Proper way to measure non stock suspension ride height

I am getting PSS9s and GT3 sways installed this week and, while searching, was surprised that there is no information on ride height of X74, ROW 030 or GT3 readily available. Maybe I am just not searching with the correct keywords. Can someone who better at searches than I get the information quicker? In addition, what is the correct way to measure ride height. Tire wear, I assume, also changes how high you are sitting when checking to see if your adjustable coilovers are slipping. How do you compensate for that? TIA

u should know that ride heights vary even in the "set" factory pieces you mentioned. that's why there's even a bushing part with diff widths to compensate for the inexact heights of the factory coilovers . best way to measure ride height is to go from the center of the wheel to the fender not from the floor to the fender. and try to find a flat spot. it's not an exact science type thing. just get it as close u can and be done with it. lean on the expertise of the installer/alignment guy and some of the experienced rennlist guys here. corner balancing is a waste of money especially since the factory cars don't come corner balanced, but i did do it cuz i'm irrational with my $ when it comes to the p-car.

You could measure actual tire circumference and adjust from new based on the tire manufacturer's specs (if you can find and/or trust them). Not sure many people will go to that extent (note the +/- on the adjustments). Getting the corner balance and alignment dead on would be much higher priority to me. Height specs follow:

Thank you Doug. This is exactly what I am looking for.

FWIW (realizing your car is a MKI)...MKII GT3 specs were slightly different from MKI cars and have similar rates to the PSS9's you're looking to put on your car. https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ht=ride+height

Not on that wonderful list are the X74 specs. X74 lowers the C2 40 mm in the front and 30 mm in the rear. With some math, that means the ride height of an X74 equipped C2 is similar to the GT3.

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Aren't we all? Hello everybody. My name is Chao and I have a problem. I think my wallet has a hole.

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i don't think so. i see more stock cars here than modified cars.

That may be true. However, sometimes people do not advertise their mods. Most of their mods may be internal/mechanical. Porsche options are considered as mods. PSE, Litronics, ROW and X74 suspensions or GT3 sways are great examples.

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I'm on record as disagreeing. (with everything but the irrational part)

Well, Picked up the car friday night and drove the car around. And boy was it stiff with setting 6F and 4R. On Sat, the ride got softer and took it for a 2 hr ride up Rt 7 to Kent ,my old boarding school, on Sunday. There is a nice road that runs up the mountain there called Skiff Mountain Road which connected the old girls campus with the boys testing out GT3 sways and the new suspension. Feedback: Just like everyone has said before. It drives like a new car. Everything is so precise where by you can point and shoot the car with confidence. The car does not exhibit any lift in the front end on a uphill with a flat turn that its just amazing. Worth every penny. Now I am letting the springs settle and then go for the final drop and alignment. Rear gap measured is currently approx 1 7/8" according to Euro stock height(thanks to Doug as a baseline above). I am thinking about dropping it 3/4" all around.

a lil more drop wouldn't hurt, but def don't drop as much like u had 19s. a little gap on the 18s is perfect. did you go to Choate? i had some friends at Andover in MA.

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Excellent Chao! I've been looking forward in reading about your latest move. Glad it was all of that for you. Your Aero is looking sweeeet . Love to see a couple of other pics from other angles..if possible. Side mirror good now? Enjoy your new p-car

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Ben, Gotcha on the little gap. I am thinking 1 inch to 1 3/8" gap. I got shipped off to Kent for high school. Hotchkiss, Andover, Choate, Avon Old farms and among others were all part of the "Founders League."

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Hi Ludwig, Suspension and sways are all the right moves for handling mods when stock wears out. I was running 265s in the rear as winter treads. Summer treads are 285s and it fills the car much fuller than before. I am leaving for SE Asia and Africa on business at then end of the week returning early April. I will share the final set up with multiple angles when it is all done also. Meantime, just ran out into the back office parking lot and it is what it looks like right now.

Thanks Chao Have not seen many pics of your 996, always liked the Aero in silver. You own a fine example of such. Good to see more/better pics of it. Africa and Asia? sh*t, I'd take that kind of business any day. As a matter of fact let me know if you are in need of an executive assistant, will carry your brief case, an umbrella, arrange lunches and even set you up with some classy company for your diners. All this at no additional cost to you, just airfare, I got no problems sleeping in a tent Happy travels/safe return

Thanks for your compliments Ludwig. Here are some of my favorite pics. Of course, my avatar is the all time.

chsu, your car is perfectly setup for a bigger lowering job on 19s. seriously, consider it. keep the stockers for a rainy day, but man your car would look amazing on a set of champion RG5s or something functionally good looking like that.

