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Supposedly they work with OEM and M030. More specifically, is there a quality aftermarket product available or is Porsche OEM it?
When I called Bilstein they said I could use H&R Springs or OEM springs, so I used H&R. I ran B6/H&R sport springs for years with no issues. I actually liked the setup a lot. Only went to coilovers when I went to 18 inch wheels.
Hey guys, I'm new to the brand and recently purchased a 2002 Carrera Cabriolet. I'm in the middle of updating the struts/shocks (Bilstein B6 kit from FCP Euro) and am running into an issue. According to the options sticker in the maintenance manual, this car did not come with the M030 option but I'm finding a discrepancy between the OEM strut and the Bilstein one. I have about 1-1/4 inch difference between the two struts. I can't torque down the top nut because it bottoms out before I can tighten it down and the spring is lose in the assembly. I'm currently waiting to hear back from FCP Euro to see what they say.
My guess is that one of the previous owners lowered the suspension at some point and that's why the B6's won't work with the springs I have. I might need to order new springs that'll work with the B6's. OR, I'm doing something completely wrong.
Here are the part numbers of the old parts on the car.
-Front Strut: 996 343 041 18, don't have P/N for the spring but the color identifier is GREEN/RED on the bottom and ORANGE up top
-Rear Shock: 996 333 051 22, don't have P/N for the spring but the color identifier is GREEN/RED on the bottom and BLUE up top
I've added some pictures with measurements. One of the pictures also shows the order of all the components when I assemble it. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
As I mentioned, I'm in currently communication with FCP Euro but I figured I'd ask here to get your thoughts.
Spring colour markings are listed in the parts catalogue, available as a pdf on porsche.com
Look them up to see which option code they belong to and then search for the amount of lowering they provide.
It could well be that the springs and dampers are M030, retrofitted to your car (I read here that those shocks were black, just like standard dampers) and the B6 require stock springs to provide the necessary pretension to seat them properly under all circumstances.
B8 would be suited for shorter spring in the old Bilstein nomenclature.
Last edited by hardtailer; Mar 26, 2026 at 05:23 PM.
Spring colour markings are listed in the parts catalogue, available as a pdf on porsche.com
Look them up to see which option code they belong to and then search for the amount of lowering they provide.
It could well be that the springs and dampers are M030, retrofitted to your car (I read here that those shocks were black, just like standard dampers) and the B6 require stock springs to provide the necessary pretension to seat them properly under all circumstances.
B8 would be suited for shorter spring in the old Bilstein nomenclature.
Thanks for the information. I wasn't aware of those parts catalogs. I ended up looking at the catalog for both the U.S and ROW, and it looks like these part numbers are for ROW M030 sport suspension. Looks like I'll need new springs that will work with the B6 shocks.
