Front End Lift - Fix ?

Was just reading the fascinating "How much "better" is a 2002-2004 996 compared to a 1999-2000?" and came across this comment - "Taking care of the front end lift on the 99 is as easy as installing ROW 030 (should come standard IMHO!!)" Would really like to know more. My front end seems light at 60 plus. I thought it was just a result of the front dam and the characteristics of the car - would love to be able to plant the front end down much more. I had my shop take a drive and they feel it's as it should be. Any guidance ? It's a '99 C2 w/ SSK, Cold air intake, Fabspeed exhaust.

How was it prior to installing the front air dam?

I bought it as is last August - 1st P-Car - although I drove 1969 911S many times - very different animals. I was very surprised at the unsteady handling characteristics on the highway. Around town, it's rock solid. Although someone advised me that the front air dam was an add on, and not the factory aero, I have since checked and can confirm that the lower lip is not an add on and is an integral part of the entire front bumper.

Even though the lower lip is an integral part of your bumper, the fact is that it is not a factory piece. This means that it may not have gone through wind tunnel testing that Porsche performs on the factory aerokit. While it may have been intended to produce additional downforce it may actually be doing the opposite. You just never know with aftermarket kits.

stock my front seamed light....after pss9's its rock solid...mine is a 99 C4 cab

I drive a US Spec 2000 C4 996 here in Germnay. After I first received my Porsche I too felt the front was too light when driving at high speeds and installed the ROW 0030 on my car. Was money well spent and solved the problem. It will lower your car some, not too much, which in my opinion looks better. Hope this helps.

Agreed - and since I haven't driven a 996 w/ a factory aero, I have nothing to compare with. Are the only options on possible fix (1) remove the front and replace w/ factory Aero and/or (2) install new struts etc. ?

if its on the original shocks...they could be worn anyway....8 years is a long time for a set of shocks....otherwise yes the way to get rid of it is suspension....if you want the best ride and to get rid of it, go with PSS9's....if you are not so concerned abou the ride ROW M030, is not bad, X74, is more stiff...

Just a thought� When was the last alignment? I thought I had the same problem and was thinking about spend thousands of dollars to fix the problem; thinking it was the suspension that was going bad. Going over 100 MPH was not any fun. Also driving in the rain sucked. The car was light and twitchy above 80 MPH I decided to try an alignment as I noticed that the camber was out for the rears. I ask how bad the alignment was out and the dealer stated it was not too bad. After The alignment I can say what a difference. High speeds of up to 115 MPH and no more lightness in the front. Driving in the rain now is rock solid. Biggest difference is no more twitch. I really don�t know if that is your problem but it�s a lot cheaper than spending money on a new setup if you don�t really need it $108 (that was what it cost at my dealer) and 1 hour of you time will rule it out

this is my first P car...and I was lucky enough to buy my car with the factory aero kit and RoW M030 and man the car is perfect at freeway speeds. Top down or not...unlike any car I have ever owned period. I would take what the everyone has said above and pick and choose the best solution for you. They all seem legitimate reasons...old shocks...aftermarket lip...etc. All reason for the lift you are feeling.

Put a lower lip under the bumper and you will be fine.

As a designer... I've always been torn... although I like the more artsy-craftsy, campy, overdone design of the 02 Oh my... I have the earlier front end design... beautiful car! congrats!

I have a 99 and have never noticed any issues in the 70 to 120 range. Mine was originally delivered in Canada, but I believe it is the same as the US cars. I am not an engineer, but just looking at the front spoiler on your car I would have to imagine it behaves much differently than mine. I would talk with a shop that specializes in upgrades to make sure that you shouldn't be adding either suspension or other changes such as a rear wing or side skirts to work properly with the different spoiler in the front. Have you checked your tire pressure? Kris

I agree, driving my 3.2 Carrera and the 996 back to back is a very different experience. How are your tires? When I bought my car, it had Pirelli PZero Assymetricos all around and it had a flat when I picked it up. Long story, but that was the last straw and the owner just dumped the car. I needed rear tires fast and a friends shop had Federals in stock in the right size. I had them installed and I was off. The old Pirellis were still on the front and the car was very darty and tramlined and I thought something was wrong with it. I won a set of new rims and tires on ebay and waited almost 8 weeks for them to arrive. I installed them as soon as it arrived and the car drove perfectly! There was no more dartiness and tramlining. The tires on the rims wouldn't be my first choice, but they were already there. The Nexen tires seem okay, but I only have 200 miles on them. All I can say is they drive better than what was on it!

