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YOUR RESEARCHx74 suspension first impressions
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First the mechanic said they are not available any longer, however he checked via another channel and managed to place an order.
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Just installed x74 suspension on my 2004 Anniversary Edition and here are first impressions:
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HOWEVER -- My mechanic says he has had significant problems getting the ABS to function correctly when tire sizes are different from the recommended/approved sizes.
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The benefit of this size is SS's and no difference in front/rear diameters.
Just installed x74 suspension on my 2004 Anniversary Edition and here are first impressions:
WTF, did Porsche not ship the car with this suspension in the first place? There is no reason for any other suspension option on this car except maybe coil overs. But for 99% of the drivers of a 996 this is the suspension to get. Only drove it a few miles and it is amazing. first, it is NOT harsh at all if anything it is less harsh that the M030 that was on there before. Car sits about 25.5" to fender lip but it was just installed and I have not even done a proper alignment on it going to give it a few days to settle then do that. Car corners flat, very little body roll and nose seems very planted to the ground I cannot wait to take her out for a proper shakedown on some off ramps tomorrow. Pictures will follow tomorrow.
I went with 285/30-18 Hankooks on rear thinking the 295/30-18 might rub but I don't think so at least not on my 10.5" Victor Innsbruck's and not where she sits maybe when she settles might be different story. Also, speed bumps, pot holes and driveways do not pose any more risk than they did before I have had no trouble navigating either nor have I scraped the chin spoiler or engine skid plate.
So, in closing do what you have to do but get your hands on an x74. Short of a GT3 next best thing
Congrats! Knew you would like it. I have 295's and 235's for summer time. No issues at all. The car just feels connected right? Sooo much more stable. More cowbell for sure!
Yes, no roll coming out of turn and off ramps and the nose just feels more planted. I just remeasured and definitely had to settle the fronts are now about 24.75" and the rears are 25.5" with RR about 1/4" higher. Going to give it a few days check air pressures and the align and find a nice flat slab to make measurements.
And wish I had done it earlier. Car corners better, brakes better, accelerates better. Should have come in stock like you said.
The stock suspension is a joke, seriously. Btw, the porsche brake pads compliment it perfectly.
Was the best decision that I made for my 996 as well. Drove the car to Florida and back last winter before selling the car in the spring. The suspension makes the car handle well and improves the visual aesthetics...
I knew you would be amazed at this suspension change.
I was so happily surprised when mine was installed, it completely transforms the car>
I totally agree that Porsche lost their minds when they decided to put the wimpy suspension on for American cars instead of this one.
Enjoy it!
Pete
Hey Miami..
Ive had the X73 suspension for two years now and absolutely love it, totally agree with you how Porsche should install this suspension on all its cars. this upgrade significantly changed the car.. Love the way it now rotates around corners, lowered to a look like a proper sports car.. it isnt the same car...
Delighted
Here is a pic
BTW, i am going to sell it in the spring
Holy crap that is awesome. I'm most interested in the handling improvements and from a street perspective how good it is. I found an X-74 kit for $3k new... sounded pricey, but extinction will do that I guess... would it be worth $3k to do it? Also, where did you get your wheel/tire combo from? They fill the arches nicely!
Looks great man! I'm going to the garage to measure my stock height to fender for comparison, and to dream... ha
I picked up on forum in for sale section, took a while to find on though.
I paid significantly less than that plus I did not need bars as my 40th AE $already had same bars installed. To me $3k sounds like too much money for that kind of money I would have gone PSS9 or PSS10. There is one on there now for $2k I think is still available.
Drives great actually most of the time feels softer / less jarring than the M030 that was on there before. Only at the harshest bump or extreme limit of travel does it feel harsh. Pot holes, drive ways, speed bumps, etc... are really no more trouble than they were before so as a Dalit driver it's a very workable suspension to have. Body roll and nose lift at speed are almost completely eliminated. Had her into triple digits on Sunday and no lift at all on nose nor any type of squirminess and I have no aligned yet.
I've not driven x74. But for a lot less than $3k for struts, PSS9s or 10s had the same affect on me, with the same descriptions compared to stock or ROW30. Same drop in height, lack of dive and rise and roll, etc and I used the X74 strut mounts for the PSS9s. Far superior ride in every way. What ARBs come with x74? Whatever you decide, it is SO worth it to make the change. It was like getting a new car for $2k.
i was thinking the same damn thing. I was also contempating selling my Black Victor Innsbruck/Hankook setup (same wheels and tires as the OP) but now I'm not so sure.....
