stevecolletti

I have the monoballs and solid thrust bushings on the 08 RS (pre Tarmac availability), RSS Tarmacs on the 00 Boxster S and the 12 Cayman R. Not much in the way of noise from them - tire choices make a bigger difference when it comes to 'noise'. I can feel a little more vibration in the door panels on the RS (noticeable only at idle), which I'm guessing comes from the solid thrust bushings.

Oh, and I completely agree. I could never come to terms with the RS until I put the monoballs, thrust bushings and links on it.

drl

I got ERP because my mech really likes them, they are supposed to be good. My head was spinning trying to figure out what was best...so I just went with what mech recommended

Basal Skull

I also always wonder what the comparison with respect to strength/breakage/fatigue rate. I would assume all manufacturers do some strength comparison vs stock but most of the aftermarket items sure look thinner and I've nerver seen any numbers (or if there is a way to test things).

a_Y

No rattles at all?

NXI20

Over the last 3 years I've used various parts containing monoballs from the first 3 suppliers listed. GMG have been by far the best quality and have been very duarable. They have lasted more than 40K miles and probably 70 trackdays. RSS monoballs on the inner LCAs were destroyed in less than 5K miles. Replaced with NMB and doing just fine since. Tarrett droplinks also destroyed in 5K miles and replaced with aerospace quality bearings.

All bearings were protected with rubber boots but as I'm in the UK, they do get wet a lot!

My advice is to ask potential suppliers who manufactures the bearings they use. Aurora or NMB teflon-lined bearings seem well made & last a decent amount of time; not so keen on FK which seem to be of inferior quality.

Also a tip to those fitting the RSS rear toe arms: make sure you install the locking plates as used in the Cup car (pretty sure RSS also do a similar kit). Otherwise you'll find your toe drifts quite quickly as the standard eccentric bolt won't be able to resist the forces generated. The eccentric is made redundant by fitting the arm anyway, so you might as well eliminate it.

Final thought is that these mods really make the car come alive & I wouldn't ever go back to standard BUT they are not a "fit & forget" option; far from it, they need to be regularly checked for wear & replaced when they start to feel sticky or rough. Once wear sets in, it will be rapid!

stevecolletti

GT3s make all kinds of noises, anyway... I've heard nothing new with the RSS monoballs, which now have about 20K mile on them.

The 00 Boxster S (w/US 030) is my wife's car. It's almost completely stock - now with >145K miles. Rather than spend the money on OEM suspension bushings when the suspension got tired, I installed the Tarmacs. She has no complaints about additional noise (but she loved the look of the parts). The Tarmacs have about 10K miles on them in this application.

Same applies with the Cayman R, but I only have a 2K miles on the Tarmacs.

BTW, roads in SoCal suck, too.

+1

mooty

excellent post.
however, i dont think any of these brands comw with nmb or aurora bearings, no? most are FK

mooty

ERP would be my first choice. however, 1/2 of the tarret stuff are ERP items.

also, ERP doesn't make all the stuff. they have toe links, thrust arms and dog bones. i dont think ERP makes LCA pucks or inner LCA monoballs.

i run ERP toe links.

mooty

how good is your hearing?
i can hear a lot of noises with any of these monoballs but i also can hear pin drop. yes, the noise is there, but most ppl can't hear it.

bmwtye

The Champion Motorsport ones come with Aurora bearings:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...-upgrades.html

a_Y

I am pretty sensitive with the rattles.. I have ERP bump steer links and cup car LCA in the front now. The ERP bump steer links are already loose thus causing a nasty rattle. But I can only hear it when I open my windows. I am guessing if I leave my windows closed, I shouldn't hear much noise with these?

However what member NXI20 mentioned got me a little worried as I think the roads here in Hong Kong are quite similar to those in UK. His mentioning of the RSS breaking down in 5k miles..

Mvez

If you have an RS, this is exactly why I say that all you really need to do in order get almost the same full solid feel, is install adjustable toe links (with OEM tie rod ends), locking plates, and use Tarett monoballs ends.

We don't need bumpsteer correction if the car is aligned properly and not too low. The little rubber left in the rest of the components won't deflect nearly as much as the rubber in the inner LCA's, and provide some isolation. This allows for a much easier service life, and you're not chasing down squeeks and rattles.

As for endlinks, I can't believe more people aren't using Powergrid endlinks. These are awesome pieces that combine the benefits of adjustability and sealed THK ball ends, with better articulation range (OEM range and service life). Places like Orbit are using them, and there are plent other race cars using them. Plenty of 996's out there using them. I recently talked with Chip (the owner) and told him we need to get the word out on this product for the 997 GT3 community. His front endlinks completely solves the problems associated with most of the other spherical units, and clearance. Don't judge a book by it's cover, trust me. http://www.powergridinc.com/

mooty

whoa, i see aurora. i likey.
very interesting locking screw, instead of jam nut. i'll look into it in more detail. tasty for sure.

mooty

that's my point.
they are ALL noisy if you have good hearing. but some ppl learn to ignore it. when it rattles, i just add throttle then i either hear just engine roar or my wife scolding me to slow down.

mooty

this man speaks the truth!