M030 alternative (but no PSS9)

im looking for a good alternative to the upgrade suspensions kit M020, but dont want to spend usd 2000-2300 for the pss9. also, id like to get the car not lower than -20/-25mm (max 1'' i think is the equivalent). what do you suggest? i saw an item on fvd.de, number 333 996 000, that they describe as "a winning combination of eibach and biltein". do you have any idea on what kind of bilstein and eibach are they using for that? any other alternative^ thanks

RoWM030 is fantastic. Any reason why you don't want to go that way? It also depends on what year your car is. If you have an 02+ then you can put the X74 kit (X73 is C4S) and have a more agressive drop. FYI.....you can get the RoWM030 kit for roughly $1K shipped if you are CONUS.

As Dell mentioned , really hard to go wrong with ther MO30 set up. Supply is the only problem I am finding there. Have you thought about KW suspensions ?? Theo

(i have a C2 my 2003) nothing against m030, just curious for alternatives.. maybe a bit cheaper. what are ROW and KN? sorry for this (probably) stupid question.. regarding the x74, i think it will be too much for me... i drive a lot and dont want to compromise comfort too much...

up!!!

ROW = Rest of World which is what Porsche factory supplies to non US market

Fabry, First, I believe you mean M030; not M020. I am not sure who you are talking to about prices; but the M030 and ROW M030 suspension is only around $1K. The ROW M030 (Rest Of the World Sports Suspension) is 10mm lower than the M030 (US optional/European standard suspension) or approximately 20mm lower than stock. I got a really good deal and paid a lot less than $1K when I ordered mine last year. You are correct in that PSS9's are around $2K, but they also don't include sway bars. You aren't going to find a better deal on a complete suspension (front and rear springs, shocks, sway bars, bushings and bumpstops) than a ROW M030. Keep in mind that all these components and matched to specifically your car. They are also all covered by Porsche warranty. No one at any Porsche dealership would ever have an issue if you put these parts on your car. I have a ROW M030 on my car it lowered my car exactly 1" in front and about 3/4" in back. It will take a lot of the push out of the front and eliminates that looseness in the steering above 130 mph. The fronts usually take a little while to settle in ride height (don't get your car aligned immediately, wait a couple of weeks) and the back takes a little while to break in (softens for a better ride after a couple of months). Literally everything you described in your post says you should go ROW M030.

02 carrera, thanks for your answer. first of all, yes, i meant m030 (but title was right ehehe!). i saw both eu and us versions of the m030 on carnewal, but never heard about RoW, are u sure that eu and row aren't same thing? i think yes... where can i get more info..prices.. for that? also, why porsche make a us.. an eu.. and a row version? are you sure, if it exist, that the row will fit my european car (996 c2 m.y. 2003 coming from germany!). let me know, thanks. fabry

EU=RoW Think of it this way....there is USA and RoW only. Since RoW=Rest of World and since EVERYWHERE else is not the USA then it would be RoW. The reason the US spec suspension is different is our wonderful ride height restrictions by the dept of transportation. So.......we end up ripping them out and replacing them with the RoW kits when we get our hands on them AFTER purchase from the dealer since the dealer CANNOT sell a RoW suspension as an option but they CAN sell you the RoW suspension as a parts dept order.

Dell, Are you sure about DOT regs as the reason? GT2 and GT3 are sold in the US with ride heights significantly lower than the base 911. Are US cars not available from the factory with X73 or X74? Perhaps US cars are higher in order to prevent consumers damaging their cars on US height curbstops?

sorry, pre facelift cars is what I should have clarified. Remember the 01 996TT debacle? Those lovely warts on the front bumper? Good old ride height restrictions and where a bumper must impact another object. Not sure the specifics but the bumpers, ride hieght, etc, was all "in compliance" post fried egg era Maybe somebody can chime in as the total specifics.

What's CONUS????

Continental United States is my guess.......

ZX9 is correct. Sorry, my goverment contracting talk is coming back to me.

Fabry the Euro (ROW) M030 for your car is available from Gert Carnewal, www.carnewal.com . It is about $1,300 bucks including airfreight to your door. I have used the ROW M030 on my 993, and Boxster S. It improves the looks, improves the ride (better damping) and the handling. Best,

i know carnewal... but i hope to find it cheaper.. if you have any tip, please let me know. also, what you call row, here we call euro... thanks guys...

fabry, Try Sunset in Oregon, they were selling them for $974 last year. http://www.sunsetimports.com/

Fabry, Europe (Eu) falls into the Rest Of the World (ROW or non-US). Europe gets the ROW suspension, not anything more unique. The question is why does the US get a unique suspenion? Best guess is US ride height restrictions and poor roads. Here is the good reference article on 996 suspensions: http://www.pca.org/panorama/article_...%20Article.pdf For pricing, any Porsche dealer can order it. $1350 is pretty rediculous of a price if that is what Carnewel is asking for it. Check with Suncoast.

02 Carrera is right about the pricing. Not sure where you are located but I ordered my from Sunset Porsche in Oregon and it was $1K shipped to my door!

Two questions, can you adjust the ride hight on the ROW M030 suspension, it does not look like it in the pictures. Second can you purchase without the sway bars, so that I could source GT3 adjustable bars.

1. No, it is fixed 2. Yes, but you have to buy the pieces individually.

1. Spring perches are fixed on the shocks and struts. They are not threaded coilovers like PSS9's or GT3's. 2. Yes you can order the parts separate, but they are much more expensive. In fact, buying just the individual springs, shocks and bump stops will cost more than the entire suspension kit. So yo are better off buying the whole kit. You should have no problems selling the M030 sway bars on e-bay as they are a bolt-on upgrade for all 996's. Keep in mind that GT3 sway bars are not a direct bolt-on to a non-GT3. You will need to shorten your end links or go to different ones like Agency Power or Racers Group. H&R sway bars are a direct bolt-on that are adjustable. You can get a set of GT3 sway bars with modified end links or a set of H&R's for about $500. My recommendation is to start with the M030 sway bars and see how you like like. My car is perfectly neutral on a skidpad running the full ROW M030, so I am not sure the value of adjustable sway bars. On the street the body roll is almost neutralized and turn-in is much sharper. At the track on much stickier race tires, body roll is more pronouned; especially in off-on camber transitions. But, this may be more in the limit of the front spring rates and camber than the roll stiffness of the sway bar. I am going to upgrade to GT3 front control arms to get more camber out of the front end. I want at least 1.5 degrees negative per side to put the car in range for where the MPSC's are designed to work. I currently have no plans to change sway bars.