Well I have spent a tiny bit of time behind the wheel of my new car I will say what fun it is; but I am so ready to get my new shocks and Dogbones in the car. The rubber bushing squirm that comes with the suspension so needs to go away.

How much improvement have yall found with changing out your shocks and dogbones????

I am going to use some Ohlins TTX shocks front and rear and some Champion motorsports dogbones with upgraded Rod ends. I am thinking it should be a nice set up. Then the tranny mount and engine mounts are due for some upgrades.

 

So I walked into the shop this morning to start my day and look what someone had placed on the work bench...

Yeeeee hawwww let the fun begin.

And I want to thank Tom at Champion for getting this all together. It took some time but he was the only shop that actually followed through with there promises. I was trying to throw a large fist full of cash to several shops that advertise on here and none of them seemed to need the revenue. And likely my most problematic purchase was these items and Tom took care of me. Thanks Tom!!!!!!!!!

Next up, Ohlins TTX shocks, sway bars, tranny mount, engine mounts, and rear subframe bushings and brake upgrades.

The only thing I am not sure of yet is what sways I am going to use.

2 Pic's, Parts on bench at work, and Car sits in storage bay at home getting dusty, Now to bring them together.

I am going to do the mods pretty much one piece at a time to see what I think.

Dog bones first once I get my upgraded rod ends. Then I think tranny and engine mount, maybe subframe too. Then shocks and brakes later this summer.

 

What a beautiful color!!! Good luck with your mods. BTW, did your seat-backs come body color, or did you paint them?

 

Thanks on the excellent color, the seats were painted from factory but the color is really off from the car color, the center console is also factory matched and I think it is closer to the actual body color. Such a fun process matching colors on different substraits.

 

Weird from factory, no??? But I know what you mean about color matching,,,especially yellow! When I got my car it had a front license plate, so I had the front bumper filled and painted. Looks like a perfect match in normal light, but as soon as it gets under florescent light, it looks obviously off, more like the mustard yellow - weird!!!

Unfortunately, I have florescent overhead garage lights!!! I had it color sanded and several attempts at figuring it out at the paint shop, but to no avail. So, I'm living with it for now. If it was noticeable under normal light it would drive me much more crazy!!!

I also had the console, horseshoe, and cluster surround painted aftermarket, and those parts match perfectly (mats and pedals replaced since the below photo was taken)! Before I bought my car I looked at one with the seatbacks painted and I loved that look. That is why I was asking. I think it looks especially nice on a convertible because of the visibility. Good luck again with your suspension mods!

 

Also add drop links (unless your going to get blade type sway bars Tarrett Enginering) and rear toe steer links. I'd do the suspension mods all at once so you're not paying for labor and alignment several times if you do them as one offs. Also if you plan to change wheel and tire size do this before the alingment. I'd also consider the 997SS shifter. Consider the motor and tranny mounts as a system. Either get the 964RS engine mounts and 997 tranny mount (Suncoast) or the Wevo semi solids with the AWD teflon filled tranny mount.

 

umm no get the torque solutions engine and transmission mounts trust me I have them you cant go wrong.

 

Thanks for the imput, Wheels and tires are already done and so are a whole lot of other things.

X50 package, turbos changed out to AMS Billet K16 due to early boost RPM
AMS Prototype intercoolers
AMS Prototype 2.5" turbo inlet pipes
Cross full titanium exhaust
Agency Power carbon intake airbox
2 Bosch 044 fuel pumps feeding 72Lb injectors
AMS ECU Flash 610Hp/575 torques
Act Clutch
Drive shaft shop 1000hp axles
OZ ultralegerra wheels
997 stock shifter
BBI pulley

The tranny mount and engine mounts will likely be AWD motorsports Polyurethane units. And yes in my other post I said I would do things one at a time but yes there are some things I would do as a package. http://www.awdmotorsports.com/product_p/ts-por-006.htm

The only thing I am unsure of so far is what sways I am going to use.

As per the labor thing, that is not a big deal seeing how I own my own performance shop. Although I do not have an alignment rack but that is not a big deal cost wise.

Oh yeah I have started the work on the new Carbon wing and splitter but I am not hurrying to get those done, there are just to many other things going on in life right now.

 

The Ohlins are BALLER! You will feel a HUGE improvement from those alone. The dogbones, not so much as there is still so much slop in the lower control arm, caster arm, subframe bushings, engine mounts, tranny mount and chassis that there will still be plenty of slop to go around. Coilovers and sway bars make the biggest dent in responsiveness.

Dog Bones are overrated IMO unless you are just trying to get your alignment right. I'd invest that money into some lower control arms instead.

BTW where did you source your Ohlins?

 

+1 re dogbones, waste of time/money.

The most squirm sits in the rear toe links so get adjustable with solid ends, especially noticable if you go RWD. Second most squirm sits in stock springs (stock shocks are actually very very good but need good sport springs to shine). However Ohlins like that are REALLY good so you have that covered already.

Lower GT3 control arms will give you ability to set camber to get great handling but not make the car tooth-jarring for every minor bump as is the case if installing too many solid mounts everywhere.

Engine and tranny mounts are in a group of those utterly unnecessary things you do if you are bored and can't figure out what else to do to your car. Unless they are broken or you want to launch 1/4 mile starts twice a week. Some other member here added some upgraded mounts that gave extremely much unwanted vibrations in the cabin. Not really that fun on a Sat night to have blurry vision when out driving with your date...

Recommend Eibach adjustable swaybars, you can dial the car into very little roll front/rear, or relatively compliant/soft roll if you experience too much 3-wheelin, and balancewise you can set mega push or massive oversteer and obviously anything in between.

GL!

 

Sorry to post in a couple threads on this -- but MrWhite do you know if you 'flipped' the GT3 LCAs when you put them in? I read a couple posts stating that they needed to be swapped L/R (when compared to the GT3s orientation) to get enough adjustment on the center thrust bushing.

Many thanks,
Henry

 

If you are in a 996TT and plan to run 996 GT3 arms with 2 overlapping holes, the non-centered hole needs to be closer to the diagonal arm. This is bc if you add a lot of shims the thrust/trailing arm won't reach unless you have that hole "to the back of the car". If it's reverse from GT3 or not... I know as much as the 997 GT3 Cup car has different arm/longer where you absolutely must mount them this way or your thrust arm won't reach.

 

Got it -- non-centered hole towards the rear. I assume that's the same for Front and rear?

Thanks again!
Henry

 

The rear thrust arms come from the front of the wheel wells so just go by 2nd non centered hole towards the thrust arm, so that it may line up/reach if you add a lot of camber shims.

EDIT/add: The front arms also anchor at the front and the off-center hole must face fwd.

 

Great explanation. Thanks! I would've had this incorrect.



Henry