Standard 996- lift @ high speeds? - Page 2 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

I never noticed this on my car, although the engine in the back feeling means the steering is unlike a front or even mid engined car. If you want more downforce and talk to the right companies (speedart) you can get a fully adjustable GT3 Aerokit for sub 3k fitted. That was good for 302kmh (187ish) on a deserted French Road during which my c2 felt rock solid. Bennno

Tricky one....I know what you mean,,but having driven 2wd 911 for 8 years or so now I have come to accept this.I feel I can anticipate the front going light before feel comes back..maybe it is a problem,but this is exactly what I prefer from the 2wd over 4wd 911. It has to be said that this effect is more noticeable on lighter cars & less defined in the 996. have you tried driving with at least 1/2-3/4 tank of fuel this can affect the balance. maybe you have more experience of many or better cars and some of have been seduced by the 911 thing & its peculiarities?

That is going to depend on what year 996 you have and what suspension you have. If you are experiancing a "dramatic" increase, I'd have a good race shop check your corner balance and suspension setup. My 2000 Cab, with standard suspension, was rock sold up to 120 or 130. My 2002 Cab with Euro Sport Suspension is also very, very solid. I did have a bunch of bozos install some stuff on my older car. It was scary at anything over 80mph. I had their work checked by a race shop and they had left the front about 20mm higher than spec. As a result, a lot of air was getting under the front of the car and could not get out, pushing the front up. After a having the car alligned again it was great. Good luck. I'll look through my mags and see if I can find some factory lift data for you. Roy

Thanks for the comments. I'll get the suspension & corner balance checked first (it has sports suspensions & 18" wheels). I'm not sure I want to go as far as spending 3k to bodykit it, since while it probably makes it easier to sell on, I doubt I'd get it back. Cheers Kev

its true you might not get it back, but if the nose cone is stone chipped etc then it sorts that out (cost £5-600 of paintwork) at the same time. plus the engine lid and front PU are worth £5-600 if you offer them to porsche breakers. (fitting and paintwork on my car were organised by Speedart but done at a OPC) That makes the cost to change about £1800, a figure you may well get back at resale time - besides they look the nuts with the kit fitted and the drive is noticeably different. Bennno >> Edited by bennno on Monday 3rd March 10:01

Yep, Aerokits do look the nuts. Notbiasedatallohnoimnot

Really ?

Noticeably different....sure all that extra weight makes them less agile on the twisties! I think you have got to be doing some SERIOUS speeds to notice any real difference. not a fan of the latest "Thunderbirds" kit on new GT3. The old GT3 with the curly rear spoiler looks better to me. >> Edited by clubsport on Monday 3rd March 12:44

yep, feel sure that at very high speeds the car felt more stable Bennno

I have a 2WD Targa. I've had it up to 165+ mph showing some cheeky bugger in a souped up Audi TT what REAL speed is. No problems at all. However, in fairness, I tend to have the (front) boot full of luggage.

had my 996 MY2003 up to 135 at Goodwood last week, have to say did'nt notice any lifting. Gary

135? That's parking speed for Kev (456mgt) C'mon Kev, exactly what speed were you getting this so called lift

Common fault, particularly on convertibles. We change the springs to drop the car by 25-30mm all round and reset the geometry, usually effects a 90% cure on a standard bodied car.

I wish! Nothing that extreme actually Dom. My sphincter won't let me go too far when the car is being thrown off line by irregularities in the surface. I suspect Ninemeister is right- I've got the car booked into JZ Machtech in a couple of weeks to have the geometry & suspension settings/components checked. They told me it was common and were confident they could sort it. >> Edited by 456mgt on Thursday 13th March 11:55

Are you sure it isn't the sphincter settings that need readjusting? 9M's suspension plan sounds a good 'un, and the boys at JZ Machtech come highly recommended. Let us know how it goes! Cheers D

No they do not. I don't even want to THINK about how you would do that

456MGT, I had a fairly similar problem, JZ Machtech had the car this weekend, and did a complete geometry check. Turned out the Rear suspension was WAY out. Following this being sorted, and all 4 wheels being balanced, the vibrations/front end lightness seem totally cured (although not taken it much above 110 to check) IIRC Geometry check was about 220pounds. Dean

Thanks Dean. Kev

It's so nice when you get something done to your car and you can feel the difference within the first 100 ft of driving it. Thanks for the advice- it was spot on. Had the suspension geometry sorted out today @ J Z Machtech. Turns out the rears were way out for both camber & toe. It was explained to me that this would give the effect of rear end 'steering', causing the car would follow cambers and ridges, and feel nervous. Yep- that's it! It doesn't any more. Feels nice & planted, much more confidence-inspiring over rough roads and corners more sweetly too. Felt like a different car on the way home. It's quite a long job- a couple of hours. Cost £258 and it's transformed the car. Very impressed with J Z Machtech. Waited while the car was done and it was no hardship at all. They put my car through first when they realised I was going to wait. Friendly, helpful people and a good vibe to the place. Much better standard than you see in independent Ferrari specialists. Quite enjoyed the day actually- obviously not getting out enough. The only question on my mind is why it goes out in the first place? I've never needed to have this done before.

Good to hear thats sorted Kevin. I imagine the exhausts are just about reaching optimum noise now as well. DAZ

They are indeed Daz. Having spent part of the day listening to many & varied 911s coming and going, mine didn't sound too shabby in comparison. In fact the chap who test drove the car after it had been reset commented that it sounded nice and "had I had anything done?". Are you tempted to fit one to das turbo?

Kevin, Glad you've got the car sorted.Looking forward to hearing that exhaust!! Steve

Afraid not Kev. As it is, with the factory enhancements it burbles sufficiently for my needs and doesn't get me involved with more acrimomy with the neighbours, when garaging it in the early hours of the morning. Who knows though, if the neighbours piss me off I may have to get something louder than Basher's motor. DAZ

Hmm.. reading through 456's troubles it seems my 993 C2 may have the same problem, tramlining and feeling a bit jittery/nervous at the back. Where can I get my wheel geometry checked and corrected ? Is this a specialist job, ie local tyre and wheel place or even porsche specialist garage couldn't do it ? Cheers for any info. [edited for carp spelling] >> Edited by 911newbie on Wednesday 26th March 12:04

Don't take it to your local Kwik Fit. They won't know the camber/castor settings etc. Even places like Micheldever with laser alignment equipment will be guessing if they don't know the car. Take it to a decent specialist, like JZ Machtech.

Kevin, Glad to hear you got it sorted. I think its a pretty common problem (certainly was when i had a 993), but like you, I do wonder what causes so many of them to get misaligned, especially as mine had only done 1 track day previously!. Echo the JZ Machtech comments, Steve and Jonah certainly know their stuff. Dean

British roads do it basically. Any sort of bump, speed hump or pothole will put the settings out slightly and it all adds up over a year or 2.

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Maurice- not my lot anymore. So please feel free to take your £ elsewere Tognola engineering in Slough have a very good rep for Porker wheel align & most of the UK porker specialists know what they are doing wheel alignment wise.

Does anyone know if the 996 in standard form generates front-end lift when speed exceeds 100mph? I'm finding the lightness of the front end increases quite dramatically at these speeds. This is exacerbated on uphill stretches and less noticeable downhill, and the 'feel' is consistent with aerodynamic lift. The tyre pressures are fine and the tracking seems true. So is this normal? It makes you a bit of a menace on the track when minor imperfections throw you off-line.