996 C4S suspension options

I'm considering the options for updating / refreshing / improving(?) my recently acquired 996 C4S suspension. I was thinking about Bilstein, Ohlins or similar coilovers but perhaps staying OEM is a better option (q: is there a factory sports chassis upgrade available for the 996 C4S? An 'M030' or M030 equivalent for the C4S perhaps?). I'd quite like to lower the car just a little bit purely for aesthetic reasons (controversial?) and wondering which route to go down to improve the handling and appearance all round. Would especially love to hear of any club members who have embarked on this journey with their 996 C4S. Thanks everyone!

My approach has been to get an overall suspension health check done first and then replace the parts that needed replacing finishing with a full geo set-up to my driving style/needs. I started with an independent and then switched to Centre Gravity as they seem to have a good reputation among the Porsche community. They have a huge amount of experience and can give excellent advise based on your requirements. Of course there are plenty of other places you could get this kind of service from and you could also go down the total replacement route as you indicated. I have to say its transformed how my car feels and handles. I stayed stock.

Thanks Graham, very helpful. Yes I’ve heard very many great things about Centre Gravity and they aren’t too far from me so I think they will be my next port of call. "OEM+” is the route I’d like to go down with my goal being to improve the ride quality and handling.

Graham’s advice is spot on. Let CG tell you what they think is best for what you’re looking for, they have a wealth of experience and are top of their game. I can personally vouch for them

Thanks Rodney. Appreciate it. I’ll let you know how I get on with CG once they’ve had a look at the car ????

Have you seen this?

Thanks! Watching it now. Excellent!

Maybe not useful as I know you mentioned maybe going lower but I refreshed my entire C4S suspension a few months ago, new everything. But I went the opposite way to lowering, I raised the car by getting the OEM USA spec springs which is a little taller than ROW spec. No loss in handling but I did go from original 17 year old suspension to new so can't compare new to new but very happy with the results, just as responsive handling on the road but high curbs, car parks and speed bumps no longer give me anxiety over scraping my bumper making it much better to daily with no fuss.

Thanks!

I'm in a very similar situation, I want to stick to OEM so I've been looking at Bilsteins. Apparently b4 dampers are standard, b6 offer an upgrade and b8 are more for a lowered car. As the roads where I live are pretty rubbish my current thinking is B6 and refresh(including top mounts, bump stops and arms), perhaps with polybushes on the anti-roll bars. I'll also be fitting new engine mounts. Sorry no first hand experience but you could google B6/B8 to help?

Very helpful, thank you!

I'm also in the same position, having just picked up a 2002 C4S with 71k miles and still on original suspension. I'm going down the refurb route as well, but am upgrading to Bilstein B6s, as they seem to be worth the relatively modest extra cost over the standard B4s. I'll let you know how I get on in a few weeks... Phil

Yes do let us know how you get on Phil. I'm leaning this way also (B6), but tempted by the sound of the b8 set up with lowering springs. My primary concern is driving quality and not compromising the ability of the car in any way, but if I can maintain (or even improve slightly?) the vehicle from stock set up and get away with a slightly lower ride height I may go for B8s. Gonna book in with Centre Gravity and see what they say. Will also check back in here and update when I have made progress.

Thought you might appreciate an update, as I now have the car back and running on Bilstein B6s. The car is definitely a massive improvement over the original 71k mile old set up, even though it had no particular leaks or failures! The new shocks provide so much more control to the car, and a geometry setup by Julian at Micheldever Tyres has also ensured that everything is running as designed. As I expected, I had to have a few other bushes and arms replaced, but nothing too major and well worth the money in the end. I also got lucky with some new front tyres whilst I was at Micheldever, as they had a matching set for the MS2 rears that were fitted on my car just before I purchased it in September (replacing the 7 year old Pirellis that had gone hard and started to crack...) Overall, I am really pleased with the way that the car feels now. It's a pretty firm ride, but the new shocks do their work well and help to keep composure when you are pushing on a bit. I'm also enjoying the short-shift kit that I had fitted at the same time, which gives a much more direct and positive feeling gear change to go with the new suspension. Phil

Thanks for the update, very interesting. My intended winter suspension work hasn't really happened as yet but I need to get on it. If you're Winchester based Phil and fancy a run out give me a shout, I'm just down the road from you near Southampton.

Hi, I may be late to the party but wanted to share that I've completely overhauled the suspension on my 03 C4S, replacing all 4 springs, front and rear toe-arms, all control arms (coffin/tuningfork x4), drop links, engine mounts, top mounts, ARB's front and back along with bushes and a few other bits that I can't remember. I went round the houses on shocks and eventually settled on B6's. I live in Edinburgh so lowering the car is not an option. The car always held the road well but renewing all parts after c18 years the car is a different animal, especially on big cross country highland dashes, cornering is just so much fun. Definitely the best investment I've made. I'd say take your time and enjoy the process. T