996.1 C2 Suspension DIY Project

I have a 2000 96k mile convertible rear drive with two main use cases: (1) weekend roadtrips with the wife, and (2) out-with-the-friends, sporty mountain driving... both in California coast. My first project was refreshing the engine and replacing all the typical failure points (IMS, etc.). I have to send my transmission out to get pinions replaced, and while that is happening, plan to work on suspension myself. The front-end is the main problem, but suspect it's probably best taking care of front and rear at same time. My plan is to do a complete overhaul... coilovers, stock control arm / tie rod replacement, and upgraded sways and adjustable links. After considerable research on options for my use case with focus on flexibility for various road options, I'm focusing on Ohlins R&T coilover setup. I considered Feals and B16's, as well as ROW MO30, but again, landed on Ohlins as providing the greatest flexibility and value (at the price I found them). My general question is for Ohlins and primary CA road focus, what's the recommended complementary components? Sways: Among the adjustable options between Tarett GT, H&R , GT3 and others, what would be a sensible complement to Ohlins? I've seen a number of posts that mix and match the rear/front with a focus on stiffer/quality on the rear. I don't want to complicate things and think simple and consistent pairing would be best. Links: Again, as I will be needing adjustability with coilovers, Tarett or other for this setup? Again, not going hardcore track setup, but think it should holistically make sense with my coilover/sway setup. Also, do I need anything special with Ohlins (i.e., link bracket) for any of these drop link options? Other: I'm assuming that new stock replacement of other components (ie., control arms) is more than sufficient for my purposes. Agreed? Any other things to factor in or add to the punch list "while I'm in there? Mounts/Businings: I already replaced the transmission and engine mounts. Are there any subframe mounts/bushings I need to address? Ahyone have / seen a nice "show and tell" thread/video to help guide my winter project?

So I went with: Ohlins R&T + Tarett Strut Mounts Tarett Adjustable endlinks Tarett LCA shims(Front) Tarett GT Sways(F&R) OEM 997 GT3 Forged 2 Piece LCAs(Fronts via DemonSpeed) Meyle LCAs(Rear - Non adjustable) Meyle Dog bone LCAs Meyle Fork Cargraphic Airlift kit(front) They Meyle parts came from FCP via a full kit, it worked better that way as they're replaceable components. For as many spherical parts on that list, the ride isn't that much different from the M030 the car came with. If you're not looking for camber adjustability then the 2 piece LCAs might be overkill but GT3 alignment specs would be easier to achieve. Only thing I can say that I got after the fact for the Ohlins was the dampening adjustment extensions that allow you to make dampening adjustments without removing anything, those ca be had from 3DM Suspension. FCP euro has a pretty good suspension DIY series if you want to check them out. After the install, the car felt like a different animal... I freaking love it.

Quotes source post: 19763871

Thanks for the detailed response on your setup. For my purpose, some of your options might be overkill (but nonetheless attractive/fun). Was your comment about the list of components compared to M030 in reference to your setup or my list? Curious if your setup was inspired by occasional/frequent track use? I do plan to get the adjustment extensions.

Quotes source post: 19765107

The comparison was between my tired M030 vs the new set up. My .2 only has 62k miles and the LCAs were all shot, so the other thing is to either look at each component with a bushing or swap them out at once as they are maintenance items. You're going to notice a significant difference with the items you have on your list, even with regular driving or in your case spirited PCH driving. The Ohlins front units have the dampening ***** under the hub and accessible at any time, the rears are on the top hence removing panels to get to them... You'll appreciate the 3DM extensions. My car sees a track day a year(I live down the street from Homestead - Miami Speedway) and not my daily driver when home(she's one of 3 vehicles in my stable), I'm out of the country for 8 months annually on average and the streets in Miami aren't terrible in most places I frequent.

My advice is to replace every link with the kit from fcpero, they have a complete front and rear package. I dont think the adjustable sways will really do anything for street driving but if u must, the tarett gt3 copies and their links r the way to go. U wont need adjustable gt3 style lower control arms but i would upgrade the rear toe links to the adjustable units and get eccentric bolt lockout bolts/plates. I like the tarret links because the tierod end is a stock front toe link and it easy and cheap to replace if it wears out. https://tarett.com/products/rear-toe...hoCsUsQAvD_BwE Struts or coilovers is up to u and your budget but i really like my ohlns and dont forget new top mounts for whatever u buy.