Miami, that car just sits so pretty....
Thanks, still has some settling to do so may drop another 1/4" or so from what they tell me.
Hmm, what does a slightly used M030 sell for? I might know where to get my hands on one, LOL.
I've had x74 on my car for over 5 years now and I concur with what the others have said (the car should have been delivered that way).
I'm running with 235's on the front and 295's on the rear (GT3 wheel size and offsets) with no rubbing.
on track with GT3 sway bars is ..very entertaining, superb handling , like a got a new car! Love it!
I was lucky to get a used one , armed with Pete's review did not even blink!
First the mechanic said they are not available any longer, however he checked via another channel and managed to place an order. It took 6 weeks. Summer 2012.
+1.
I'm at a loss right now trying to find the right set-up. I want it lowered to Euro height, don't want to just do springs since the suspension is 9yrs old with 112,000 kms, but I want to stay as close to factory quality as possible. I do track the car, but it also has to remain comfortable as a DD. Suggestions?
I DD drive mine on South Florida roads which are arguably pretty good overall but yes it is not harsh and in some ways lest harsh than the M030.
No regrets on my part and with the added more aggressive alignment transforms the car.
Last time I check the ohlins were $2800. Yes, their website is lame... If their coilovers are the same quality as their motorcycle shocks then it's well worth the $. A member posted recently who installed a set. Maybe he will chime in on where he bought them and how they are performing. I know ohlins have been making 997 coilovers but I never heard of them being available for 996s until late 2012. Correct me if im wrong?
The Ohlin's "Road and Track" series is the first "street" coilover system made available to the 996 model specifically in the US. Considering the Bilstein PSS10's are around the same price, I would easily get the Ohlins over both Bilsteins and KW's.
I have a 99 996 C2 and ideally would like to upgrade to a X74 suspension.
Since the X74 is NLA, is there a similar offering out there that reasonably duplicates the X74's simplicity, performance and price? I am not interested in switching out to coilovers.
Is it possible to mix and match components that are available individually to create a pseudo X74?
All pieces are still available from Porsche, the prices are just heavily inflated. Kit would cost ~$4000 USD. Quite a bit of money for a cup kit with some sway bars.
[QUOTE=Jpelton;10278752]All pieces are still available from Porsche, the prices are just heavily inflated. Kit would cost ~$4000 USD. Quite a bit of money for a cup kit with some sway bars.
[/QUOTE
Please share where or which dealer told you the parts are still available. The X74/73 kits where being sold from Canewal in belgium mostly, but stock dried up late last year. I know some members would like to purchase the parts. However, at $4000 to piece it together there are better options.
[quote=Hardback;10279236]
Gert informed me he was able to piece together two kits with some parts he still had around and buying some of the existing parts directly from Porsche at the inflated prices.
I also went through World Impex/ECS Tuning researching each part number, I was able to piece everything together for upwards of $9000. Completely ridiculous, the OEM aspect is VERY cool. I REALLY wanted to run it, however at the prices they are currently asking for those parts ($600 for a spring) you can have a much better performing aftermarket setup for MUCH less.
As far as I understood, the X74 kits are now build-to-order from the factory. Not stocked any longer, not to be found in distribution channels (example Carnewal). Cost installed approx. 3k EUR.
Given the fact that x74 lowers the car about 1 1/4 inch or 35mm and that the shocks are yellow bilstein sport makes me think that the system is not much of a true cup suspension as other people think. Look if the system was so great it would have been factory equipment on higher performance cars such as the GT3. But it is not in fact no one knows the spring rate that the springs are so it makes me think that the X74 is nothing more than Eibach springs and bilstein sport. I'm sure that the spring might have a rate higher than sport spring, but I doubt that the spring rate would be stiffer than the Gt3. So for the price I would go with a PSS10 or even stiffer system like the Ohlins if you plan to track the car. IMO even the PSS 10 is not stiff enough for track work anpd it has similar rates as the GT3.
interesting... perhaps one can achieve the same effect with bilstein yellows and H&R springs.... regarding the PSS10 - never used them but I know somebody who removed PSS9 to go to X74 and they were much happier.
no real reviews on the Ohlins yet and that kit isn't exactly a bargain either - plus you really have to get somebody who knows what they are doing to "dial it in" <- that's worth $$$$$ with X74 it's already dialed in.
