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I'm looking at updating my suspension with B16 Damptronics for my 997.2 Carrera 4S 6MT and thought this would be a good time to add a nose lift
kit. I'm aware of the Cargraphics kit but the cost is more than I want to spend.
The Hybridair lift kit system is a Canadian product that I found recently. And, they seem to be more affordable than the the competition. And it
appears to be a well engineered package. I'm quite interested in this option.
But before I place the order, I'd like to know if anyone has experience with the Hybridair system on their 997.2 and installed it using Bilstein
B16 Damptronics coilovers?
I have installed Hybridair lift in my 997.1 with GT3RS OEM Bilstein coilovers. Very similar to the B16s. Installation was pretty straightforward after you account for certain things. I went with Hybridair hideaway air management system.
The "air bags" add stack height on our coilovers due to the inverted monotube design. I confirmed this directly with the owner of Hybridair. With that said depending on how low you want to go, you may need to get shorter springs. I went with shorter Swift springs. Another thing is you have to run a spacer to clear the wheels from rubbing on the air bags. He recommended 5mm for stock wheels. I had to use a 10mm since I have wider aftermarket wheels.
Otherwise they are a great product. Haven't had any issues. Definitely a game changer with lowered cars.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Email from Hybridair below. I can confirm that the 40mm lifts are correct for your application. As Simon indicated, you will need to adjust the spring perches lower in order to compensate with the added stack height. The reason the 40mm adds stack height (different from most of our solutions) is that the CoiloverLift must be indexed lower to mate its seals to the 40mm portion of the shaft. The image below is from a local 997 GT3RS customer of ours. In the end we were able to adapt the 40mm CoiloverLifts to the OEM suspension after simply winding the perches all the way down. I believe this has it sitting something in the area of ~10-15mm lower than stock all said and done.
Another note is with the OEM wheels/tires- the front wheels need to either be spaced out ~5mm, or alternatively the tires can be swapped for the next smallest section width. This is to avoid contact between the lift and the tire.
Cost is 785 euros/about $850 USD and it is designed to work with most coilovers. I wasn't able to see how much the Hybridair kit costs. The Stanceparts kit looks more elegant at the coilover but requires installation of an air tank. I have no real-world experience with either system.
I have installed Hybridair lift in my 997.1 with GT3RS OEM Bilstein coilovers. Very similar to the B16s. Installation was pretty straightforward after you account for certain things. I went with Hybridair hideaway air management system.
The "air bags" add stack height on our coilovers due to the inverted monotube design. I confirmed this directly with the owner of Hybridair. With that said depending on how low you want to go, you may need to get shorter springs. I went with shorter Swift springs. Another thing is you have to run a spacer to clear the wheels from rubbing on the air bags. He recommended 5mm for stock wheels. I had to use a 10mm since I have wider aftermarket wheels.
Otherwise they are a great product. Haven't had any issues. Definitely a game changer with lowered cars.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Email from Hybridair below. I can confirm that the 40mm lifts are correct for your application. As Simon indicated, you will need to adjust the spring perches lower in order to compensate with the added stack height. The reason the 40mm adds stack height (different from most of our solutions) is that the CoiloverLift must be indexed lower to mate its seals to the 40mm portion of the shaft. The image below is from a local 997 GT3RS customer of ours. In the end we were able to adapt the 40mm CoiloverLifts to the OEM suspension after simply winding the perches all the way down. I believe this has it sitting something in the area of ~10-15mm lower than stock all said and done.
Another note is with the OEM wheels/tires- the front wheels need to either be spaced out ~5mm, or alternatively the tires can be swapped for the next smallest section width. This is to avoid contact between the lift and the tire.
That's interesting. I don't have a problem with the wheel spacers but replacing the springs makes me nervous. Wouldn't the shorter Swift springs change the preload and ride characteristics of your setup for
everday driving? I'm hesitant to swap out shorter springs on a new B16 Damptronics setup? BTW, how much did replacing the springs add to the cost of the installation?
Cost is 785 euros/about $850 USD and it is designed to work with most coilovers. I wasn't able to see how much the Hybridair kit costs. The Stanceparts kit looks more elegant at the coilover but requires installation of an air tank. I have no real-world experience with either system.
This also looks like a viable option but, after reading the manual, installing shorter springs might also be required. Not being a suspension expert, I'm concerned shorter springs will
affect the behaviour of the Bilstein B16 Damp. suspension.
