a set of 992 base wheels which are 20s out back and 19's up front?
Thanks for catching that! I was actually searching for OEM 911 19s just now and looking at tires.
I can fiddle around w DSC to see if that'll give me sufficient comfort. I'll still consider spring swap but at that point is seems like changing to a different car may be the easier choice. I'm thinking either 992 base w 19/20, Ferrari Cali T, or perhaps an R8 will give me better comfort while still being very fun. Despite a mention earlier AMG GT has very rough ride (just because it's got GT in its name doesn't mean it's comfortable). The reason I got 911 in the first place is because it's one of the best combination of driving fun and comfort - but I underestimated my back issues and missed the SPASM portion on the option sheet. Because it's got PDCC it doesn't call out SPASM separately.
Thanks for catching that! I was actually searching for OEM 911 19s just now and looking at tires.
I can fiddle around w DSC to see if that'll give me sufficient comfort. I'll still consider spring swap but at that point is seems like changing to a different car may be the easier choice. I'm thinking either 992 base w 19/20, Ferrari Cali T, or perhaps an R8 will give me better comfort while still being very fun. Despite a mention earlier AMG GT has very rough ride (just because it's got GT in its name doesn't mean it's comfortable). The reason I got 911 in the first place is because it's one of the best combination of driving fun and comfort - but I underestimated my back issues and missed the SPASM portion on the option sheet. Because it's got PDCC it doesn't call out SPASM separately.
I test drove the AMG GT just before I bought my 991.2, and the ride was just as stiff. And I have SPASM on my 911. You may want to check with HRE. Perhaps they have (or could build for you) a 19" rear with an offset or rim width to fit the RWS. The sales guys are very technical and have a lot of options available.
Glad someone was observant enough to point out that rear-wheel steering is incompatible with 19s.
The one thing no one else will say is that you're better off with a different car. I still don't think that swapping out for 19s and/or PASM would give the results you're looking for, especially after already trying the DSC. It just seems like you're running from reality- if the car causes you physical discomfort, then it's unfortunate but there are options out there. My suggestion is this:
Well...since you confirmed you have rear axle steering-Tire Rack was right...**Most** 19's will not clear the arm in the back. On the front its no issue, but on the rear it is. Looks like you will have to stay with 20's unless you want to go with a custom set of 19's that will clear (I hear forgeline has some offerings that may work but are pricey). Another option is running a set of 992 base wheels which are 20s out back and 19's up front?
Thanks for asking and catching that...I got tunnel vision with 19's fitting and just assumed (yikes) no RAS!
RAS definitely limits the selection of 19" wheels in the back but thats also why i suggested BBS E88's. According to this thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1217...se-photos.html it looks like LWG has RAS and was able to fit 19" BBS E88's perfectly fine on his 991.2
RAS definitely limits the selection of 19" wheels in the back but thats also why i suggested BBS E88's. According to this thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1217...se-photos.html it looks like LWG has RAS and was able to fit 19" BBS E88's perfectly fine on his 991.2
I saw that thread... and I guess things are good with LWG's car as far as fitment is concerned... but does everyone here who's suggesting swapping to 19s honestly think they're going to somehow improve the ride quality by a tangible enough margin to make his discomfort go away? I know it doesn't translate very well on car forums but this is a serious question- I seem to be in the minority here in thinking that it won't result in a drastic change after he's already tried what I think most folks on here would suggest first- the DSC controller. I'm just not convinced it will make that much of a difference.
The Lexus though, I think is an actual solution, rather than thinking 1 inch of wheel diameter will somehow alter the suspension geometry enough to make his pain go away. The Lexus is built for comfort, the 911 is built for performance. Both cars can be comfortable and perform, but each has their area where they have a distinct advantage. I think people are getting tunnel vision on here... if someone is desperate enough to swap springs and/or tires, maybe they should deeply consider swapping the entire car, right?
I saw that thread... and I guess things are good with LWG's car as far as fitment is concerned... but does everyone here who's suggesting swapping to 19s honestly think they're going to somehow improve the ride quality by a tangible enough margin to make his discomfort go away? I know it doesn't translate very well on car forums but this is a serious question- I seem to be in the minority here in thinking that it won't result in a drastic change after he's already tried what I think most folks on here would suggest first- the DSC controller. I'm just not convinced it will make that much of a difference.
