jamesinger

what is your current wheels/tires set up?

VB_CarreraS

current rims are the stock 5 spoke silver Porsche rims you see on a lot of 997.1 Carrera S models. Their flawless With not a single blemish anywhere so I don’t mind keeping them on at the moment. I’m on vacation and forget the exact tires. I think they’re some kind of Michelin Sport Comp or something. I remember them having the checkered flag design on the sidewall. Pretty sure although the tires are brand new it’s exact stock replacement size.




I’m not a mechanic so I might need some help. I ordered Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit with PASM and now want to get all the appropriate goodies for a suspension refresh.

I’m thinking bump stops and strut mounts but I’m not smart enough in Porsche’s to understand exactly what parts I need. I see front strut mounts but is the rear different? Are there 4 exact same bump stops or 2 front and 2 rear that are different? What about the sleeve things for the shocks? Any bearings?

thanks if anyone can help me know what I need to get my suspension refreshed for casual road use, nothing extreme. Remember, just 30k miles on original Factory parts

Fatsix

I just listed new factory strut mounts for sale. Let me know if you want a genuine set for a good price. I bought them from Gaudin Porsche for my install but needed to buy Rennline Camber plates to get my RS sized wheels and tires tucked under the fender.

I have a set of Geniune conical washers for the struts if you need as well. I ended up with so many extra parts. Lol.

You should buy bump stops and new lock nuts for the top mounts. The nuts for the front are different than the rear.


Top mounts for sale

Fatsix

Nice sunset shot. The wheel offsets look perfect. I have the same 000 plate frame on my car. 000 had a huge tent display at RR7.

jamesinger

people will have suggestions for you about stuff more based on your setup. Those are actually my favorite stock wheels. I think you can easily do 10mm spacers all around and get away with the OEM wheels until you know what wheels you want specifically.

gasongasoff

Easy:
1) Billstein B16 coilovers
2) lightweight 19" wheels
3) DSC module w/accelerometer
4) and might as well get camber plates if you're putting in coilovers

This will achieve the following goals:
1) ride height adjustment to your liking
2) a substantial upgrade to your suspension, sharper turn in, less body roll, etc.
3) a performance improvement (reduction in unsprung weight by swapping out heavy OEM wheels)
4) the ability to adjust the suspension harshness from plush to firm, controllable with your factory PASM button
5) you won't have a nagging feeling of how your car would perform "if you had only gotten the ____"

Jack667

Sounds like OP has ordered new non-adjustable coilovers with lowering springs (B12 Pro-Kit with PASM). New strut tower mounts seems to make sense and stock is probably the way to go. Keeping stock wheels for a bit could be a good idea, along with bumpstops, dust boots and a bit of hardware as posted above. (Not sure anyone mentioned the dust boots). I just bought a bunch of that stuff and I like to check pricing and stock at a few places - pelican, ECS tuning, and Suncoast, mainly. There are other good places too. These sites allow you to put in your specific year/model and they'll show you the parts needed - so you let them worry about whether the front and back are different.

Main thing I wanted to throw out is to be a bit careful with the spacers. I'm pretty sure the typical thinking is that 5mm and 7mm are ok with your stock wheel bolts, but you'll need a new set if you want 10mm or larger spacers. Also to get good spacers that are hub-centric, not floating. Google is your friend for some of this stuff

Also - check out this from Elephant Racing - I bought a bunch of stuff from them and super helpful - this is good to help you understand the design and parts: https://www.elephantracing.com/996-9...ion-navigator/

Petza914

For lug bolts, you need as much length of engagement into the hub as the bolt diameter. Lug bolts are M14x1.5.sonyiu need 14mm of lug bolt protruding past the spacer when the wheel and spacer are together. Measure once you've you've selected your wheels and spacers to make sure you have this much thread engagement.

VB_CarreraS

So, yup I did go with B12 pro kit with PASM, out for delivery today.

I’ve decided to keep my stock rims for now. I actually don’t mind them plus I’ma fan of keeping things stock but with tasteful upgrades. I’m thinking of 10mm spacers up front and 15mm spacers rear from everything I’ve read on the forum. I want them to look flush, but definitely not stick out. I’ll get longer wheel bolts as well.

Now that I have the b12 pro kit I’m thinking new:

- front strut mounts
- bump stops

Is there a rear type of “strut mount” to replace? Or no? I just keep seeing front strut mounts for sale. And I’ll wait to see if the mechanic recommends anything else once the work starts based on what it looks like.

steveP911

That makes me wonder why you wanted a 911. I am 67 and track my 997.1 about 15 days a year. IMO these cars were designed and built to be run hard, including tracking them. You will never realize what you own until you at least try a PCA driving clinic (HPDC). You will learn there what your car can really do, including valuable lessons in threshold braking and collision avoidance. I am one who thinks that 911 owners who drive their car "like they stole it" on the street are nuts, and the track is the only place to get your yahyah's out.

I did lower my car with Ohlins R&T coilovers by about 20mm and I think it looks much better. Note that the upper part of the tire will tuck in a bit as this is done so you may want to wait on the spacers until lowered. I have 3mm spacers on my fronts and I use studs. I know it's "okay", but the thought of 15 mm spacers on my car seems risky. And I downsized to 18" wheels for my track setup. I think 20's on a 997 NB look oversized. I got my 18" wheels from Apex (Apex Wheels | Forged & Flow Formed | Strong & Lightweight) and they have a very nice product line with knowledgeable sales guys, if you opt for a new set someday.

Lastly, I would make sure to get a quality alignment as part of your new suspension and ask for a bit more negative camber; lowered I think you can get one degree negative in front (I did initially - I now have 3 degrees). Rear camber should be slightly (1/2 degree) less than front. The rear toe link connections are prone to loosening and you can get some toe-out, which can be troublesome under high-speed braking. Ask them to mark the setpoints there so you can check if slippage occurs.

Good luck.

Jack667

yes.
there are various solutions available - I bought mine from Elephant:
https://www.elephantracing.com/porsc...t-for-996-997/

VB_CarreraS

I received a quote from a local shop I use for my Lotus Evora service work. They do Lambo and Ferrari and Porsche work. To install the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and front strut mounts they quoted me $1,500. Personal opinions on price? Doesn’t include an alignment, there’s one place in town Everyone goes to that’s top notch. I’ll do bump stops and rear strut mounts too but that wasn’t in the price above.

Thank you for all the info and advice! I’m definitely going to get a good alignment afterwards. As for tracking the car I just have zero interest in it. Even if it was free and I could pick from a lineup of 100 different cars to track, it’s just not something I have any interest in. Kinda like telling someone that hates guns to go to the shooting range, or someone not interested in working out that they’d love going to the gym. Just not for me. I purchased a 997.1 because it’s the only style besides the 964 that I like. I have no interest in a new one, they’ve gotten too big and I’m not attracted to the styling. I just love the looks of The 964 and 997.1, my favorites.

thank you so much!!