I'm upgrading to the B16 Damptronics from the stock supsension + Eibach lowering springs as I want more rebound control (and a better GT driving experience). I find that with the Eibachs
I'm easily bottoming out on rough roads and railway crossings.
That's interesting. I don't have a problem with the wheel spacers but replacing the springs makes me nervous. Wouldn't the shorter Swift springs change the preload and ride characteristics of your setup for
everday driving? I'm hesitant to swap out shorter springs on a new B16 Damptronics setup? BTW, how much did replacing the springs add to the cost of the installation?
There isn't preload on the B16 coilovers. Preload is more of an aspect on coilovers like Ohlins or BCs where the height adjustment perch is separate from the spring perch. People upgrade springs all the time so it's not a new thing. I went to a shorter and stiffer spring and the ride quality is great.
As I mentioned, it just depends on how low you want to go. You don't necessarily need to go with shorter springs. But if you're like me and want little to no wheel gap then shorter springs might be necessary. If not and you just want go to slightly lower than stock then you can stick with the original springs that come with the B16s. Again, these lift kits add stack height to our coilovers so it will reduce the amount of height adjustment and how low you can go.
Also, are you planning to with a DSC controller? I highly recommend it with the coilovers or even with the stock pasm suspension.
Here is the email from Hybridair again. Hopefully you can see it now:
I can confirm that the 40mm lifts are correct for your application. As Simon indicated, you will need to adjust the spring perches lower in order to compensate with the added stack height. The reason the 40mm adds stack height (different from most of our solutions) is that the CoiloverLift must be indexed lower to mate its seals to the 40mm portion of the shaft. The image below is from a local 997 GT3RS customer of ours. In the end we were able to adapt the 40mm CoiloverLifts to the OEM suspension after simply winding the perches all the way down. I believe this has it sitting something in the area of ~10-15mm lower than stock all said and done.
Another note is with the OEM wheels/tires- the front wheels need to either be spaced out ~5mm, or alternatively the tires can be swapped for the next smallest section width. This is to avoid contact between the lift and the tire.
Yes, I have the DSC Controller installed. The setup I have now includes Eibach lowering springs (installed by the previous owner) on stock Porsche dampers.
While the stance looks great, I prefer to use coilovers to achieve the desired ride height. I'm trying to get an improved GT road experience with the odd optional
track day thrown in.
There isn't preload on the B16 coilovers. Preload is more of an aspect on coilovers like Ohlins or BCs where the height adjustment perch is separate from the spring perch. People upgrade springs all the time so it's not a new thing. I went to a shorter and stiffer spring and the ride quality is great.
As I mentioned, it just depends on how low you want to go. You don't necessarily need to go with shorter springs. But if you're like me and want little to no wheel gap then shorter springs might be necessary. If not and you just want go to slightly lower than stock then you can stick with the original springs that come with the B16s. Again, these lift kits add stack height to our coilovers so it will reduce the amount of height adjustment and how low you can go.
Also, are you planning to with a DSC controller? I highly recommend it with the coilovers or even with the stock pasm suspension.
Here is the email from Hybridair again. Hopefully you can see it now:
I can confirm that the 40mm lifts are correct for your application. As Simon indicated, you will need to adjust the spring perches lower in order to compensate with the added stack height. The reason the 40mm adds stack height (different from most of our solutions) is that the CoiloverLift must be indexed lower to mate its seals to the 40mm portion of the shaft. The image below is from a local 997 GT3RS customer of ours. In the end we were able to adapt the 40mm CoiloverLifts to the OEM suspension after simply winding the perches all the way down. I believe this has it sitting something in the area of ~10-15mm lower than stock all said and done.
Another note is with the OEM wheels/tires- the front wheels need to either be spaced out ~5mm, or alternatively the tires can be swapped for the next smallest section width. This is to avoid contact between the lift and the tire.
415CPA, do you remember the size and spring rate of the shorter Swift springs you installed?
415CPA, do you remember the size and spring rate of the shorter Swift springs you installed?
I installed a 6 inch spring with a 392lb spring rate. The GT3RS coilovers are slightly different from the B16s. I believe the B16s come with a helper spring. The gt3rs come with just a main spring. I would recommend you measure the full length of the main spring and the helper spring together. Make sure the helper spring is fully compressed when measuring. Then decide on what size springs you need. I have seen people eliminate the helper spring as well.
05-16-2024, 08:24 PM
Hybridair Nose Lift Kit