The Lexus though, I think is an actual solution, rather than thinking 1 inch of wheel diameter will somehow alter the suspension geometry enough to make his pain go away. The Lexus is built for comfort, the 911 is built for performance. Both cars can be comfortable and perform, but each has their area where they have a distinct advantage. I think people are getting tunnel vision on here... if someone is desperate enough to swap springs and/or tires, maybe they should deeply consider swapping the entire car, right?
Your point is valid. I suppose the answer is "it depends." How bad does the OP want to keep his 911 vs how much improvement does he need in order to be good. To the OP, I am in San Diego and have some 19's I can put on my car (also have 20's too) have PASM and own the DSC, if you want to try that out. Maybe try the 20's with PASM and see how it feels? It is not a soft ride but certainly softer than your ride. If you like it, maybe you can give me your S and I'll give you my base ;-).
Offer to test it out is serious if you want to give it a try...
Your point is valid. I suppose the answer is "it depends." How bad does the OP want to keep his 911 vs how much improvement does he need in order to be good. To the OP, I am in San Diego and have some 19's I can put on my car (also have 20's too) have PASM and own the DSC, if you want to try that out. Maybe try the 20's with PASM and see how it feels? It is not a soft ride but certainly softer than your ride. If you like it, maybe you can give me your S and I'll give you my base ;-).
Offer to test it out is serious if you want to give it a try...
This here is definitely a step in the right direction. At least he'd know for sure that it would deliver on his expectations before he'd have to go through with it. Really cool of you to offer a local opportunity for him to check it out.
And I do agree- if the goal here is to keep the 911 because it's his dream car and he'd rather have a 911 than any other car- then yes, jump through the hoops because there's an emotional investment. Totally get that. But if it's just about the experience of driving a fun car without inflicting physical discomfort, I think other cars could actually do better.
Put it this way- I LOOOOVE my 911, I wouldn't think for a second of actually trading it in for virtually any car, let alone a Lexus. But I've had back problems (sciatica) in the past that THANK GOD were dealt with through physical therapy... I'm here to tell you that driving was the LAST thing I wanted to do when I was going through that. But I recall that it was more tolerable in some cars than others. I had an E92 335i at the time, and I was fine for about 30 minutes at a time in that car even at its worst... but my brother's WRX was RUINOUS, I couldn't stand getting out of the driveway in that thing. I can honestly say that my 991.2 C2S with SPASM would have made my life a living hell if I still had that going on (although it is still better than a WRX...), and I personally would be at the Lexus dealership today to check out that LC 500.
Lots of good suggestions here. I owned a manual 981 Boxster for 5 years and my first 911 ownership experience was a 991.2 PDK C2S with SPASM, PDCC, RWS. My indie mechanic remarked at how firm the ride was but that was after he had pumped the tire pressure back up to settings noted on the door. I always kept the tire pressure set at comfort settings to minimize what I found to be a very firm ride compared to my lowered Boxster. Frankly, I drove the 911 for one season and after driving my Boxster during that time, I realized I missed the manual and open air experience (but not the loss of power). I replaced the C2S with a manual Targa 4 with 20” wheels and immediately noticed how much smother the ride was. The combination of C2S suspension “upgrades” compared to a car without them opened my eyes to how different the ride could be ... perhaps the heavier Targa played into this ? If it were me, I’d try the DSC module on what may be the OP’s dream car and if that didn’t work, perhaps seriously consider trading the car towards one that ticked more boxes whether it be another 911 or something else ...
Eibach is progressive (there is a debate about linear vs progressive) which means that for the things you're talking about it will be softer but for pushing the car, it compresses the "soft coils" leaving only the "stiff" coils to act like a regular spring. It's not incredibly dramatic but does add comfort. I have some 19" wheels that would fit but they'd need spacers if you're interested.
This is the best solution IMO.
Ive had every brand lowering spring you can think of. Eibach is by far the softest ride out of them all. They dont lower too much and are soft as marshmellows. If I was the OP, I would try these springs. They are not the best for track stars. But for daily driving, they are very comfortable.
12-28-2020, 01:23 PM
