jyoteen

may as well do a pictoral writeup.

Few things needed for the install

10mm socket to remove the 4 nuts holding the under tray in 4 corners
2 flathead screwdrivers for removing the spring clips on the under tray
18mm socket wrench for the control arm
16mm socket wrench to remove the 3 bolts surrounding the lower arm and the sway bar mount and the subframe braces
11/16 wrench to hold the one end of the bolt head while you remove the nut from the endlink (Tarett Engineering endlink in this case; stock may be different)


Step 1: Jack up the car and install jackstands. Work safe and make sure the car is secure with wheel chocks on the rear

Step 2: Remove 4 plastic bolts holding the plastic undertray. Use flat headed screwdrivers to remove the spring clips (about 8 IIRC holding the plastic undertray. Be careful not to break the metal tabs. Push in the smaller tabs with one screwdriver while prying off the spring clip with the other flathead screwdriver




Step 3: Remove the plastic undertray and set aside

Step 4: losen the rear bolts of the subframe brace (forms the V) And remove the front two bolts of the subframe brace. Pivot the subframe brace out of the way

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jyoteen/6042805004/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jyoteen/6042267165/
Step 5: Remove the smaller bolts that are holding the swaybar bushing in place and the control arm larger bolt. This will allow the mounting plate to be removed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jyoteen/6042803802/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jyoteen/6042807896/
Step 6. Unhook the endlinks on each side of the swaybar

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jyoteen/6042806796/

Now remove the swaybar. Make note of the orientation and other details as you want to install the aftermarket unit with it the right way up.


Installation of the new swaybar is the reverse of the process above. Don't tighten everything down until everything is linked. Make sure the circular 'tabs' on the swaybar are on the inside and not under the mounting holes.

Tighten everything up, proper torque and reinstall plastic tray. You may want to hold off on the plastic tray until you do a little test drive making sure you do lock to look steering inputs while moving to ensure nothing is rubbing.

Enjoy beer (and new handling)

Notes:

Now, in my case specificially, the GT3 bar rubs. I have to get a hold of the curved endlinks made by GMG even though I have the Tarrett Engineering adjustable links already, which i'm not too pleased about. Just more $. On the rear swaybar, which i'll update this post, you have to get adjustable links too.

This is what was happening on my car w/ the GT3 swaybar on softest setting w/ steering lock. Notice the rubmarks on the front axle shaft.

pongobaz

Good stuff! Looking forward to the handling report once you get the right end links installed.

mooty

joyteen, i have the rear if that works on your car let me know.

springgeyser

Your links are rubbing the axle. Put your steering in full lock and look underneath the car, you'll see the link touching the axle. The fix is to lengthen the adjustable link when the front suspension is unloaded so it is closer to the LCA.

KrazyK

Jyo, would the gt2 have rubbed?

jyoteen

No, since it doesn't have the front drive axles. The rubbing is cured, btw because I had the older style Tarrett links. Those were changed out and I don't have any issues, even at steering lock.

KrazyK

Thats what i meant. Would it have rubbed on yours. So i guess it would have also. I thought the gt2 and gt3 are different bars. Can you post a pic of new links. Did it help with handling?

jyoteen

I do know that the GT2 bar is actually smaller diameter than the GT3 bar. Technically, you want to just stiffen up the rear so there's less push. I upgraded everything, so it's tough to slice and dice what made the most difference (as the links are heim joints too at the time of sway install), however, the car is truly incredible now (I have the sways front and rear, hollow spoke wheels, RSS LCAs, end links on all corners).

The car now gets into the corner very, very quickly. Before, there was a lot of push and I muscled the car into the corner. I am also running pretty agfressive alignment settings as well (probably too agressive for the street) so the car is very 'darty' and you have to be on your game driving.

The biggest OMG moment was at Sears Point where the car turned in (this is following the LCA install) rather quickly, which was awesome, but then as I unwound the steering for a transition, it almost snapped back too quickly. I got the handle on it after a few laps but it did surprise me quite a bit.

I love the handling. I have always been a handling person and I realize that the C4s is a 'pig' in the GT3 Porsche world, but I like the ability to nail the throttle and the car just claws out of the turn and now it turns too. Still not crazy nimble like a GT3 would be in a similar situation, but I can chase the best of them.

KrazyK

So you dont think the c4s with your mods and awd will hang with a stock gt3? Just due to engine hp or other factors?

nick49

jyo, thinking about H&R lowering sport springs and a stiffer rear sway bar to end some of the push on my Turbo and lower the C of G. I don't want to do coilovers or spend a bunch on mods as I never will track the car. I lived to road race motorcycles for 10 years and had enough. I did a stiffer adjustable rear bar on my C2 and loved the way it transformed it. I could carry a lot more speed before having to initiate a turn and the car would go where I pointed it. Before I'd make a late steering change and the car would want to keep going straight.

Your thoughts?

jyoteen

A lighter car with the same HP will eventually run away if you have the same driver and similar setup, and it depends on the track. But a gt3 is lighter and has more HP. The GT3 has the sways anyway so the gt3 will have the advantage.

Now if there's a mismatch of drivers, then anything can happen. I had a dogfight for 6 laps with a 997 GT3 with Hoosiers around sears point last year. He had power everywhere and would run away but I would reel him in through the entrance in the Esses, and would dog him through the Esses and eventually he had to let me go.

Conversely Randy Pobst chased down a 450 HP car with hoosiers piloted by a somewhat advanced driver, in a stock tired normally aspirated street tired Audi a6 with an automatic transmission at sears point, so it's always the driver first and then the car.

jyoteen

I think it makes the car a lot of fun, more fun with a bit of understeer compensated for, but it won't reach it's best as you know. But for the money, sways cannot be beat. It'll be the largest change you will notice.

alpine003

Wrong. They are exactly the same bars with the same part #s if you check PET.

Also, using different links and making it "work" isn't the most optimum if your sway bars aren't laying parallel to the ground. If your able to get tem to lay flat without any preload, then great.

jyoteen

maybe it's the rear bar then. As far as my setup, it took me a while going back and forth w/ Tarrett, but everything works as it should.

alpine003

Great to hear. I know quite a bit of c4s/turbo guys have used the aftermarket curved end links when using the gt2/gt3 bar but have always wondered if they were able to get the sway bar to lay flat without any preload. Do you know if yours lay flat?