Car seems to bottom out a lot? Struts?

My car has just over 58,000 miles on it and it seems as if it bottoms out a lot. How long do struts last? Could bad struts be the reason why it feels like im bottoming out? Is there a test or struts? Any thoughts?

Bad struts can certainly allow the car to bottom out on bumps. My wife's Benz had the same issue and I put in new shocks and cured it instantly. Have you looked to see if the struts are showing any signs of fluid leakage?

Good advice. Check each shock/strut to see if there is any weeping, it would be obvious.

How long do struts typically last? Is 58,000 miles the usual lifespan?

I don't know what is usual mileage, but I replaced all four of mine at about that same mileage. I didn't think there was anything wrong with them, I was just adding a full M030 RoW suspension. But WOW what a huge difference new struts made in the ride.

58k is not unusual for the shocks to start showing their age... especially when you consider that your car is pushing 10 years old. they age regardless of the mileage just from sitting and looking pretty in the garage all winter. If you need new Bilstein give me a call & I can hook you up or if you are feeling bold... I have a clients X74 kit that is up for sale. Have a Merry Christmas

Whatever I do will have to wait until after Christmas, I've spent all my dough. Thundertub, what's a M030?

Or a X74???

The M030 RoW is a suspension package from Porsche that slightly lowers and stiffens up the car. The kit incluses Springs, Bump stops, sway bars. The X74 kit is also a suspension kit from Porsche that lowers and stiffens the car (30mm lower front / 40 mm Rear)... This kit inlcudes the springs/shocks already assembled, sway bars (same as the M030 RoW kit) sway bar bushings. People either love or hate the X74 set up. Its either... IT Transformst the Car! or Wow its so Harsh!. If you DE the car at all the X74 it the ticket... If all you are after is DD and long trips, it is most likely not for you.

That's a good explanation.

My car is a daily driver. Im pretty aggressive but not a track guy at all. Would you recommend the M030 or just new struts? Bilsteins?

The M030 is nice and is worth the money IF... you want to lower the car slightly. (I think it is 20 mm & 10 mm) You gain some increased handling from the sway bars & lower stance... What you really get is a more sports car look from the set up. For the money new Shocks/struts are the best for your needs. Bilsteins are my choice for stock, you can use Koni or one of the other aftermarket brands if you like.

I wouldn't mind lowering the car slightly. I love the aggressive look of a slightly lowered car and if it improves the handling, that sounds like something I'd be interested in. Thanks for your help.

Always glad to help... Give a look at Suncoast's online store, they have the M030 kit listed. http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...=996Suspension

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If that's your car in your avatar, it looks like it's very low already. If your car has lowering springs but stock shocks then that could be why your car bottoms out.

Yes, thats my car in my avatar That's an interesting thought. I bought my car this way but it had some mods so it may have been lowered already. That's springs right? If I just get new shocks/struts I should be ok. Right?

It's hard to tell how low your car is but it sure looks like it's sitting on the wheels! If it's very low you will want to get shocks/struts that are built for the shorter stroke of lowering springs. Probably M030 ROW (I'm not 100% sure for your year car but the US M030 is typically not as low as ROW) or Bilstein HDs.

Shocks and struts do not raise or lower your car in and of themselves. Spring rate and height determine if your car is raised or lowered. New shocks and struts will not keep you from bottoming out. But they may cushion the blow somewhat. However, if you are hitting the bump stops more frequently now than before, the newer shocks and struts help reduce that. Generally speaking , you should buy shocks and struts with a MATCHED set of springs - meaning the springs and shocks should have been engineered together. This also applies to the anti-sway bars as part of the full equation. Which is why I chose the M030 RoW complete kit. Better handling than stock, lower than stock, but not a full-on track set-up like the X-74. And the entire M030 RoW kit (shocks/struts/spring/sway bars/grommets and bushings) is less money than a set of just Bilsteins. There is negligible additional labor to install the full kit vs changing out just the shocks and struts since all of the other pieces (springs, sway bar connections, full four wheel alignment) must be removed either way. And your car needs new bushing by now, anyway. Nevertheless, get an experienced Porsche mechanic to look at your suspension pieces before you purchase anything. You may already have some of the bits if the suspension was modified before you purchased it.

i went with bilstein sport and h&r springs on my 4s, nice drop and feel really good on the track(pretty firm) also, you should change the front top mount at the same time, pricy, but they tend to make problem...