bumpy ride on 996

Recently treated myself with 2002 911 cab. What a cool and fast ride! The only thing, such a harsh and bumpy ride on NYC streets. I know they supposed be stiff. Are they supposed be so bumpy on potholes? My daily ride is 2010 750xi. Maybe I have to get used to it? Or maybe I have to replace shocks?

its bumpy. I learned to avoid the bigger potholes.

I have the same car and on bumpy streets you can feel it in the car. And it'll squeak a bit over some real bad roads. But on smooth roads she handles like a dream! Oh and we have an SUV as a comparison and it feels like it absorbs the bumps a little better. But who cares, it's not meant to be a luxury cruiser.

Just for fun, check your tire pressures.

I was already planing to get new Shocks installed. I guess I will have to get used to it. How would one know if 996 in need of new shocks!

Thanks. I will check tire pressure tomorrow.

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How many miles and where was it driven/owned before?

It has 56k miles. Was driven in GA for 6 years and 42 k miles, and 2 years and 14k miles in CT and NYC.

I would bet your suspension, if original is getting tired, I'd look at the shocks to see if any might be leaking if all else fails.

Welcome, but post a pic. How can we give advice when we haven't even seen the color? Where is Tim when we need him?

Driving his Honda?

Since I bought this car, I have discovered bumps and cracks in the road that I never felt with any other car! Something we have to live with! I got used to it, and I'm not kidding when I say this, I avoid every single sewer/bump in my whole city, and I TRY to avoid others in other cities!

I reduced my tire pressure from stock to 33/39, and noticed a much improved ride over bumps and expansion joints - it just rides more comfortably. Might be worth a try.

The suspension on these cars is stiff and you will notice the bumps, tar strips, potholes, etc. A lower tire pressure may help some but shocks won't make a big difference. I put new PSS10's on my car last spring and it no longer "bounces" over bumps, i.e the car does not cycle up and down as the shock effect this, but you still feel the bumps, etc. I think this issue is one of the reasons that you see many low mileage 996/997's for sale. A lot of people think they want a Porsche having read and heard about them, then get one a find that they are stiffly spring, fairly high strung cars, and go to a Lexus, Mercedes, etc. for the comfort factor.

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I can imagine that compared to your daily ride that the Porsche would feel harsh. You will just have to consider it part of the charm of owning a Porsche. Once you get a chance to put her through the paces on a smoother twisty road you will really appreciate the stiff suspension. Have fun.

Worn shocks generally feel softer than fresh shock so that's probably not the problem. Tires can make a difference. I just switched from summer tires to winter tires and the ride got softer. But compared to a BMW 750, a 996 is always going to feel harsh.

My 2001 C4 is a very smooth ride compared to my 85 Targa. I think it may be a perspective thing and it may be just getting used to it. I believe worn out shocks would result in a lot of bounce. They work to dampen the springs. If you did not have them the springs would just keep bouncing. Just an idea off the top of my head so it may not be any good but you may want to go to a dealer and take another car for a test drive and see what think so you have something to compare to. Then again, you may end up blowing 100K on a new car so maybe just get a ride in someone else's 996. Pete

Thank you guys for the advise. I drove another 996 and I think I may need new shocks. Mine absorbs road bumps kinda bouncy comparing to the one I drove. The difference is very minimal. Also at about 75mph steering wheel feels a little shaky(maybe need high speed balancing).

Will take some pics tomorrow.