>>>Incorrect...PSS9 is BETTER on the street than ANY Porsche suspension stock, ROW, X73/X74....whatever.<<<

How did you come to this conclusion?

I concur with opting for OEM when a suitable application exists. It's almost crazy not to. Some folks will disagree, but believe it or not, the engineers at Porsche actually have a clue or two about what they're doing. At least more of a clue than virtually all of us.

P.S.
Damn dude! The cleanliness of your suspension is unbelievable!

 

I would say that is better not to use 19" wheels on a 996 period. Not only do they look silly, the ride and handling degradation is such that the car is not enjoyable as a street car. The 997 is another issue, as it was engineered for the massive unsprung weight that 19" wheels have.

The 996 was designed for 17 and 18 inch wheels, and to be honest, if I had it to do over again, I would have outfitted my cab with 17" wheels and tires with a taller sidewall. There are great tires out there from Michelin and the others that have very good sidewall stiffness, but have better ride qualities than the 18" wheels and tires that I have now. In fact may racers go faster with the smaller rims. And you will thank yourself for the smaller rims the first time you hit a big pothole.

As far as suspensions, I have yet to see an aftermarket part that is as good as the OEM parts, with the exception of the tier 2 manufacturers that supply Porsche in the first place. This would include Continental, ZF-Sachs, Koni, and Bilstein. But the bottom line is that unless you plan on using the car as a track car, stay within the stock rim sizes, and pick the M030 suspension retrofit kit. Cost is about equal, but the value is superior.

 

I came to the conclusion after riding in a car with ROW M030 and driving my car with PSS9's....BEFORE the car was bumpy, had vague steering and understeer....It was not a "smooth" ride by any means. This was on a stock suspension, and the handling was far from crisp. With my PSS9's set fairly soft....I commute 100 miles round trip everyday without the bone jarring of other lowered suspensions, I have lost the understeer and vagueness, and it LOOKS much better. Just my opinion. By the way I have my stock suspension and if I ever sell my car it goes back on and I sell my PSS9's for 2K....(Less than I paid new.....)

 

Ok, I think I'll pull the switch for the ROW M030 suspension. Any idea on pricing? Thanks guys

 

For my 2000 996CAB the RoWM030 was $1K shipped from Sunset (Oregon). I then paid another $600 for install and alignment.

 

As much as we love those 19s.. and we do, the geometry on the 996 is just wrong for 19s

 

Pricing for a M030 sports suspension is between $1000 and $1100.

Install costs are about 4-5 hours for someone doing it for a living (take your favorite shops labor rate and multiply for the cost), 6 or 7 if you do it yourself, take your time and enjoy the DIY. 4-Wheel alignment is about $150.


Here is what is in the retrofit kit.

 

Orient, you're spot on for a 2WD car... not for an AWD car though gotta pull a few more things apart on those in the front

 

Thanks guys...some calls will be made tomorrow....

 

Tell me about it, I got 1/2 way thru it and bailed, not something I usually do. just don't like messing with that front diff.
BTW, always reset your streering angle sensor when lowering a awd car, esp C4S/TT.
Yetis, I agree 100% with you, but I think one could get away with an x74 on a '01 C4 due to themore rigid frame. Are you trading in your car?

 

I am seriously thinking about it. I drive my car a lot less these days, and very little during the winter months. Like we discussed on 6speed, I am looking into a GT3. Just cannot decide if I want a 996 or 997.

Either way, the JIC's are gone. I just cannot do it anymore, they make the GT3 seem like a soft ride!

 

Orient,
Where did you purchase the parts? I spoke to a pretty cool tech who told me I would be better off purcahsing the parts and having him do the install. I also think I am going to go with the Billstein shocks.

I am not really a technical guy when it comes to car parts, unfortunately.

 

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/me..._Code=996sport

i am thinking about putting this in myself....

 

Wow!!! That whole page worth of mods? You da man

 

Sun Coast Porsche is a good place to order parts, or at least get the right part numbers to negotiate with your local dealer.

The problem with buying heavy parts like exhaust or Suspension kits is that the shipping will be rather expensive.

I bought the ROW 030 retrofit kit from my local Porsche dealer at the same price that Sun Coast quotes, and after tax it was actually cheaper. Most dealers will price match, so I would visit your local dealer first, show them your best price, and ask them to beat it. 9 out of 10 times they will at least match it, and may even beat the advertised price. Parts is a very competitive business.

As another note, the OEM shocks in the Porsche sports suspension are sourced from Bilstein.