When to replace sway bars

i have a 99 996 c4 tip cab with 9900km on it. I think it's time to replace the standard suspension. I'm opting for the m030, but my question is how long do the sway bars last? How do you know when they need replacing? ive been searching the forums but can't find an answer to when to replace them? regards carl

The M030 suspension is stiffer than the stock suspension and therefore has stiffer/heavier duty sway bars (included with the kit). Are you in the US or Europe? This makes a difference as the Euro kit is lower than the US kit. The trick is, even if you're in the US, get the Euro kit as it looks better (probably handles a little better as well, but that's up for debate)...

Well Im in europe and have a european spec car. I get that you probably have to replace the sway bars as well, especially since they are included in the bundle. But if I wanted to upgrade only the sway bars, when do you do that and how do you tell if they need replacing? I cant find any good answer to this specific question in the forum when searching!

The swaybars themselves should last the lifetime of the car. You can replace worn swaybar bushings which will improve handling if they are badly worn. When people replace swaybars it is usually because they want softer or stiffer settings or that the swaybar has been physically bent in an accident....

Seeing as you've got a C4 I believe you already have M030 sways as stock. So, if you go with the M030 the sways will be the same. As long as your current ones aren't broken, you can sell them - they're not worth much - maybe $200/$250 for the set as long as they're in good shape (not bent, rusted, cracked) ?

I didnt Think the swaybars would last the lifetime of the car! I thought Everything suspension-related had to be replaced sooner or later!! Well they should be in excellent condition. No rust underneath during the last inspektion a month ago. No accidents neither. If I already have the m030 sway bars I might as well just get the dampers. But how do you find out if c4 has the m030 sway bars or the standard ones? The bushings are going to be replaced at the same time as I replace the dampers.

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You should be able to look up the info on the bars. I can't speak to the Euro spec first hand, but I know the US C4 utilizes M030 sways (green dot/marking) as stock. You should be able to find either the green markings or part # on the sway bars themselves.

Use a set of calipers to measure them in the very center of the bar. We should be able to figure it out from there.

Yeah, I'll do that! I don't have a lift so I'll have to do the caliper-solution! Ill keep u guys posted as to what happens! thanks for all the help so far! Regards carl

Swaybars shouldn't need to be replaced unless you damage them or want stiffer ones . A good way to make your stock ones better is to replace the sway bar bushings with poly urathane ones . They will perform better and last longer than the stock ones , which given the age 996s are now , are past it , even on low mileage cars http://powerflexusa.com/9119961997-2005.aspx Uk site , https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-ser...%29-525/1.html

I agree that the bars themselves will last the life of the car. My recently purchased 99 C2 with the M030 suspension has worn out drop links and the bushings are old and need to be replaced. Apparently, worn out drop links are not uncommon. With these parts worn, the sway bar is not very effective. I am trying to decide on what type of drop link to go with, factory or an adjustable link. I will probably also go with polyurethane bushings since they last longer. Eric

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Others have chimed in regarding the sway bar question. (For my high mileage -- currently at over 310K miles -- Boxster all I've done to the suspension is replace two front sway bar links when the rubber boots failed.) For the M030 suspension when I talked to my techs about refreshing the suspension in my Boxster (and both techs assuring me that the suspension was just fine even with the big miles on the car) they told me while the M030 was a good setup for track use the ride would be too harsh on the street. Cabs are a bit more softly sprung and ride better because of it. Thus for instance my Boxster has a much nicer ride compared to my Turbo -- even taking into account the Boxster has 17" wheels/tires and the Turbo has 18" wheels/tires. Up to you of course but unless roads are really really smooth where you are you might regret the M030 suspension.

What Macster has been told about the M030 suspension is true. I live in South Carolina where we don't have too many pot holes, but many of the roads are rough because damaged areas and areas cut out for construction are patched and the roads are rarely completely paved over. On rough roads, I find myself looking ahead at the surface and moving around in the lane to pick the smoothest parts. When I do run over rough areas, I have to make small steering inputs to keep the car tracking straight. Honestly, my Ford F250 Super Duty truck has a much smoother ride, and it's rough compared to our other vehicles. I am currently running the stock 17 inch wheels with tires that have taller side walls. I am thinking about going to 18 inch wheels that use lower profile tires to keep the same rolling diameter. This will make the ride even rougher. On smooth roads though, it feels like I am riding a 300 hp go-kart and I love it. I think the ideal would be to have a coupe like mine with the M030 suspension and a cab with the standard suspension. Eric

I too live in SC, and was considering the M030 change. I want to lower it a bit, but don't want a punishing ride. I like the idea of updating the springs shocks and sways, but...

By lowering your ride height it'll be necessary to stiffen the suspension (unless you want your wheels to hit the arches/wells - you don't...). I can't speak to the M030, but I did Bilstein B8's with H&R sport springs and can say it's not even close to "punishing"... Not even "harsh". It is very firm or "tight" but it's actually smoother over bumps than my worn out stock suspension was. * I also do mono-ball top mounts, and have since done H&R heavy duty sways - it's still not punishing, though it's very flat through turns

Mo30 is fine for street use , and only just ok for track use It's a fast road , street set up. That's where Porsche puts it , otherwise the gt3 would have come with it , and it didn't it has coilovers Bang for the buck m030 is a great street set up , the springs that come with it are more compliant than eibach or h&r lowering springs , and its well priced . Give all of your suspension bushes a good inspection and replace the ones with any wear . By now even a zero mile 996 will have tired bushes , and there are lots of them. Putting new sway bars , dampers and springs on a car will highlight worn bushes , so it's not a bad idea to do it all at once .