Quotes source posts: 19766099, 19765248

Thanks De Jeeper... I like the color coordination with the Ohlins on these :-) i do plan on refreshing the top mounts. Thanks TheChunkNorris. Curious to explore further your comment about the limited value for my use on the adjustable sways. I've seen some posts elsewhere that speak to just merely changing the sways, especially the rear ones, making a huge difference, but that could also be for more track-oriented use. Then I recently viewed FCP Eoro's video on installing the Ohlins in which they kept everything else stock including the stock drop links. I think that regardless of what I do with the sways, I'm best off using the adjustable drop links (and toe links mentioned above) to ensure alignment, etc. can be dialed in and account for any future changes I may make. But this got me thinking whether I can/should stick with existing sways or postpone upgrading them until after I do this first past of the refresh. Thoughts?

Origionally i swapped out my stock c2 bars for c4S bars. They r a little bit larger but not adjustable. Im not sure i felt any difference. U can also go with an aftermarket non adjustable bar and save a lot of money. The links make no difference. Save your money as the stock ones r fine if u r dealing with stock (or aftermaeket stockish) suspension parts. The adjustments on the bar is what makes the sways variable not the link (connector) to the car. I have the S bars and bushings that i will sell cheap but not sure what shipping would cost if u want to try them.

Quotes source post: 19770569

I think a stiffer rear sway will make a big difference. The coils will allow the car to corner flatter, but without an anti roll bar upgrade, a lack of rear-to-front pitch translation (intentionally designed) will still cause too much understeer on corner out. On a cabrio this is slightly more pronounced by less torsional rigidity, weight and center of gravity.

I agree with the benifits but rarely do u get to feel those benifits on the street. I used to think that i felt it before i started tracking and really understanding where the limits r of a stockish car.

Quotes source post: 19771174

Definitely depends on how much you press the loud pedal!

So updated plan... Ohlins R&T... already acquired. Got a deal on new, open box. FCP Euro Kits (front and rear)... currently on sale, and 5% discount to boot Rear adjustable toe links and eccentric bolts Sways/Links... still researching and evaluating options (price / impact value for my use) New question... "while I'm in there", is it worth replacing the sub-frame bushings? Based on what I am doing with control arms, I would go stock/OE. I am not doing any upgrades; I just refresh. Thoughts?

Dont worry about the sub frame bushings. They dont wear. Inspect your cv shafts and wheel bearings while u r there.

Quotes source post: 19773113

That's what I sensed based on my reading, so likely not touching sub-frame. I will look for tips elsewhere on checking CVs and wheel bearings, but are there obvious telltales for me to look for? Are these the things you would only replace when failing or would you do it as preventative maintenance at any set point? I'm not currently hearing noises... other than the "bonks and creeks" of my failing shocks and control arms. But I have read after correcting the main bits that the weak areas become more pronounced.

Once u get the suspension locked in and tight just grab the wheel at 9 and 3, 12 and 6 and with force try to wiggle it. If it clunks u still have a loose link or a bad wheel bearing. There should be zero movement. U could always do the wheel bearings as pm. They r not hard but require some specal tools like a press. Since i track my car i change the wheel bearings every 40 or so days. I get them from fcpeuro so they r free replacements. For the cv u r inspecting the boots. Make sure that they r clean and dry. No signs of greeae slinging. If u see a mess they can be taken apart, repacked and resealed. Again its not hard but its messy.

Parts have arrived and getting everything ready. Below are pictures of my before stance. My fronts have roughly a 1.25" gap, and the rears 1.5" (floor to well 26.25 / 27.00 respectively). As a reminder, got the Ohlins R&T, replacing all the arms, tops, drops and bits w/ OEM, leaving sways as-is for now, waiting on tarret rear toe and lock plates. Some questions I'm curious to hear from everyone... What do you think about my current stance? What would you recommend in new setup (front/rear height) You may notice rear tires have some grooves from rubbing... waiting to get new tires until I see if refreshed suspension solves for rub. The front tires sit in the well by at least 1/2 inch (no rub there), while the rears sit out at least 1/4". Aside from solving for rub, curious if there is an ideal or preferred look. For now, I'm going to keep these wheels, but I am leaning towards going to 18" techno twist hollows. Anything else you see or recommend, or tips before I jump into it?

Quotes source posts: 19810532, 19770203

The ride height looks good and here�s your same specs on a .2. I�m a touch lower but can still get around most places in Miami. It was regarding the use of the vehicle but that other guys already chimed in.

