kfitzpat9

I've done a search to solve this problem, but no luck so would appreciate your help. I have a 2008 GT3RS with 11,000 miles with stock suspension and while doing a drive 6 months ago with my buddies, the front suspension compressed and stayed in that low position. Here is the scenario in bullet format for you type A's that don't have the patience to read through a diatribe of verbal vomit in paragraph form.

1) Driving at approximately 70 mph on smooth pavement, car went over a smooth undulation/dip that compressed the front end and I heard a "Toing" type noise
2) Steering felt weird- pulled over and both front wheels were up inside the wheel wells and then stayed there. (see low rider picture)
3) Towed to Porsche dealership but when they put on the lift, the suspension released and then they couldn't find anything wrong and said "no issue"
4) Fast Forward 6 months: It happened again this past weekend under same situation and in pulling into my steep driveway (one wheel comes off the ground), the suspension released and went back to normal.

So, has anyone had this experience? Any thoughts on what it might be? FYI there is no Front Axle Lift on this car but does have the "sport" setting button for the suspension and it was "on" the first time, and "off" the second time, so don't think that's relevant, but also don't want to taint the feedback.

Top picture is normal ride height, bottom picture is the compressed and similar on BOTH sides.

cgfen

Will be interesting to see what caused this issue.
I can't think of anything but a PASM controller / damper intermittent issue
????????????????
Better sell me the car at a distressed price.........................

Craig
or maybe it's like the GT4s with their front shock tower failures and yours magically fixes itself.- sorry bad joke.

ABT_SLC

Check your swaybar links. They might look like this.

kfitzpat9

Yep, the drop links are bent and good tip!! Must be when both sides of the suspension get compressed and there's nowhere for the anti-sway bar to go!

kfitzpat9

Yep, the drop links are bent and good tip!! Must be when both sides of the suspension get compressed and there's nowhere for the anti-sway bar to go!

bweSteve

Wow ABT_SLT, how did you know that? ... looks like you have experience? ... or have you read about this before? any links to other threads on this?

I'd like to hear, read more. .1's only? etc etc. I'm gonna go look at mine just to put eyes on them.

subscribed.
=Steve

ABT_SLC

It happened to my neighbor last summer.
He took it to the dealer first and they didn't find anything wrong.
I put it on the lift at home and ta da! Problem found:-)

Tom@TPC Racing

The PASM controller won't cause that. Worst case with the PASM controller is the ride will become very stiff and a "PASM Fault" message will appear on the dash. But it won't cause the ride height to drop.

I have seen a number of bent front sway bar links on my customers cars and on my personal car. Usually its from approaching a road slope grade change at low speed at an angle with the steering wheel turned to such a way that the sway bar is loaded upper joint of the links are far from being on axis. Such as driving on to steep trailer ramps with the steering wheel turned. Ironically I have never seen the links bent on race tracks.

As for the ride height drop, I suggest inspecting the spring top mount to see if it broken. If the spring top mount or the spring itself is not broken then most likely the shock damper failed internally. But if that's the case the spring still should hold the ride height...

Tom@TPC Racing

Also check to see if the spring perch came loose. See pic below.

kfitzpat9

Great tip and I will check that as well. Really appreciate the help!

cgfen

Ever find the root cause of this??

kfitzpat9

Hey guys, thanks for the input and the root cause was a bent anti-sway bar link and not sure how the Porsche mechanic missed it, but that was the issue. Sorry it took so long to figure out but as I dont drive the car often, it took me awhile.

JS

Thanks for sharing.

LAGt3

What did I miss? How did the suspension "release itself" and become a fixed problem, only to reoccur again? I can see how a bent sway bar link would hold the suspension in a compressed state, but how did it get repaired without replacing the bent link?