jamesinger

I got tired of the OEM GT3 suspension noises, mainly the rattle coming from the front driver side damper valves dying (but the damper still working perfectly). I also got tired of the noises the OEM GT3 hard bearing top mounts had been making. When I set up my suspension, I thought I would be tracking once a quarter at least. I also thought I would never really drive over 50 miles at a time on any given day. However, circumstances changed and I doubt I will be tracking. I am also driving 500 mile stretches at minimum once a quarter. As a result, after 3 years of this pandemic and post pandemic circumstances, I feel like the 997.1 OEM GT3 suspension isn't optimized for my situation and I searched out a solution.


(stock—approximately 4 finger gap in back and 3 finger gap in front)

My car came OEM with 15k on the odometer. It is a 997.1 C2S with the "lower" PASM set up. To me it looked like a rally car. The first option I went with was Eibach springs:

(rake—2 finger gap in front, 3 full finger gap in back)

The stock shocks and Eibach springs was a decent option but with the OEM shocks, the setup didn't feel better than OEM and I was not a fan of the rake on the car mimicking the PASM springs.

At the time, I wanted something more hardcore because I was planning to track my car a few times a year and my commutes to work were very short:


(OEM 997.1 GT3 suspension—totally level and perfect IMO—less than a 1 finger gap all around. Also, performs better than stock by far and as good as the GT3s I have driven at the limit of public road acceptability)

The casual observer without OCD will not see much difference here but this suspension is more level and the stance is perfect to me. It also just completely transforms the car. This OEM GT3 set up included Eibach swaybars and endlinks + the hard bearing top hats and etc.

This suspension is perfect for short drives and any canyon/tracking for pleasure. The only drawbacks is it is harsher than both previous setups and it makes more noise, mainly from the hard bearings/bushings. Sitting in traffic and on daily commutes, this is annoying to me because I have a job that regularly kicks my *** so bad that I drive home in silence...or, in this case, with suspension rattles and clicks further eroding my thin veil of remaining mental health...

What ended up pushing me to completely change over my suspension a third time is because the suspension got noisier over time. This is mainly because I started having to do 1k round trips every other month or so to visit my elderly mom 500 miles away, which was never part of my plan when I put the GT3 suspension in. Also, I broke my wrist in 2019 and throughout the pandemic to now, I do not see myself tracking anytime soon. As a result, I am using my car quite differently than I was previously. The noises and harshness that was acceptable have become unacceptable. Last, the front driver side damper started having some valve chatter where the damper is working perfectly but at slow speeds, you can hear rattle coming from the damper, the top hat, and the end links.

After a lot of research, I decided to go with a NON-ADJUSTABLE set up. This was a VERY hard decision for me. I have been running coilovers on all my cars since 2005. Before that, I made the same exact decision to go from a more race oriented adjustable suspension to a non-adjustable classic (tokiko blues and eibach pro kit) set up when I was living in the bay area mid to late 90s and the roads were just insane bad. Since I am driving 500 mile stretches up the 5 or the 99 and back 500 miles a few times a year, I also almost need a safari suspension for how bad the freeways and roads are from Pasadena to Tahoe.

I wanted to go with the Bilstein Damptronic B16 coilovers but after riding in a car with them, I realize it would be a good but lateral decision. The B16s feel identical to the OEM GT3 suspension to me as set up by my mechanic for a friend in the same exact model car as mine. However, I need something more pared back, so I went with the B12 Pro Kit, which is Bilstein B8 shocks (slightly shorter performance shocks) + Eibach ProKit springs (I think the same ones that people buy and put on their OEM suspension but I am not 100% sure). The result is that the car sits better than the stock shocks with possibly the same springs because the shocks are shorter. The ride is silent, which is important for commuting and long haul drives. Also, the ride is more compliant. The drawbacks are less performance at the limit of what is acceptable on a public road (i.e. canyon etiquette) and IF I were tracking, I assume slower track times. The stance is less perfect and I cannot change it but otherwise, I am super happy with this decision. To the casual observer, I do not think the stance is much different but with the B12 set up, there is a 1 finger gap in front and a 2 finger gap in back.

The reason I wrote this write up is because it pretty much goes against everything I have previously said about suspension in this forum. However, circumstances change and instead of getting a second car, I decided to make my Porsche fun to drive in my current situation. If that situation changes in the future, I might go back to something more hardcore but for now, this is the perfect set up for my situation.




this picture is trash but it shows the sun illuminating wheel gap.


