John W

From my understanding, this "steering rack brace" support bracket goes between the two points where the steering arms join to the rack. Its purpose is to stop damage to the rack - steering arm attachment points.

Supposedly you can't fit this brace (or 18" wheels) before VIN 997ss323614.
After this and you need the brace.
I could be wrong, but think this is fitted as standard after the 95 cars (i.e. 96 on).
Either that or the rack is beefier (guessing here).

Parts required with numbers :
993.347.131.02 support bracket
933(or 999).218.102.09 allen bolt (M8x60)
933(or 999).218.103.09 allen bolt (M8x80)

I would suggest you try giving Gert a call.
Not sure where you are in the UK, but if your down south, he could probably slap your parts in with one of my orders to save you the postage.

Cheers,
John. (94 993 C2 - Woking, England)

Eric Kasir

Thanks John, I will drop you a mail about ordering the parts. I am in Surrey.

Apparently the brace DOES fit regardless of vin #, someone mailed me that had fitted it to a car before the specified vin range, along with a photo of it installed. Looks very easy.

Thanks
Eric

Doc Vorce

The 21 August 1998 TSB "Summer Tire/Wheel Summary" (number 4/97) indicates that 18 inch wheels can be retrofitted to the 1995 Carrera and Carrera 4. In that TSB, Porsche provides no caveat--no cross-reference to the 27 February 1996 TSB ("Retrofit of 18 Inch Wheels")--concerning the installation of 18 inch wheels on the 1995 Carrera and Carrera 4. Given the precision of the directives which Porsche provides about the sizes of wheels and the types of tires that it approves for its vehicles, the absence of any stipulation dealing with a support bracket for the 1995 Carrera and Carrera 4 retrofitted with 18 inch wheels serves as sufficient basis to conclude that the support bracket is no longer a requirement.

Doc Vorce

Two TSB numbers--"4440" and "4/97"--have been used to refer to the same 21 August 1998 technical bulletin ("Summer Tire/Wheel Summary"). Those different numbers follow from changes initiated by Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) several years ago. However, the changes do not ensure clarity and call into question PCNA's rationale for the changes.

The 1997 TSB "New Boxster Bulletin Layout and Filing System" outlines revised procedures for identifying TSB numbers. Unfortunately, the procedures are not perfect. Some bulletins--specifically those for the Boxster--receive "Porsche AG bulletin numbers, such as 1/96, 2/96, 1/97, etc." Bulletins which are produced by PCNA are "assigned [PCNA's] numbers, such as 9701, 9702, etc." Additional "Service Department bulletins...use [PCNA's] numbers, such as 9701, 9702, etc."

All of the TSBs for a given calendar year are published in a single volume at the beginning of the following calendar year. The 1998 TSBs are available as Book O. The bulletins included in that volume--as well as those bulletins contained in any of PCNA's TSB volumes beginning with the 1997 calendar year--are not always easily distinguished with PCNA's revised "layout and filing system." A reference to TSB "4440" should--following PCNA's new system--identify a specific TSB. In fact, TSB "4440" identifies two different TSBs--one which provides a summer tire and wheel summary for the Boxster and a second which provides a summer tire and wheel summary for the 911 Carrera, the 911 Carrera 4, the 911 Carrera S, the 911 Carrera 4S, and the 911 Turbo (model years 1995-98).

In the 1997 TSB "New Boxster Layout and Filing System," numbers such as "7/97" and "4/97" are referred to as "Porsche AG bulletin numbers," and those two numbers distinguish the Boxter summer tire and wheel summary and the 993 summer tire and wheel summary: "7/97" identifies the former summary, and "4/97" refers to the latter summary. The Porsche AG number "4/97" focuses attention on a specific TSB. Oddly, the PCNA number "4440" denotes two TSBs ("7/97" and "4/97"), and one of those TSBs is irrelevant when one considers Porsche's recommendations for wheel sizes for 993s produced from 1995-98.