Jon Moeller

Depending on what you can get them for, it can save you a decent amount. I managed to piece together a full track suspension for less than $2500. That included GT3 shocks/springs, Tarret top mounts and swaybar links, and GMG swaybars. Given that most coil-over setups run more than that, and don't include the top mounts, it's a pretty good bang for the buck.

joseph mitro

very helpful thread. I'm considering this myself with a used GT3 setup for sale here on RL.

1. does this make sense for a street-driven car? Is the ride fairly harsh?
2. what is the ride height range? IE can the car be adjusted to be close to factory C2 ride height if I bottom out too much?
3. are the Bilstein shocks/struts rebuildable? By whom?

joseph mitro

I'll answer my own questions for any future searches:

1. the car is streetable as a daily driver; on the roughest of roads it can be harsh
2. cannot achieve anywhere close to factory C2 ride height (attempting to do so causes too much preloading of the springs)
3. shocks and struts are not rebuildable per bilstein so be prepared to spend money obtaining replacements

Additionally, what's not mentioned in the first post is that you also must have adjustable rear toe control arms. Using standard C2 toe control arms and setting rear ride height at 125mm (GT3 ride height) causes close to 1/4" total rear toe in (factory is about 1/16" total).

I've read threads about how driving a GT3 on the street is very difficult, but my conclusion is that is due to the different alignment settings for GT3. Using the standard C2 alignment (or as close as possible) the car is well behaved

nychase

I just purchased a 02 C2 with full GT3 kit and sure enough the rears struts are just slightly damp. Has anyone had success having them rebuilt and bilstein misled Joseph or am I really SOL?

And for the record....thanks Joseph for answering your own questions for future purposes!

philooo

I personally sent my set of gt3 factory bilstein (see pic above) to be rebuilt by Bilstein in California a few years back...took like 2 or 3 months to get done ...not sure if they still do it.. it was not very expensive. less than $1200 I think.

joseph mitro

yea, there's another rennlister who just sent his GT3 parts in for a successful rebuild. Send Bilstein your part numbers and see what they say

TheChunkNorris

Hate to necropost but I bought Phil's C2 and got the GT3 suspension as well, any updates on this? *Disregard... found the info.*

nychase

I ended up installing a used PSS9 set but then sold my gt3s in leaking condition for nearly what I paid for the PSS9s. Buyer of my gt3s sent them to elephant racing in Santa Clara to be rebuilt. I believe rebuild was around 250 each.

Jonnybaz

Yes, opening a really old thread, sorry for that but I'm trying to get my head around the setup on my -98 C2 I bought in January.
I have gotten some comments regarding the setup have some elements of GT3 setup, swaybar link position for example.

One of my issues with the car is the clearance between the steering rod and the swaybar, picture is taken with max feasible turning radius.
And it looks like some one have done as mentioned in the quote above, but are using a different link arm fixation point.

So I guess my solution is to find longer then stock C2 link arms to find a position of the swaybar somewhere in between the steering rod and the lower link arm?

Br/Johan

De Jeeper

Yes the bend in the sway bar should be much closer to the lower control arm. If i want to test it just unbolt the links, rotate the bar down and then have someone steer the car back and forth u will see the steering tie rod easily clear.

EVOMMM

Please enlighten me as to why this is better or worse then getting new pss9/10 or ohlins r//t
also what ride would I get with a gt3 over the aftermarket

De Jeeper

I did not read the entire thread but the gt3 comes with Sachs springs amd dampers with stiffer spring rates and valving. It also havs a unique ride height. Nothing u cant replicate with any aftermarket kit. Because they use different sway bars and dont use struts the links r different. There is enough aftermarket support that u can go directly to a gt3 set up as i did and not use any factory gt3 parts. Hth?

The issue here with the revivalist of this thread is that the person the owned the lastest car in question did not set the sway bar links up correctly.

TheChunkNorris

I got a set for really cheap so I'll let you know.

Sam-Son

GT3 uses different wheel carriers/uprights so just swapping springs, shocks, sways are only part of the equation

TheChunkNorris

My understanding is the carriers and uprights are more so for the brakes? If the GT3 suspension lines up and installs just like a regular C2 does, one would believe the geometry is exactly the same? Right now I'm almost done acquiring all the small parts I need to get the GT3 suspension with the correct sways in the car. While my car won't be @De Jeeper GT3ish, it'll be GT3-esque and weigh less than a 996.2 GT3.