Is there any reason to have a Porsche specialist do your suspension work?

My car needs some suspension refreshing. I haven't touched any suspension components since putting shocks in my 1965 Pontiac about 50 years ago. I've looked on YouTube and most videos are pretty useless. They mention what they did off-camera and don't show much. In one video the guy removed the wheel carrier and drive shaft. I'm not sure if that is necessary, but in any case it makes me think that this might not be for me. I got a labor quote from a Porsche indy for $1600 to install 4 shocks and 4 LCAs, including alignment. I have no idea if that is reasonable or not. I have a place nearby that services my other cars and I was wondering if a generic tire/brakes/suspension shop is fine for suspension work on the 996. I'm guessing that there is nothing special about the 996 suspension. Is that a correct assumption? If anyone can provide a link to better DIY videos for the front and back I might change my mind.

As someone who did their own, it's possible. You obviously trust them, talk to them and see what they say about possibly going forward. Get a couple more quotes to gauge price comparison. Even good local dealer. As far as is Porsche 996 suspension special? What do you think? , ever drive anything similar? not a lot, but enough to make it special. repair procedure different? not a lot. It does help having experience , but if they research what they don't know, they could do it. Mike

I meant is the installation procedure much different than on other cars. I drove a 1965 Buick that was about 20 feet long. You could be driving on the moon at 60 mph and not feel a bump. That was pretty special too.

Honestly, refreshing the suspension on a 996 is easy. If you have any experience working on a MacPherson strut suspension system, the 996 is basically no different than other makes. There are plenty of references online including YouTube videos. Do not be intimidated. Get in there and turn some wrenches!

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I know this might sound biased as a shop owner, but I would recommend it. When having a suspension installation performed on these cars the handling and improvements is all in the proper setup. Proper setup in these cars make a night and day difference in the end results. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them if you PM me. Good luck!! -Billy

The actual install is about a 4 out of 10 ,, anybody with a little mechanical experience can do the install, The magic is the setup, to do the best job you need a good tech, preferably one with enough experience to ask you the right questions and translate that to your car. You don't want to just have a shop slap a race tune on your car, the difference between track and daily driver is fairly traumatic.. If you check with local autocross/road race guys you can often find the shop that does it well.. Also a shop that works on late model stock cars,, dirt guys have to do alignment between sessions to keep up with the track, and won't argue about a degree or two different from a stock config. I've only had limited exposure to my local dealer, but so far I havent found them to think outside the liability box.. I align cars at the track with string , but its a big convenience to have a good alignment rack under the car.. Good Luck! PS: With shocks ,, you get what you pay for..

I just installed the M030 ROW kit in my 1999 last week. I took my time with it and it went well. I looked around for DIY videos and guides. I would say the Pelican Parts guide was the most useful. One thing i couldn�t initially locate was a torque spec, but this forum offered up the answer once I asked. I think having the Bentley shop manual could be helpful. There was no setup to do on my kit as it is not an adjustable coilover setup. After the install i simply brought the car in to my alignment shop. I�m very satisfied with the end result. Doing the work myself was a chance fo get to know my car better. Saving the install cost was a nice bonus. Good luck with whichever route you take.

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Agree! One thing I find lacking in the "non-Porsche" mechanic world is the ability to torque bolts to the correct spec. For our cars, that's crucial!

The only thing I could see a non-Porsche shop doing is putting an impact wrench on the rear camber/toe eccentrics not knowing they are not a thru/thru bolt. Also making sure they get the correct torque values on the front "hockey stick" bracket...4 bolts, 3 of which have a different torque value. The forward most one is easy to strip out (don't ask me how I know). Other than that it's an easy job. That being said personally I would choose a Porsche independent shop...they probably would not cost much different from a non-Porsche independent shop.

There's no "rocket science" involved. When I did mine, I also did the front wheel bearings as I had to remove the wheel carriers anyway (C4). The best advice I can give is if you decide to DIY, give yourself plenty of time - i.e. no time constraints/deadlines! You will undoubtedly run into issues whether it be not having all the parts/tools you need, or a stuck/frozen nut or bolt. There are enough partial videos/write-ups to get you through the entire procedure - put them all together BEFORE you start the job! Also, a big help is having a good space to work in - give yourself some room... I wouldn't want to take it on in a tight space/single garage. Once again, if you've got a modicum of mechanical ability, a decent set of tools and a comfortable space to work in (obviously this is fairly subjective) you can do this job yourself - remember you're also going to need an alignment when you're done - another $250 - $400...

Thanks for the feedback, all good points. As I mentioned, I haven't found a good DIY video yet but I'll order the Bentley book and decide whether I want to do it myself. The suspension is a clear need. I was also going to have the LNE IMS bearing replaced due to age, not mileage, and have the AOS proactively changed at the same time. This is an engine-out job for my car and I would be looking at a $7000+ bill for everything. Maybe I'll push the IMSB and AOS another year. It's really the AOS that worries me the most because it's original (MY 2000). It currently tests fine with a manometer. For reference, I've DIY'd the water pump/ thermostat, brake pads/rotors, coolant tank, plugs/coils/tubes, and door latch.

I'm at 76k miles myself, and when the time comes to refresh the suspension, I will have my trusty indy perform the install. I daily my 996, so having it done right and quickly is worth the extra cost for me. As much as I would love to tackle it myself, I don't have the downtime, extra car, or tons of room in the garage. If you have those things, I'd say try it.