I got an X74 and installed it last week on my 2002 C2 with 18" factory lightweight wheels (8, 10 inch). It is amazing and I completely agree that this is clearly the suspension that Porsche should have shipped as standard. The car previously had an M030 (US) as it was configured from the factory and the X74 is far superior in stability and responsiveness. No question at all.
But the point of this post is that I am going to be needing new rear tires soon. 285/30-18 Pilot Sports are on there now which are NLA. Fronts have lots of tread left but they are about 6 years old (PO drove about 2500 miles/year).
I called Tire Rack to ask about the closest replacement and they said definitely Pilot Sport PS2s which are $444 each. That seems like quite a premium to get matching front/rear, considering the age of the fronts.
So one thing to consider is just going with a whole new set now. Unfortunately Super Sports are not available in a 30 aspect ratio for 18" wheels at all. I really do appreciate the directness of the steering response of the current tires. They do handle awfully well.
S-04 and Dunlop Direzza ZII are both available from Tire Rack in this size for about $150 more for the full set over PS2 rears only. The Dunlops have only a preliminary test done on them but it sounds very positive, a significant step up in responsiveness and grip from the Direzza Z1.
I don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish here though. If the PS2 is an obvious knockout now and in the future, then that's what I should get.
Also moving to 295/30, 235/40 is a possibility although the choices there don't seem particularly better.
The application is mostly commuting with plenty of hard pushing on onramps/offramps when safe, occasional mountain twisties, and occasional DE where the goal is learning, not being fastest in the group.
Wups
.....that was a typo......the super sports don't even come in that size. I have 235/40 front (25.5" dia) and 285/35 rear (25.9" dia). That is .4" off difference front to rear or 10 to 11 mm. Now what are you using mm for? I had to take my shoes off to do the conversion.
I did all new N3 PS2s about 10 months ago. Love them. About $1400 out the door, mounted, balanced, road hazard and N2 fill from Costco. No one could touch their prices, mounted and balanced, and at my local one, the head mechanic drives a 996, and treated my car like gold. Even made sure he aligned the center caps so the pointed part of the crest pointed at the valves. THAT said, I wouldn't hesitate to go Super Sports in the closest matching size like Pete did, and likely will on the next set, as I doubt even the PS2s will even be available then. I get 4-5 years out of my tires on the 996, as I only drive around 4k a year. Drove an M3 with them on, and was impressed.
Pete, OK that's a lot closer. Also with the current $70 rebate on a set of Michelins a full new set of SS's cost just a few dollars more than two PS2 rears.
HOWEVER -- My mechanic says he has had significant problems getting the ABS to function correctly when tire sizes are different from the recommended/approved sizes. They've even had problems when they are the correct sizes but for example the fronts have lots of tread and the rears and worn.
I assume your car has ABS; PSM by any chance? Have you had any issues with the ABS?
Super Sports are also available in 225/45-18. Going through the tire detail info at michelinman.com the 225/45-18 and 285/35-18 are both 25.9". Any chance that might work? Having the same widths as original could also be good.
With the X74 is there enough room in the front to increase the radius by 0.4"? I looked at mine with the existing 225/40-18 Sports on the front and there is maybe 0.7 - 0.8" clearance between the tire's edge and the strut flange. That's maybe good enough, not sure; what happens when cornering and camber goes maximum negative?
Another benefit is the 3.2% increase in diameter will make the speedo closer to correct. (Which BTW I've found as others somewhere have mentioned has a constant 4 MPH bias up at all speeds above about 25 mph.)
If you think about it the .4" is the diameter the radius is half of that or .2". I think you are fine. Below is a pic of last year. The left front is stuffed up there pretty good but still has room with no rubbing.
Pete, nice pic!
The diameter of 225/45-18 is 25.9" and 225/40-18 is 25.1", so diameter increase over stock is 0.8" and radius difference 0.4". You might be comparing against 235/40-18 that you are running? Could you handle an additional 0.5" diameter over yours? That's what 225/45-18 would be. The benefit of this size is SS's and no difference in front/rear diameters.
