I've got a 2004 996, but my son has a 2009 997. The 997 C4s cabriolet is the subject of this post.
I flew to Atlanta last weekend to help him install all new suspension components consisting of
Meyle
upper control arms and tuning forks and Tarret adjustable lower control arms (coffin arms), and an adjustable rear tie rod. Additional tasks were getting the front axles rebuilt and new transmission oil.
It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. I arrived to see the car up in the air on Jack Stands and the front axle nut sufficiently loosened from its 320 ft-lb (lb-ft??) tightness. Chris weighs a lot less than 320 lbs, so he employed the jack and a breaker bar to apply the car's weight to loosen the nut (while it was still on the ground).
Chris did most of the heavy work, but it really helped to have two pairs of hands to brace the bolt while he turned the breaker bar on about 20 recalcitrant 18 and 21 mm nuts that had been torqued to 80-120 ft-lbs at the factory and had only gotten tighter with the passage of time. Pro tip: Ratcheting combination wrenches are a big time and frustration saver. Pro tip #2: a BIG impact wrench won't get into all the places where you could use it, but it gets into enough that it's worth its weight in gold!
Friends and neighbors lent a hand from time to time and provided encouragement when we were feeling overwhelmed.
Here are some Before, During, and After pics. None of these were taken by Ansel Adams, so I’m sorry if they aren’t as clear as they could be. But in the end, on each side we replaced 5 major links at the back and two at the front (skipped the front tie rods).
PB Blaster
was an unsung hero arriving several days earlier to start working on the threads.
Tie rod looked serviceable and boot was undamaged using Harbor Freight Ball Joint puller.
Below is a pic of the back end with the tie rod still in place.
Here's the adjustable Coffin arm. All the new pieces fit perfectly but the limited room made torquing the bolts tedious in some cases.
We got the front axles rebuilt by CV Source in Buford, GA. The owner took a special interest in our project and assured us that the torn boots (which got us there in the first place) were replaced by German made boots.
When I flew home on Tuesday, the heavy work was done, and the 997 was ready for a trip to the alignment shop!
TLDR: Premium parts and free labor yields an updated track-capable suspension without breaking the bank!