Did my own and it seemed very easy and I wouldn't call myself mechanically inclined. Nothing complicated about it, just take your time and be organized.

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Lol, talk about an under statement. You are very mechanically inclined!

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Lol with mechanical stuff... I honestly struggle quite a bit. I have to read so much info on something to grasp it. Fabrication i think i have some skill, but engines and stuff like that.. i struggle. But thanks lol

I have an '01 996.1. I had a broken left spring and decided to replace the whole shock/spring assembly. I had a VERY difficult time getting the heavy bolt that goes through the shock absorber (I forget what that part is called - it has a bit bolt at the top and small one at the bottom) out. I'm an amateur with very little experience & pitiful tool collection,

I've done suspension work on my 996 - best tool to have on hand is an air or battery impact wrench - suspension stuff has really high torque values. Also it's exposed to the elements so bolts/nuts can be stubborn. Also impact to undo only - never to do up - always use a calibrated torque wrench - a 1/2 drive will suffice.

" Also impact to undo only - never to do up - always use a calibrated torque wrench - a 1/2 drive will suffice." ^^^ This is generally a good rule to follow - I will say however, if your impact gun has a low torque setting it can be really helpful to speed things up when putting them back together. The key is to make sure you remember to torque everything up before you go driving away...

I'm replacing shocks, springs, front LCAs, tie rods and dog bones this weekend. Although not experienced on a 996 with replacing these parts. Some mechanical experience and reading how tos and youtube has me quite confident the job is not too difficult.

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Please update with your progress and reference any DIYs and videos that you found helpful.

The pelican parts tutorial is probably the best. https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...nd_Springs.htm Also some youtube clips. You Tube You Tube This one is for a 997.1 but I still helpful. You Tube

I did my own RoW M030 also. Replaced a bunch of arms also. Ultimately had a shop tidy some stuff up while they did the install but thats because I didnt feel like taking it apart a 3rd time lol All by hand, no air or power tools. My biggest obstacle was the caliper bolts. Both on the passenger side snapped off at the head. Had to remove spindle and take it to a machine shop to have the bolts (that fused to the spindle assembly) drilled out and the holes retapped. Car is awesome now!!

Best tool ever ,, a basic rechargeable Dewalt impact driver,, not enough torque to hurt anything,, good for maybe 15 to 20 ft lbs.. but spins all those long winded nuts and bolts down quickly, also lets you hold stuff with one hand and tighten quickly with the other. Avoid reusing any suspension bolts you can, age/stress/corrosion take their toll. Find a GOOD fastener shop , I occasionally use Wicks or Aircraft Spruce to get pre-drilled safety wire-able bolts and nuts. Nothing like aircraft grade 12 for the stuff that takes abuse.. I use a SMALL amount of never seize on any bolt going though or into dissimilar metals, Especially the caliper bolts, They take a lot of spray/heat in use. There are also some thread sealers you can buy to use after a nut is torqued, a drop on the threads makes a colored seal that cracks if the nut is coming loose, makes inspection quick and easy. Comes in a dozen colors or so,, easiest place ot find it is through industrial electrical suppliers, "Torque Seal",

I have the room, a decent set of tools, and the time. I have to check if I have the *****.

do one side at a time, so you have one to look at as you put it all back together. Once its in the air its less intimidating, none of the parts are that easy to put in wrong they all look different, take pics on the more complex bits just so you remember the order that washers and bushings and stuff come apart. I use ziplock bags to keep parts from each stage of disassembly together, wrote on them with a sharpy and number / label so you keep them in order.. So all the caliper bolts and pins and such go in one bag, all the bushing parts for the top of the strut etc..

It's easy enough to R&R if you have the space, the tools, and pay attention. I don't have any real data, but I'd guess that one of the more common errors is tightening the fasteners holding suspension parts with rubber bushings while the vehicle is unloaded introducing preload. The other is probably not torquing things to spec.

^Yes! https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-a-bummer.html

The guy who did the 997 video has a Mister Rogers vibe going on. I used his videos when I did my full brake job. He's very informative and takes the drama out of it.

Just got the car back from the alignment shop. I say probably eight hours of total work with most of it trying to figure out how to set up the coilovers. Really not a hard job and I replaced everything up front. LCAs, dog bones, tie rods, struts and springs and sway bar. The rear was very easy loosen the LCA, remove the remove the long bolt holding the strut to the carrier and the three nuts on the strut mount inside the car, then pry the strut out. Very easy job. Air or electric tools help a lot but basic hand tools and a floor jack to support the wheel carrier is all you need.

Thanks. I will probably give it a go.

What suspension components need to be tightened under load? What's the best way to do that since the car is so low when on the ground?

On the front suspension, the inner lower control arm bolt needs to be tightened under load, and it is indexed. I did it by full suspension load, turning the wheel all the way to the stop and crawling under the car a little bit to tighten. Was not too hard.

When I'm doing final tightening I use a stack of six 2x12's about 2 feet long, glued and screwed together under each wheel. That gets the car up over a foot and allows me to bounce the car to settle things as I tighten. (This is generic not a Porsche specific thing, I also use them for rough adjusting alignment.. A set of ramps work as well, you just jack the car up and put them under the wheels , rather than drive up, and you need 4, most of the adjustments the car should be level.