Car still doesn't feel "tight"???

I wasn't sure what to title this thread?! Over the 9 months since I've owned the car I've replaced ALL the suspension coffin arms and ball joints and tie-rod ends etc. etc., along recently with KW V3 suspension and OEM top mounts. Tires are new (PS4S'), I've also replaced the two engine mounts with OEM-equivalent mounts, there cant be much more to do, but the car still doesn't feel "tight", The tires are set to Porsche recommended pressures, the suspension is set to KW recommended settings (and I've even firmed the bump one notch at the front), but like I say the car still doesn't feel tight, or perhaps like a new car which ignorantly I assumed it now would with ALL the suspension parts having been replaced. Cant believe it would've felt like this when new...? Not sure what much more I can do, or are there please any other magic fixes?? Thanks!

Hi I think you need to get someone who really knows these cars to drive yours. Maybe you're just expecting too much?

Thanks, yes possibly you're correct, but I've tinkered with lots of cars over the years and regardless of what they were once having replaced all the springy bits & bushes the cars have felt like new again. Which, other than the engines, mechanically they effectively now were. I was wondering if there were any chassis bushes or clamps etc etc that need to be replaced? Or if fitting aftermarket thingumabobs made a huge difference...?

Sorry if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs but have you had the GEO set up professionally? Just doing this on a bog-standard car with no new bits makes a massive difference.

RPM Technic fitted the KW's and supposedly set the Geo and ride height then, think they may even have corner-weighted it.

See if you can get a drive in someone elses car locally to compare. Also start checking steering components for wear and play etc. Dave

Thanks but its a chassis feeling, almost as if I've got old tired suspension on, the car just feels a bit sloppy and creaky. The shocks themselves don't want to be any firmer and as mentioned the tires are at Porsche pressures (which may potentially be a couple of PSI too high), and all the bushes were replaced as part of fitting new coffin arms etc. Its the chassis that doesn't feel tight, not the suspension. As reference we have a 12 month old Volvo XC60 Polestar, with the adjustable Ohlins suspension (not that I've ever touched it) and huge 22" wheels. The chassis feels super tight which then leaves the suspension to do all the suspending. Theoretically this means that the suspension can be set more precisely because the chassis isn't contributing to any of the suspension feel. What it feels like with the 996 is that the suspension is set-up perfectly and the tires pressures are firm but that the chassis is old and needs firming up. Possibly I'm going round in circles, its due for its 1000 mile suspension check-up soon so will ask RPM to give everything a look over then.

Is this your first 911? As personally i find they do feel a bit odd compared to all the other sports cars I've owned due to all the weight hanging out the back and do move around differently when pushing on, it felt very strange to me to start with but I'm use to it now. Other than that like someone said maybe try another one to compare? Carl

Sounds like a trip to Centre Gravity will be money well spent.

Hmmm...how do you propose to change the chassis? You can't ...you can replace the parts hung off it which you have done...you can have the set up adjusted but you can't change the chassis on a monocoque car... ...it's not a TVR...

Thanks, this was the point of my thread in the first place - to find out if there were any other things that I could do that I didn't know of. "Oh yes, you need to replace the doobery bushes near the double-flanged-thingy - that'll do the trick!" I took it out this afternoon, one thing I think that would make a difference is that the power-steering is quite heavy, almost feels like its not contributing much. Don't know if this is just a C4S thing, or if there is anything I can do to improve this...?

Have you fit new coffin arm forks? Any play in these on the ball joint end that bolts to the subframe will make the car feel loose. Only way to check these properly is remove the fork end from the coffin arm and tug the fork back and forward to feel if there's any play. The slightest amount will be noticeable when driving.

This every day of the week. A lack of 'tightness" isn't a common complaint amongst 911 owners. Mine has continued to feel very tight after a trip to CG and it's a 16 year old cabriolet!

Others who have fitted PS4S that are the regular tyre and not the N0 rated ones have commented about poor handling. Could it be that? See this thread http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=147962&highlight=ps4s

I suspect it's a mismatch of expectations; comparing a 25+ year old monocoque design with a new one is going to result in a difference. 25 years is nearly half the age of the history the monocoque itself! It will be less rigid and have suffered a lifetime of flexing and all the bits that attach to it moving and rubbing. That said, there are the subframe bushes, wheel bearings, the steering rack and all the under body braces that will contribute to how stiff the chassis feels. Wear or slack in any of these or their attachments could lead to a lack of resolve. I'd start with a professional once over of all the running gear and underbody structure and a four wheel geo though and go from there.