I can confirm that for those without PASM, a car with the Eibach B12 kit feels almost exactly like a car with PASM with the Eibach B12 kit with SPROT on alllll the time (read: harsh on regard day to day driving).

I know because @jamesinger and I did a back to back on each other's car and damn my ride is harsh. Now I will go through the process of adding DSC's standalone kit to my car...

 

Interesting post! I was looking for OEM GT3 coilovers as I'm on the OEM PASM shocks with Eibach Springs. I heard the Bilstein Damptronics with the DSC is the best combo. I was curious to see to try the DSC controller with the Eibach/OEM shocks to see how much it helps.

@jamesinger Another question. Do you remember our conversion about our cars having Huper Optik tint. I bought the Titan harness bar and want to remove the dark tint so it shows the bar more. Did you remove the tint or was it the shop that added the lighter tint?

 

In like 95 I had an "incident" where I removed a lot of my defroster on the rear window with tint, so since then, I just pay to have it removed. The price has always been around $100 from a good shop that has the right tools and knowledge rather than the sun and a hair dryer, lol.

I have the GT3 coilovers if you want to play with them, I will sell them to you for cheaper than the going rate because they rattle. I rode in @misterdega 's car the other day as mentioned above and it confirmed that nothing is functionally wrong with the GT3 coilovers to the best of my knowledge (no leaks or errors), and the B12 kit without pasm makes similar noises (i.e. hard bearing type noises). I also have Eibach adjustable drop links if you are going to go low enough to adjust the preload on the swaybars.

My theory is the front mounts or the internal valves to the shock are rattling over broken or uneven road. I want luxury performance, so the noise made me decide to go a different route. I also need to be more comfortable as an old man on long drives and I think the GT3 pre 991 for sure is NOT a touring car for me for sure. That suspension is just too harsh for daily use or long drives for my old skater body.

 

Great post, super interesting. And, IMO the stance of the current setup looks perfect. I have the factory SPASM and this looks slightly lower? Tough to tell because the wider GT3 wheels give the appearance of reducing wheel gap.

 

The Eibachs are a little lower than PASM but IDK about SPASM. However, I do know the B8 shock is shorter than the PASM shock, and also the Bilstein replacements up to B6. The car is lower than when I had it on OEM PASM shocks with the same Eibach springs. As a Lobster Fork fan, the only reason I swapped those out is the GT3 wheels are wider and have a more aggressive offset + the 305s look more stretched as a result than on the Lobster Forks where 305s have more bulge.



Same parking spot years apart. #1 = OEM shocks/Eibach Pro Kit Springs/Lobster Forks. #2 = B12 Pro Kit with the B8 shocks and Eibach Pro Kit Springs/OEM GT3 wheels. Tires are the same sizes and 235/305 width.

Too bad the pics. such but it is the best I can do with my iphone in an underground lot.

 

I just got back from driving from Pasadena to Tahoe and back. The whole trip with driving around in the mountains = about 1k.

The B12 kit is better than all the other suspension set ups I have driven on as-is for MOST of the drive. ...It is SHOCKINGLY better than OEM. IDK what all the differences are but I am blown away. However, at the limit of my tires (and a bit beyond) is where I do start to want the GT3 suspension again. Nevertheless, I drive at that limit about 1% of the time I am in the car because there are only a few private and public roads I have access to where I can be sure I won't slam into other people or have a massive OFF. When I put the GT3 suspension on the car, I was driving less and I had plans to track the car 6+ times a year here in SoCal.

To illustrate where the suspension starts to be clearly NOT the GT3 coilovers is when I was passing a guy in a full size GIANT RAM truck who decided he wasn't going to let me pass but roll coal on me instead (a commonly complained about issue in my mom's area over the past 30 years she's lived there). Unfortunately for him, my car is much faster on a steep uphill grade going into a 30mph corner, so his drag race was in vain. He also missed me with his black cloud. In any case, this was the first corner I went into above the level of grip on this new setup and it definitely took a second to adjust. I almost poopooed in my pantalones. I was NOT in sport mode + it was mixed dry/wet—not my best decision/moment. (red mist kicked in). Luckily, the P(lease)S(ave)M(e) also kicked in so IT caught the slide still in the lane but the corner wasn't my most elegant drift-o. Other than that, it is the most amazing dampening I have ever felt in all other situations (including an F80 ZCP with their PASM equivalent and 997/991 GT3s).

The only negative was on Prospector's Road: http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=816
On the descent, the front bumper flaps under the bumper scrape on the corkscrew turns (IYKYK). Going up, this is not a problem but under braking descending the road, I hear scraping and I know what it is. I have been driving this road for 30 years, so if I just brake early and turn in less sharp, it doesn't scrape (i.e. SLOWER). BTW, ALL the sports cars I have had scrape on these turns—even my current C2S but with the OEM GT3 coilovers. Now, it just scrapes more/longer.

