pwhite52

I just completed a suspension refresh on my '96 including Koni FSD's, M033 springs, Walrod bushings, Tarett drop links and rear toe control arms. At the same time we added PSS tires, set the ride height to ROW and did the kinematic alignment. It didn't come cheap as those who have done it will confirm but what a difference! My car only has 49K miles on the odo but I was pretty sure the improvements were needed. Some may think the PSS10 route is the only way but for a primarily street use ride, this is definitely the answer. One item I need to mention is that recent shipments from Koni of the FSD's have apparently been mislabeled as to left vs. right. My mechanic thought he was going insane as the shocks simply would not install as marked. After a few calls to Paragon Parts and their calls to Koni, the problem was resolved. A great big thanks to Jason at Paragon Parts. He went beyond normal customer service for no reason other than he felt it was the right thing to do. Both Paragon and Koni have well deserved reputations for product and service excellence in my book.

fozzie bear

Very cool. Glad you're enjoying the new setup. I'm about to do similar myself with my 45,000 mi '96 Carrera.

I'm curious, are you still running stock sway bars in this setup?

I'm balancing budget and looking at:

PSS10s

vs.

a non-adjustable compression/rebound shock (such as Koni FSD or Bilstein HD) with a sport spring + new more aggressive sway bars.

Spyder_Man

I too am weighing PSS10 vs. Koni FSD + ROW M030 springs + more cash in the bank.

OP what were you running before? Do you have stock sway bars, M030s, or something else?

pwhite52

The previous setup was completely stock and I did not change the sway bars. The total cost for parts (shocks, springs, Walrod fronts, rear drop link and rear toe control) was roughly $2,250. The comparable parts and substituting the PSS10 kit would run another $1,000 above what I did. Add to that total was installation including alignment, and tires. Granted the PSS10 is adjustable etc however my mechanic reminded me that I'd probably never utilize the full capabilities of the PSS10 so I'd be spending $1k for bragging rights. The question I asked when deciding what to do was how would I be driving and what were my needs. I am very pleased with the solution I chose. I track/DE to make myself a better driver only. I know I'll never out drive the car so spending huge amounts did not work for now.

fozzie bear

Thanks for the feedback, pwhite. I would say I'm in the same camp regarding wanting to do DEs to improve my driving skill. On the other hand, I'm an engineer and love tweaking things. Hard call.

For me it's about whether to blow my budget on PSS10s, but keep stock sway bars, or go the fixed damper route and use the extra money on sway bar upgrades...

RFMASSA

I too am contemplating the FSD's with M033 springs. I am looking for a better ride over the harsh roads we have. Can you give a bit more detail as to what you feel the improvements were?
Better ride quality, better handling, etc.

Thanks.

fatmike

I will add my experience:

I am running FSD's with M033 at RoW. I also have the Walrod front control arm bushings and a front strut tower brace. I bought the car with original suspension at 60K miles.

The car is more precise now. The car used to have a slight steering randomness at around 40 mph. Did you ever do the go cart ride at Disney where you turn left but the car doesn't? Then it does? That is a huge exaggeration, but I believe the front control arm bushings (and alignment) made a huge difference to make the front of the car precise. The ride earlier was harsh. Small bumps made a thump. Now the car is silky smooth. I'll tell you that the M033's are comfort springs. I wouldn't describe the springs as taught. Car handles great. Overall huge improvement.

My car is a Targa, so I didn't want to push the suspension too much. I highly recommend FSD's with M033 for the Targa.

I haven't gotten to the back of my car yet, but I also would welcome feedback on the impact of the drop links, rear control arms and/or engine mounts.


/

MielsOnWheels

I'm looking at the PSS10, Walrod, M030 Sway Bar upgrade. I'm doing new tie rods too as well as the Kinematic alignment, and I'm currently running PSS's.

I figured I'd just go with M030 drop links and I hadn't even thought about rear toe control arms. What's the cost/benefit to the Tarrett's and rear arms? Is this additional spend worth it?

RFMASSA

Thanks for the feedback! I too have a 97 targa, and the jarring bumps feel like the top is going to pop off sometimes. Original shocks on my car and under normal smooth roads I suppose they feel fine but I have no comparison. Maybe it's just me as I age (61), but it feels like the car has gotten stiffer over the bumps in the last 11 years of ownership.
I wasn't planning on the Walrod front control arm bushings change, and don't know if mine need replacement at 47K miles (non-tracked car). Where did you source these from? I suppose while the FSD upgrade is being done it makes sense.

fatmike

The original poster bought his from Paragon. I bought mine from FD Motorsports.

The Koni FSDs + M033 + RoW is probably the ideal balance of comfort and handling for the Targa. The "stiffness" in the suspension you feel is probably your Monroe struts at end-of-life (just a guess, but likely).

The front control arm bushings help with precision on the steering. Bushings get old and wear out with age (not just miles). So they are probably worth changing. For me the bushings and alignment made a night and day difference.

I also added a front strut tower brace. It is supposed to help with cowl shake on the front of the Targa (stiffens the front of the car to help reduce twisting and roof noises). I don't know honestly if I can tell the difference, but it also wasn't expensive and simple to install - so I would do it again.

/

fozzie bear

To follow up since I posted in this thread a couple months ago: I did end up going with PSS10s about a month ago. So far they've been great. I did not change any other suspension components at this time - from A arm bushings were in good shape, and I left sway bars alone for now. I've used it on the street for a couple hundred miles and in autocross. The handling is absolutely revolutionized compared to the worn stock shocks, but a lot of this effect would probably be the case with any replacement setup.

I'm just getting into the adjustability, but even in autocross with everything set on 5 I had much improved handling response and much more neutral handling. The drop to RoW sport height and proper semi-aggressive alignment obviously helped too. As a result, the effects are a bit confounded, but I'm very happy with the results and very happy I have the compression/rebound adjustability to go between what I like on the street, what my wife likes on the street, and what we want for autocross and DEs.

RFMASSA

Great to hear thoughts from another fellow Targa owner. I have been trying to make sure the rough ride I feel is not just the jarring bumps of the Targa roof.
Seems like it might be worth the cost based on your comments and others regarding FSD's and M033's. Do the springs alone lower the car or did you make other adjustments specifically to lower it more?

pirahna

I have had my FSD's for over a year now and absolutely love them.

nine9six

I'm in fatmikes court regarding over suspending targa's and cab's with PSS10's.

Granted, you dont have to adjust the PSS10's so taut on a targa or cab; but whats the point of the adjustability range, and cost, if 60%-70% of the adjustability to just to harsh a setting?

RFMASSA

Can someone clarify the M033 spring designation?

If I order M033 springs from Sunset Porsche for example, will they be lowering springs or does this have to be specified?

Some people will indicate in their posts, M033 +ROW which leads me to believe there are US M033 and ROW M033.

Thanks.