After this, things I will (eventually) post for sale:
—OEM C2S Springs
—OEM C2S Dampers with Eibach Pro Kit Springs
—OEM GT3 coilovers that will need rebuilding in time but currently work without errors but make noise
—OEM C2S Lobster FORK wheels
—Eibach Front and Rear Adjustable Drop Links
(all pick up/drop off in the general LA area)

Graufuchs

Thanks for the write-up. I am torn with what to do with my base 997. It has the factory struts and H&R springs. Milage is less than 20K but have been looking at everything from coil-overs to GT3 coil-overs or to keep it static with a simple strut replacement.

I am happy with the ride height of the H&Rs but i feel the factory struts are slightly on the soft-side for the springs. I want something aggressive but not back-breaking with NY roads.

Will revisit the B8 option.

Rig.Stunts

Brilliant - I agree, the common approach it to go as 'hardcore' as possible as opposed to as 'softcore' as possible. Meaning lighter spring rates with quality damping may be the ideal compromise.

Are you still on the stiffer sways? What spring rates are you on now, compared to previously?

jamesinger

I would recommend looking at the B8s because from my research, they are basically B6 with a shorter shaft and/or body to compensate for lowering springs. In any case, they are MUCH more compliant than the GT3 coilovers in ALL GT3s I have driven (997.1 and 997.2). My mechanic usually uses the B8s with H&R but the B12 kit is a better price. For me, it is also more mixed road friendly (i.e. paved and not paved and etc.).

I kept the Eibach swaybars but went back to the OEM drop links because I do not need to adjust drop links with this setup and I really wanted SILENCIO. The Pro Kit springs are progressive, which is fine for my current situation/setup.
With coilovers, I tend to mess with the springs more than anything else. For example, on my EVO, I went from the KW clubsports with the KW springs/helpers to Robispec's springs/helpers/damper valving to Muellerized single springs and valving on the same set of coilovers in the course of about 5 years. With that car, I did hit perfection but it was still a PITA to drive over 150 or so miles (e.g. driving to and from the tracks here in LA was about it for me).

Rig.Stunts

Good solution!

Situations do change . . .

Aclmin

Nice summary, gives people food for though and goes full circle. Fyi for those considering gt3 coilovers, the 997.2 GT3 are much more compliant and less ‘busy’ than 997.1 GT3. Especially so with the DSC.

misterdega

So much good info here. Did you ever try the DSC controller to see if that made it more bearable? I have a base 997.1 (non pasm) on the Eibach pro kit and am just dying to go nuts and get the dsc controller that adds PASM and the adjustable bilstein setup or gt3 setup. I just want the height but with more compliance/softer ride.

btw local LA, we should go for a drive sometime.

jamesinger

I did not try the DSC controller. I wanted to install it but when the damper started chattering, I just decided to change to the B12. The B8 shocks Damptronics feel a lot better than the OEM shocks, which are probably just older Bilsteins...but the damptronics feel so good, I might not mess with the DSC for a while. I am going to drive up to Tahoe soon and after that trip, I will figure it out.

Do you ever go to the Friday drive up to Newcomb's Ranch for Good Vibes Breakfast Club?

Der Mechaniker

Well.... just my 2 cents worth , but IMHO ALL suspension posts should begin with " well , after installing the DSC controller , I would still like to look at other suspension components .... "
LOL well , you get my drift. Seriously , get this first if you already have PASM and there are no mechanical issues with your suspension causing your angst,
THEN look at changing shocks/springs etc. YMMV but I am gobsmacked by what difference this little bit of goodness makes.

jamesinger

If the shocks weren't making noise, and etc. I would agree. I figured I would add DSC to whatever option I went with but the B8s paired with the Eibachs are so much better than Stock C2S, the C2S PASM shocks with Eibachs, and the GT3 stock suspension that I am going to drive it for a while before getting the DSC on the B12 kit.

misterdega

Gotcha. Yea if you do ever sell the GT3 setup let me know. I might be interested.

I have been up to Newcomb's for Good Vibes but not since early summer. Does that still happen thru winter?

nydog

Your car looks great. I went from stock dampers with H&R springs to the B12 kit and couldn't be happier.

jamesinger

When the road is open, it is on. The people who all do it weekly have some alternate meeting spots but if I go there and they are not there, it is all the same to me actually, haha.

jamesinger

After driving the car for a couple weeks, I am still leaning towards the DSC. I will do a couple long drives to feel things out fully but I think I will end up adding the DSC by late summer.

buddalun

I so appreciate this post and user journey. I have been agonizing over this decision as well.