Thanks Ben. I have thought about it but am leaning towards a set of BBS Mag LMs in 18s..

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Great pictures, hot car, hard to improve on. Ben does have that eye for these things. As BruceP is like the professor, Ben is the designer. If I had some of that Benjamoney for my 996... No doubt about those Aero's though

I know Ben's got a good eye about it and agree 19s would fill the car out better. However, I run 18s in winter tires and don't want to deal with alignment twice a year. There is also another cost of paying for more expensive tires in 19s and selection if them are not as plentiful.

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Good points. I like your stock wheels anyways, as I do with my own as well. Some of the stock styles I would make a priority to switch into the aftermarket. Not the case for either one of us, IMO.

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help me understand why you need to run two diff types of alignments from running 18s v. 19s. also, tell me what's so limiting about tire sizing running 19s that fit. just want to understand what you're understanding.

That is what my mechanic told me when I went in for an alignment. I did not question the physics behind it. Maybe its that I need to do the alignment with the bigger wheel to allow for space and proper set up. When the 18s go in during winter, then it just looks out of porpotion. Tire limitations are just in supply qty not sizes that would fit our rims.

Good job Chao, Are those my old sport designs :-)

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that's some weird advice. if the wheels fit, they fit and u don't have to do any voodoo camber settings to get them tof it whether at stock height or lowered. i don't know how often u change tires, but tire selection is a aplenty for the typical 19 wheel sizing on the 996. like i'd run 19x8.5 19x11. ps2s, no issues. continentals, whatever else i'm sure is readily avail. think it thru man. you're not pioneering anything here. it's been done many a times.

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Hi Mick, Those are your old wheels. I am getting rubbing in the front turning and have to sort that out. My winter rimss are also the same. Its just not in as good of a shape.

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Gotcha Ben. Its no biggie. I can always get rid of those sport classics because they are high in demand and in great shape.

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You'll wanna cut some of that inner lining, i didn't have any issues with those 245's up front.

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Gotcha. Its not that big of a deal. I may just let the tires do all the work considering that the fronts last 2 to 3 times longer than the rear. Update from a lunch visit to the mechanic. Due to the wheel well shape, I will drop it 1/2" and no more rubbage...

Hi All, Final lowered height for the season. 1/2" all around + a little bit more in the front to give it a more agressive rake. This thing handles like a dream. I cannot really tell my speed driving back from the shop to the office. This is the way to go for anyone who wants to upgrade.

This is before

aggressive rake reminds me of this: the only reason why you want a lil more gap in the rear is because we got engines hanging all the way back there. otherwise, the best is to have the car look level, aite fellas?

Sorry. Got a little bit overzealous here. The previous pic was taken parked on a slope.. These are on a flat surface.

Ay chingado, good for you, it looks sweeeet! Enjoy your vaca..I mean business trip Chao

Thanks Ludwig. This is the way its staying for the season. I cannot justify spending more than 30% of the car's value per year on maintainance and upgrades combined. Now that I am thinking about the cash layout; it was downright silly.

Well we all seem to have our list of mods/silliness that we do in order to reach the next level of self satisfaction. Typical stinking men. I also have to balance/limit myself on the P-car in order to reach some of my other goals and desires, a monster of a List. Seems clear that your latest self indulgent move was worth it for you, all that matters. Enjoy

perfect drop chsusususuus. looks very clean. i'm a fan.

Thanks Guys. What was the most surprising is the 1/2" drop difference it made in handling. Perhaps it is less air traveling through the underside of the car creating less lift and center of gravity being lower making it stickier prior to the drop. Its a huge improvement FYI.

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BC, Wheels are on the list for next season.. I have many little annoying issues to resolve this summer. 1. airbag light. 2. driver seat not adjustable again. fuse is fine so it may be tied to the airbag light issue. 3. diy on fire extinguisher. just little odds and ends to make it perfect before the next big upgrade. appreciate the comments/direction.

you are headed in the right direction and have one of the best looking 911s around. 1. airbag light - i had this problem and it turned out to be the seat belt latch itself - great Porsche engineering. i replaced the driver side (went to the dealership and asked which side was triggering). kinda pricey fix for ana nnoying light. $300-400 i forget from my indy w/ parts ordered from [email removed] . dealer recommended i replace both buckles for a cool $1000 total.

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I'm guessing these specs are for the 996.1. (The main clue is that the rear ride height is 4mm higher with 18s than with 17s, pretty much what one would expect with the 996.1's standard 265s. (If so, shame on Porsche for not providing heights for the optional 285s, which are actually over 7mm lower - this could end up confusing a lot of people!)) But Doug, can you confirm that? Or can anyone? And if this is for the 996.1, anyone have this document for the 996.2?