987.1 2.7 shock replacement, OEM or upgrade?

Its getting time to replace my front shocks. I'm wondering if I should stay with the OEM Bilstein 's or go with something else. The car is just a weekend cruiser. My local shop wants 2500 for front shocks, mounts, and alignment. Any input is appreciated.

Ryan, replacing the front struts are a fairly straight job that you can easily do in your garage with a basic set of tools, and you can do it for a lot less than $2,500... check the prices with FCP Euro , AutohauzAZ, or RockAuto Whem replacing the shocks, it will be a good idea to replace as well the bump stops and the bearings that are on top of the springs as these are already 20 years old. The only special tool that you will need is a spring compressor that you can borrow from Autozone or O'Riley's, after replacing the struts you will need an alignment.

Thanks. But I'm definitely dont have the tools, patience, or the desire to do that on my own. Any input about my shock question?

Weekend cruiser should be fine with a generic stock product Bilstein , Koni or Sachs . Get bearings and bump stops. The car will gain a noticeable improvement in handling. I would hope the work with parts could be done for half that price.

When you say bearings, are you referring to the upper mounts? Those were included in the quote.

Also can anyone tell me if the base and S shocks/struts are different?

That quote seems a bit hefty - with a quote like that, I'd be thinking of going for an upgraded coilover setup that allows you to play with ride height. You'd be wise to do the rears at the same time, which are not as easy to swap as the fronts though.

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2006 Porsche 911 Carrera w/95,000 miles on the clock. Just replaced the suspension w/ Bilstein Coilovers and all the top mounts etc. with genuine Porsche Parts. This is Bilstein 's advice and is a must. Do not use cheap Chines parts. Expensive, yes. Worth it? Absolutely, since this will last another 20 years. This car is my daily driver and is now better than new. Good luck with your project.

No one is talking about using cheap Chinese parts lol. OEM shocks are Blistien 4s.

I would consider replacing the four corners with Bilsteins as the rear ones have just as many miles..

What i said is to replace all the bushings, strut mounts etc. and whatever else is up there for the last 20 years. And it better be Porsche Parts. Period. Then you can install the Bilstein Coilovers. That is the proper way to do it. Your car, do what you want. My car, I did it properly.

Yeesh. We seem to be going sideways on semantics here. I never said I wasnt going to replace the bushings or mounts either. Not sure this keeps coming up. I was simply asking for input from other 987 owners if there was another brand of shock to consider over the OEM Blistien 4s, since there seem to be many options from Porsche vendors online. Coilovers are great, but overkill for what im using this car for. That may be the only "proper" to you, but with respect, its not your car and there's no need for condescension. 👍🏻

IMHO, there are many manufacturers that supply Porsche with OEM quality components, for example, I would not hesitate to use Lemfolder (Germany), Sachs , Bilstein , etc, for suspension components, also there are many parts shared between the VAG group. You can also shop for quality parts at FCP Euro for example, as they sell OEM approved parts for way less than the Porsche dealer sells them, and they offer lifetime warranty.. PS: Coilovers are nice indeed but they are pricey and also have a downside as on many of them their 'minimum height' it's about 1" lower than the OEM suspension, this means that you will be scrapping the front of the car on speed bumps and steep driveways.

Thanks for the response. I do shop at FCP Euro . And yeah, lowering the car is another reason why I dont want coil overs.

When your mechanic orders the front mounts from Porsche , have him order it so the front ride height can be adjusted to keep the front ride height from going too low. Maybe mine is maybe a 1/4 inch lower, not sure, so that the front ride height will be somewhat protected. Unfortunately, scraping will never be eliminated. Porsche planned it that way. By the way. you might find that after the coilovers are installed, the wheel stance brings the tires further in, so I will have to use spacers to make the car look right. Just something to be aware of.

OP, My vote is Bilstein for the use case you are describing. I have had consistently good performance and longevity on a variety of cars. In my experience it’s gonna perform well and have a long lifespan. I think it’s probably the strongest in the OEM replacement category. I like Koni too, and their FSD damper is rather intriguing for vehicles retaining their stock springs, but the lifespan of the Bilstein has really impressed me over the years. Edit- the Koni “Special Active” is the current name for their damper with the FSD tech. They do have an offering for 987 3.4 non PASM .

Anyone know who was Porsche ’s OEM damper supplier for 987? Was it Bilstein ?

Yes. As mentioned above.