BTW, For anyone driving around this area, in 30 years I have never seen the ghost that haunts this road because I am going too fast, so don't be scared. You should check out this road. Don't drive on it like a total HOON because there are some corners with roots that will punt you into the valley below BUT if you are going UP or DOWN Marshall Grade EVER, this is a MUCH more chill road than fighting slow drivers on the grade. I very rarely see other cars on it. When I had cars like my Audi Avant, I would still take Prospector's over the grade and just roll down my windows to cruise. Just remember people live in that road just like people live on Mulholland, so be respectful to the locals.

In conclusion, I think I will still add DSC but I am not in a rush. My use of the car has changed from January 2018 to January 2024. For my current use (daily driving/main car with the option of an EV + driving 1k round trips every 2-3 months to visit my mom), I think my set up is near perfection. I can only assume that the DSC will make it better.

TL;DR
1. Bilstein B12 ProKit.
2. All new OEM supporting parts including drop links.
3. Eibach SwayBars.
4. OEM GT3 wheels with PS4S (235/305).

Future: DSC.

Outcome: NOICE!!


(UPDATE: I have purchased the DSC from TPC and plan to install it in a month or two!!)

 

jamesinger - that was a very informative post!! Helpful for me! Thanks for taking the time to share that experience. I will be looking at the Bilstein B8 shocks because I want my 997 to look like it could go to the track but have a more compliant and comfortable ride.

 

I will be adding DSC in the next few weeks, so I will report back but I am assuming this B12 kit with DSC is the perfect compromise of performance and daily drivability/comfort.

 

I think you are going to like the DSC. It works brilliantly on both my stock suspension and my B16s. Sport mode is what I leave it on and it feels firm but supple. The Soft mode is for really bumpy roads or for long road trips with the family. It’s the best upgrade for 997s.

 

I bought H&R springs with a bunch of other new suspension bits to refresh (including thicker spring pad to slightly raise front) and never got the shocks.

I am going to go for the B8s. Is it worth maintaining PASM if I eventually go DSC like I think I will, or is PASM required for DSC (I think I’m answering my question as I type)

@jamesinger , you mind sharing a list of other suspension bits you replaced (shock mounts etc) that you replaced to refresh your suspension?

 

I replaced everything but the arms...so all the top mounts, bearing thingies that move when you steer, the rubber bits and etc. I did not use anything from my OEM setup or the GT3 setup in that regard.

The DSC replaces just the PASM boc in a 997.2. In a 997.1 you will be replacing the PASM box and updating to a 3 axis accelerometer. The shocks respond accordingly if they are PASM shocks or active shocks like Tractive or BIlstein Damptronic.

I can get itemized if you want but it wasn't much more to replace every part of the suspension from the top mounts down excluding the LCAs and dog bones and any other arms.

Can you send me the link to the thicker spring pad for the front? I am interested. I want my suspension more level and right now it is under 5mm of rake but enough that the mud flaps in front scrape more with the B12 kit than the OEM GT3 suspension.

 

It took a little longer to get the DSC installed but the difference between the 2 axis damptronic and 3 axis DSC is pretty insane. It is SUPER noticeable right away over rough roads and broken concrete at slow speeds. I haven't gotten to rip it yet but I expect to NOT feel a huge difference there as much. Where I really really feel it is in parking lots and at slower speeds, which in LA is A LOT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

 

Hi - thanks for posting this. I'm on the stock C2S PASM suspension. I'm honestly fine with the stock ride height because I love travel. Plus, I live in downtown Austin where we have bad roads with lots of busted up pavement. I was considering adding the DSC controller to help eat up the bad roads - especially at low speeds.

Is anyone running the DSC controller on stock PASM suspension?

 

^^^ It will make a difference. If not to you, you could easily sell it but it goes from 2 axis to 3 axis, so there is a way broader range of adjustability. The B12 Bilstein is kind of like an older M030 kit, or what people talk about with the P17 for the GTS but in any case, it is similar and I believe the kit is the same from the PASM careras to the GT3. I will update if anything changes but after a couple normal drives in traffic, I am pretty blown away and there is no chance it is a placebo.

 

I think you’ll really enjoy the DSC. I’ve had it on my car for 4 years. I am on oem suspension but eventually I’ll add Bilstein B16 to my car. It makes the car so much more comfortable and more controlled when driving in town and in the mountains. I also track my car once a year and I find the body roll way more controlled. It was probably a 20 minute install for the g sensor because I took my time to back it look very clean and tidy.