997.2 Alignment w/ Cup control arms, etc.
09-06-2009, 09:57 AM
#16
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Really not sure as I've been very casual about settings. I let Dan worry about the details, I just drive the car. I did, however, want to know about what I had for Camber as that's what most people ask at the track "Hey Ron, looks like you got more than stock camber on that 997..."
Can't help you with conversion or caster, but I thought caster was something that might move with the new arms.
Can't help you with conversion or caster, but I thought caster was something that might move with the new arms.
12-30-2009, 12:58 PM
#17
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If you are experienced on the track but not a 911, you still will want to have the alignment "proper" for track driving. The biggest thing you will find if you don't is massive amounts of understeer and possible uneven tire wear if you do even your 1st track day without having the alignment updated. In a 997.2 you might be able to get upwards of 1 degree of negative camber without using control arms, which is probably better than the 1/4 of 1 degree the car currently has from the factory. Alignments around here are about $200, but adding the control arms pushes it to about $2k. I had a complimentary alignment from the dealer at break-in oil change / service (2k) and they were able to get me to about 8/10ths of 1 degree and I tried that on the track - plowed like a pig. For the next track day I had the control arms and the car is much better.
I am running factory alignment and tearing up the outer areas of my front r888s on track. Debating whether to max out the alignment or just make leap to gt3 control arms. (I am a yellow/blue driver)
Thanks, as always, Ross
12-30-2009, 07:30 PM
#18
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Ross,
There was no improvement from 1/4 to 1 degree. The car plowed like a pig, the shoulders got scuffed, etc. There's just no getting around the control arms. Suncoast has the package as does Tarett, but be aware, you really want to spend the extra $400 or so for the rear toe links. The stock ones are notorious for slipping from track use. I went with them and my alignment all season long was rock solid.
There was no improvement from 1/4 to 1 degree. The car plowed like a pig, the shoulders got scuffed, etc. There's just no getting around the control arms. Suncoast has the package as does Tarett, but be aware, you really want to spend the extra $400 or so for the rear toe links. The stock ones are notorious for slipping from track use. I went with them and my alignment all season long was rock solid.
12-30-2009, 08:13 PM
#19
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Ross I too now run gt3 lower control arms and you need -2 camber with zero or .02 toe per side to take advantage of r-comp tires on a track
12-30-2009, 08:54 PM
#20
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Control arms and spacers
OK so I plan on doing the GT3 Control Arms in the future, for track use, but in the immediate future I'm going to install some spacers, primarily for aesthetics. While I realize that spacers are easy to remove should I really be putting 5 mm up front and 14 mm in the rear with the net result that my front/rear track delta is even bigger than factory spec. This would result in greater understeer right? If so I’ll probably go with 5 mm all round on the spacers.
12-30-2009, 09:40 PM
#21
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Ross,
There was no improvement from 1/4 to 1 degree. The car plowed like a pig, the shoulders got scuffed, etc. There's just no getting around the control arms. Suncoast has the package as does Tarett, but be aware, you really want to spend the extra $400 or so for the rear toe links. The stock ones are notorious for slipping from track use. I went with them and my alignment all season long was rock solid.
There was no improvement from 1/4 to 1 degree. The car plowed like a pig, the shoulders got scuffed, etc. There's just no getting around the control arms. Suncoast has the package as does Tarett, but be aware, you really want to spend the extra $400 or so for the rear toe links. The stock ones are notorious for slipping from track use. I went with them and my alignment all season long was rock solid.
12-30-2009, 10:16 PM
#23
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My opinion, don't waste your money and time on spacers, they aren't going to do anything for you. Somebody posted about a new GT3 front strut top that adds 1 degree of negative camber. If you could go with that simple, low labor item and get -2 degrees, that would be better.
12-31-2009, 11:06 AM
#24
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My opinion, don't waste your money and time on spacers, they aren't going to do anything for you. Somebody posted about a new GT3 front strut top that adds 1 degree of negative camber. If you could go with that simple, low labor item and get -2 degrees, that would be better.
, will get it done week or two after new years, then will post results. Preliminary job looks like $385 per each side for GT3 upper mounts, plus mechanic says he may need to make some adapters for springs (or may be not), 3 hours of labor plus alignment. Project should total appx. to whan LCA parts cost. So, will let know how it will work out. Added benefit of this is also in more sturdy connection of struts tops as in stock 997 part there is rubber element there and in gt3 or MODE race upper mounts it is metal monoball there instead. But I was told against MODE mounts as they have no sealing whatsoever so mechanic says on street cars that monoball gets rusty and then gets stuck and eats up strut rods.
12-31-2009, 11:12 AM
#25
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It does sound like those uppers are going to cost just as much in total as control arms. If that's the case, I'd go with the Porsche OEM control arms.
12-31-2009, 11:23 AM
#26
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LCA parts cost $1300 alone plus labor + alignment. BTW, how many labor hours was there to put LCAs on?
12-31-2009, 11:29 AM
#27
Race Director
Forget the spacers especially going 14mm rears as those will cause even more underst
12-31-2009, 12:03 PM
#28
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I paid about $1300 complete for the lower control arms, install labor, and alignment. Parts are $795 for Xenon version at Tarett, labor to install and alignment about $500.
01-01-2010, 11:34 AM
#30
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Don't know about that method. Dan Jacobs (Hairy Dog Grrrage) likes Porsche OEM and known results, thus the use of GT3 / Cup motorsport parts. On my 1st 997S, Farnbacher Loles set it up using the Cup control arms and on my second one (this 09), Dan used the same proven parts. Alignment is fantastic, so much better with this Sport PASM suspension than it was with Gen 1 PASM.