I'll add to this discussion by saying that my bone stock 2000 C2 is rock steady at 130 mph. No drama at all. I'm guessing that your car needs an alignment and may also be negatively affected by that aftermarket spoiler up front.

Thanks for the responses. Glad to hear that I'm not crazy - the car is twitchy on the highway. I'm a very secure driver - no issues at high speeds (except for the possibility of getting popped) and I need to use 2 hands and feel very uncomfortable - should not be. Have felt very comfortable at 100+ in Audi TT, Audi A6, etc. - no reason I shouldn't in '99 996. Answer's to Q's that may help outline why an otherwise stable, solid '99 996 C2 w/ 66K miles is unstable starting around 60/65. 1. It starts in the 60's and get's worse through the 70's/80's+ 2. Need 2 hands on the wheel and the wheel is bouncing back and forth (not the front end, just the wheel, i.e., I don't mean to imply "wheel hop". 3. She brakes well and does not veer at all. Tracks nicely - below 60. 4. Tires are AVS Sports and the rear's have 2k miles on them. Front mileage is unknown but there is plenty of tread. Don't know if there balanced right - I don't seem to notice any rumble in the wheel which should be the first sign of a rim imbalance - I believe. 5. My shop drove the car (115) and said it feels fine - wasn't sure I agreed - now I'm sure I don't agree. He did say however, after a quick check that it's probably out of alignment just slightly - Can a very small adjustment lead to a dramatic improvement ?? 6. Tire pressure is ok all around - Check it about every 2 weeks. 7. newport996 - actually, I did not think of the possibility that the shocks are done - I guess b/c she seems pretty stiff - very little bounce if I push down on a fender. Thoughts of front struts as the issue ? If the consensus says not likely the struts, then I will do the alignment and check the wheel balances. If consensus is struts, then I need to consider doing that before I take the time and money for an alignment that will have to be done over. Final last thought would be the nose. Thanks for the continued feedback. It's Sat - if you not driving -

YES If that's what's the problem... I had mine done and it was not that much out of alignment and it did make a huge improvement. It's a cheap way to eliminate a possible problem

An alignment can fix a lot of this. Both the RUF and Porsche fix for this is the hole in the top of the bumper cover to release air from the front grill area. Lowering the car will also help some and I suspect the splitters you have on it are adding some wierd stuff. The cars are also very twitichy in cross winds.

I can drive my car one handed at 130 mph although not smart.......... You need to lower the car or change the front. Factory aero cars run smilar to the c4 in footing minus the added weight. Corners are a different story.....

Listen to m3killa, he's smart and beautiful.......

I thionk this is the 1st course of action. If not corrected, then I think I will look into a new nose and possibly suspension - but I need to decide if I'm keeping the car or not - prior post - love this car but 66k miles worry me. I'd much rather be in the 30-40k range. On a side note, stopped into the dealer yesterday to discuss options, including trading for a newer cab or buying a Boxster (in addition) - the trade in value was low 20's ! I was disgusted and left - especially after listening to how my "'99" was old and not nearly as good as a '02/03 for $50k plus !

Low 20's Guess I'll be keeping mine forever On a serious note, I think your car looks great. The miles on the car should really not concern you, but I'm sure that�s really on consolation. I thought the same about my car. Not quite as tight as I wanted it thought I should spend more money to make the car better. Car was a pain-in-the-*** to drive one handed. The *** at highway speed would wiggle. Started to think about all the money I wanted to put into the car and how long I planned on keeping the car. Really want a turbo or 997 but that�s not were I'm at right now. So I changed Stealers, did my own 60K service and had them do an alignment. It's funny how one slight adjustment can change the feeling and drivability of a performance car. Remember that the car was precision built and something as small as a Toe or Chamber change can affect the car in strange ways. If the alignment is the problem you will really enjoy driving again after you have one done.

