Looking for confirmation..

I am planning to make some basic suspension improvements over the next few months to result in improved DE performance without making the car too rough for street use. Significant review of the postings here indicate the following would be the best bang for the buck:

1. Rear sway bar and drop links (probably H&R or GT3 OEM sway, Tarett drop links).
2. Coil overs and rear toe links to allow toe adjustment for reasonable tire wear (thinking H&R RSS coil over is best bang for the buck at <$2K, drop car roughly 1" to maintain decent drivability)
3. Realign / corner balance?

Being new to the mods, and doing all but the alignment as a DIY. It would be an advantage to complete the rear sway and drop links first.

Is a new alignment required after the sway bar/drop link change, or can I wait until I install the coil overs to complete the $250 alignment?

Thanks..

 

you got it covered. Look in to locking plates for the toe arms.

 

sways and drop links require re-alignment but if coilovers are coming? do it all at once. will transform your car. +1 on gt3 sways. esp front.

 

OK-I finally have some comments from my install. Writing to help anyone that may be looking for comments on this product in the future.

As previously noted, I was unable to find much at all about the H&R RSS. I took the plunge because I thought this product seemed to be the best track oriented product at a reasonable price point.

Brief summary-Installed the fronts by removal of the 2 ball joints. I was able to leave drive shaft attached, never removed the brakes. It is a load to control and work the coil over in/out, but it works with very little disassembly. Sounds easy, it is not!

Rear install is very easy compared to front.

No instructions with the product, no help from distributor, called H&R directly and they kindly answered all questions. This was key to knowing how to setup, and for a rookie like me, knowing what questions to ask prior to install was difficult but I got through it.

Adjustable rear toe links are mandatory, the Rennline I got were very nice. The H&R kit came with non-adjustable drop links which I used. I realize many feel adjustable are highly preferred. Purchased a rear sway because I expected I would want to add stiffer rear sway, did not use it.

There was an issue with front strut nut thread length. The product was usable but resulted in limited adjustability. I believe this may be a small lot or single issue, but not sure. I was able to adjust to just below GT3 ride height-looks awesome. After finding the problem and discussing with H&R directly, they took care of everything including expedited shipping from Germany and covered all shipping. Outstanding customer service from H&R!!!

Results..The RSS product is exactly what I expected. The ride is very firm, but what I wanted. Track time after alignment and corner balance. With this mod and also the addition of R888's, lap times at the first track event were 8-9% lower than the year before. (I had one track event prior to RSS install but with R888's and there was little or no improvement because of loose OEM suspension-too much tire to handle.) In any case, the RSS product made a very significant difference, not only in lap times, but I can now feel the car. I could drive much faster and still felt much more comfortable. The comparison to others I previously drove with on-track was dramatic, they are all looking for solutions to catch up... I believe the car to be very neutral now, and it will probably take me several additional track events to fully decide. For now I am not installing sways.

Driving around town is awesome in my opinion-go kart like. It is a must to be on the lookout for chuck holes, don't want to hit one with this suspension. Highway driving is great on smooth surfaces, actually much better than OEM, until you hit a bad patch. Driving on rough roads is not fun, but I never do that in my car anyway.

All in all, I highly recommend this product for those who want a very stiff and controlled ride and excellent track performance. (I am a group 3-4 DE kind of guy and that is probably all I will ever need.) As noted H&R support was awesome, and that is good to know for someone thinking about their products. I have no comparison to other coil overs for this car. Hope this helps anyone considering an upgrade!

 

What camber are you running on the rear? Was there enough adjustment on the rear without using adjustable dog bones (upper control arms)? Did you make any adjustment on the rear for bump steer?

 

I believe rear camber was set about -1.8, front about -1.0 (need to check further dealer indicated that was max available but does not look like it to me).

I only used new rear toe links to allow camber adjustment.

 

Great feedback. Thanks!! I'm looking around for a 996TT myself and this is some good reference material.