996 C2 suspension Well all the old is out, and most of the new in. Waiting on some parts to finish up. Some lessons in the meantime� - In working the rear discovered old shocks were missing top washer to be reused in new setup, crazy. Had to hammer out the top hats. If I had torn down sooner, would not have slowed me down a few days. - Two years into ownership, learned for first time the practice of using Optimoly TA past on wheel lugs. How did I learn this? Researching how to drill out spinning lug! - Having the right tools makes a difference. After having taking out the engine, done the IMS, etc, worked all the transmission and clutch maintenance already, thought I had everything I needed. Having ratcheting 16/18mm wrenches makes things go faster. - FCP kits are quite helpful. Even if you end up not ordering from them, their kits give you an excellent breakdown of the parts you need (and part numbers) to comparison shop or consider one-off items. Their how-to video on coil over install was excellent. However they skipped tear down on rear so had to look around. As usual, doing something the first time takes 2x as long (sometimes longer) and there will be discoveries that you did not anticipate. However, straightforward job.

fantastic job!

I'm looking at doing something similar to my C2. Any big headaches you've run into? I have quick-jack I'd be working on, but never done suspension before, and there are a lof of pieces! Thinking Gt3 two-piece arms and Fael or the Ohlins R&T. Goal is canyons and track. It just gets confusing knowing all the other bits and pieces I'm going to need to replace.

Quotes source post: 19833051

My primary decision was whether I was doing ROW M030. Coil overs or stock. After seeing the price hike on ROW, opted for coil overs. In my case, not planning to track, but wanted options for the spirited mountain driving. I also was undecided about wheels and having adjustable coil overs for future changes made sense. I then was deciding between Ohlins, Billstein and Feals. I was originally thinking PSS10s, but ended up getting a good deal on a set of Ohlins. Lots of people with positive on Feals here for value / performance. I had already decided I was changing anything with a bushing. At 90k and all original, it was due. The fronts are usually worst than the rears, as was in my case, and depending on your mileage, you could delay those items. However, you are best doing at the very least the front and rear shocks/struts and anything with a ball joint. In my early brainstorming thought about doing my own bushings with elephant racing kit, but was overkill for my use. The other decision to make is whether to go with a stiffer sway bar and adjustable drop links. In my case, I postponed both, mainly because of cost and relative value for my use case. Before I spend anymore, wanted to get a baseline, and that�s easy enough to do later. I did replace the drop links with new TRWs and at the price would not mind if I later swapped them. I still don�t know how things will go with alignment. I hear that not a big issue unless doing a substantial drop. Will update thread once completed. I did however go with Tarett adjustable toe arms in the rear as that appears to be a common issue during alignment. The only �while I�m in there� surprises were the ones I mentioned above. Nothing cost prohibitive. If you plan on doing only a partial overhaul, you may not realize how bad some of the items are until you pull stuff out. I did forget that in addition to one of the surprises above, I had to saw off one of the bolts in the rear (lower control arm ball joint). I made the mistake of using the ball joint separator before removing the nut completely which I subsequently could not advance due to seriously rusted bolt. If you just think it through before each step, it�s really straightforward. fortunately, you can do everything without messing with the brakes (bleeding, etc.). I did use it as an opportunity to do some inspection and cleaning. Discovered I will need to replace my front rotors soon� 2mm from Spec limit. Plan to do a caliper renewal together with that as a future project. others with more track oriented setups might offer additional advice.

I�m following nearly the same path as you, I have Ohlins sitting in my garage as I amass all of the other parts. Did you find a good DIY video for the FCPEuro rear control arm kit, as opposed to just the coil over installation? There doesn�t seem to be a good one out there that goes through all of the upper/lower/trailing arms.

Quotes source post: 19835499

Yeah, I couldn�t find a video that completely covered the rear, so I developed my plan by watching the FCP videos and the following two project videos. The control arm setup in the rear is practically the same as the front. https://youtu.be/7czWt89asqU?si=4QjBeKEytJVDRLNo https://youtu.be/GB1MVElgsuM?si=PWBhW5bOWfEmMdgy

The sway bar set up is easier in the back than the front but already know that. Glad to see this project is moving forward nicely.

Has anyone used the Feal coilovers, either 441 or 441+ ? If you select "Road Racing" it bumps the price to $2,140 (from $1,800). The Tarett version of the Ohlins R&T is $3,500.... (vs $3,280 with out Tarett mount). The B16's seem mostly back ordered (or $1000 more on rennline). I'm going to assume my 76k suspenion that rattles and knocks over every bump will need the full FCP kit, but now I'm left wondering if I should do the GT3 two-piece control arms for extra camber, since I do want to track it. AND then all the other bits and pieces like drop-links etc etc... Nervous about pulling all the suspension apart just to find what I need to replace, and then not being able to get it all back together again

Several of the Turbo guys have Feals and like them. I would get their higher rate springs. I have Elephant Racing control arms in the front, they are adjustable for camber with a wrench. I have GT3 two piece arms in the back. A set of monoball front top mounts would also be a great improvement. Tarret, Elephant, Porsche all make them. Solid caster pucks are cheap, add zero NVH, and keep the caster from wandering around under load. It's easy to get carried away. Monoball everything!