Today I placed 4 bags of red lava rocks I purchased from Lowes in the trunk, there was no lift at high speeds..

Nniiice... Where's the cook out

Remember doing that with sand bags in the rear of the first car I bought - '69 Mustang Boss 302. That thing smoked the tires only half way to the floor.

Remember doing that with sand bags in the rear of the first car I bought - '69 Mustang Boss 302. That thing smoked the tires only half way to the floor.

Thanks - If I can get close to what I paid - I would probably sell it and move on to a C2S or C4S in a '02-'03 - What's there current range with 30-40k ?? In the meantime, I'll have the alignment done and see how that changes things. Any thoughts on NOT using a dealer for the alignment. Thoughts on a regular tire shop or should I go to my local specialist - good guy, just scheduling difficulties.

LOL.. Not that type. I use them(red lava rocks) for landscaping instead of red mulch. I do need to crank up the grill, I've been lazy this year.

No C2S until 05' and C4S 50 g's I used a dealer for my alignment. That is where I recommend going or a race shop. A regular tire shop or alignment shop won't be able to do your alignment. It's my understanding they don't have the right equipment. I tried a euro shop and he said that only the dealer has the equipment to do the alignment here in richmond area

Thanks evansaero - I'll use my shop - Rudtner's Racing - http://www.rudtnersracing.com/index2.php So hard to decide to keep it or not. The car is heavily optioned - factory and dealer - prior to me. Bought 8/06 as my 1st -thinking I can get in at a reasonable cost. Drove 2 base '99-'00 C2's and then came across this car and bought it on the spot from an exotic used car dealer - who also paid for the 1 yr full extended -so I felt somewhat comfortable. There are a few things that need attention but in general I believe the car is in great shape and seems to be very very tight. I should probably start a new thread on this but how expensive and common is slow seepage from the CAM covers. I'm getting some along with, guesstimate, 1/2 teaspoon of drops on the driveway after a good run. Since 8/06 I added about 25miles and have gone down 2 bars on the oil level meter. Haven't ad ded any.

Are you sure its the cam covers. Could the oil be coming from the spark plug tubes. That is where I would start... Take pictures and post and pull the metel cover that protects the coil packs and see if the leak is coming from there. Some of the other guys should be able to give some great advise on this. Before I did my spark plugs I noticed an oil leak coming from this area. 4 out of 6 tubes were leaking and would drip on the ground. Just a thought before you spend money for the indy shop to fix.

I'll let you know -I'm bringing her in this morning for an alignment and to check the seepage issue.

Thanks to all. Just got my alignment done and it's like driving a different car. 100+ and rock steady. My indy said I was off somewhat significantly. Now I've got a bug to go for the PSS9's.

Well that's great to hear! Now you know how good these cars really feel. Alignments are so critical on these cars. So, are you in love again?

Yes, and since I 'think' I've decided to keep the car, I'm going to take care of a few things: - Add PSS9's; - Rims - Fix Cam Cover seepage - Smooth out the SSK somehow - slightly too notchy for me

Glad to see it worked out

Just read through this thread. And yes it sounded like an alignment issue to me before I got to the punchline. I read somewhere recently, and I can't remember where, that even a couple of tenth's of a degree can make a huge difference. My MY2000 C4 with the US sport suspension feels more planted at 100-120 than it does at 60.

High-speed stability is a US problem with all 996's, not just a 99-00, with the front end getting light. There are suspension improvements and significant reductions in lift in the 02', but the problem is stilll there. This has to do with the increases ride height in front and the soft suspension for the US. Changing the suspension to a ROW M030, X73 or PSS9 easily fixes the problem. This problem is normally noticeable at speeds of 130+. Problems at 60 mph is not normal with the stock suspension. I would recommend to have your alignment checked first, then suspension components for wear and tires.

Thanks again - the alignment helped significantly - I'll know more today when I go for a good run. I still feel some unsteadiness which I'm now attributing to the 66k mile stock suspension and possibly to the fact that the tires and suspension "got used to" being out of alignment. The tires are good with plenty of tread and I'll see how it feels after I wear them down a little with the new alignment. I'm also pulling for the Pss9 group buy ! This is a great site for info and learning !