Quotes source posts: 19837945, 19773019

And there is my inherent problem. Now I'm on a monoball rabbit hole. I wish i was like most peope and could just decide on some ONE thing, instead I get totally lost in options and never make a decision. I like the OPs list and @TheChunkNorris - and I think I'd want GT3 adjustable arms for more camber, but then I looked up Demonspeed gt3 arms and they are $2300! What did you end up getting for adjustable rear links and - and the sways? And I assume if you got a FCP euro kit, you went with stock control arms? https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/por...le-996rrctrlkt man so many options...

There r many options for lower control arm and tow links. Rss, Tarett, Elephant r some and they r all good alternatives to the factory arms. Aa far as full monoball, it really elevates the car at the track but it does cut into the comfort. Back when i just had ohlins w/ tarett moniball hats and pretty much all stock balljoints and bushings i had no problem dokng a 3000k mile trip down to the Tail of the Dragon and back. Basically driving 6-10hr stints but now that the entire car is heim/monoball i think my limit would be 3-4hrs. I still love to drive the car ita just not as comfortable.

The Denonspeed arms are the forged motorsport parts. You don't need those, the regular cast GT3 arms would be fine.

Quotes source post: 19840449

I paid 1600 for the set back in the day� Porsche tax can be real sometimes.

@hankster66 Where did you get your rear shock mounts from? These seem to be insanely priced for OEM (~$200 per side) but I�ve heard bad things about the cheaply priced Hamburg Technic brand which gets you all front/rear for $300.

Quotes source post: 19841374

We are continuing with this sale too. https://demonspeed.com/product/lower...996-cup-style/ We are running these on our Boxster AER car and I personally have them on my street 996 Turbo. Thanks Ed

Quotes source post: 19842170

for the front top mounts I went with Lemforder FCP kit, roughly 180 for the pair, OE and I have been happy with the other lemforder parts from my last project. For the rear, I went with Porsche which cost me around 270 for the pair. Whenever I need Porsche or it�s the only thing available, I get my stuff from Gaudin Porsche Parts in Las Vegas. They always have the best price. They would have cost me 350 at FCP. If it�s within 10-20% I would typically go with FCP because of warranty, but at almost 30% premium, will choose Gaudin.

Quotes source post: 19840449

yes, went with stock arms. The only thing in the kit I did not get were the rear toe arms� I went with adjustable tarett. I kept my stock sway bar and replaced drops with stock TRWs. Will see how things go this week with alignment. Eventually I will likely go with Tarett sways and drops, but taking it in phases.

Did you get rear toe lock bolts to go with your adjustable arms?

Quotes source post: 19843143

Yes, they were recommended in this thread to me� good catch.

I can�t find any video or pics of the adjuster extension install for Ohlins R&T. Anyone who has done this, can u post a pic? Primarily interested in how you routed the cable and placed the adjustment *****.

In many ways the rear is more straightforward after having done the front, but I found it more challenging getting torque. In a few places you have to use crowfoot, which is fine� I just had to go out and buy an 18mm as my kit did not have that size. Still, in a couple of places, I still had a challenge, mostly with the chassis side of rear toe and one of the upper dog bones. I had to play with different combinations of crow feet and torque wrenches to fit the tight space/radius. For future reference, was there a particular tool helpful to you? I�ve see torque adapters that are attached to wrenches and wondered if that�s the best approach.

Quotes source post: 19843542

Mine just hang free, foward. Its the only way i can reach it with the fixed seats and cage.

Does anyone know why there are 2 different types of spring pads available; there is a 6.5mm and 3.0mm version: 6.5mm: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/por...or-99634351101 3.0mm: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/por...or-99634351100 Is there any way to know what I have prior to disassembling the front suspension? I'd like to hopefully order all of my parts and get it all done in a day when I have everything ready.

Quotes source post: 19941394

One is for sport suspension and one is for standard.

Thanks. Pretty sure I�m standard then. I didn�t notice a �compensator disc� in the rear, but I think Ohlins comes with it already.