It'll look something like this I bet:


It's a specialty wrench. They "forgot" to give it to you?

 

Picked them up this morning. I'll try to do the preload adjustment today.

 

Is it essential to hold the spring? If you don't, it looks like the part on top of the spring spins with it. Not entirely sure what that does??

 

Front springs could indeed be moved by hand (= too loose). I tightened them up quite a bit. Still heard some noise from the front on my test drive though; I wonder if it needs to be even tighter??

Rears were fine.

 

check sway bar link bolts. May be loose. Make sure to check with both wheels equally loaded so the sway bar is not binding side to side.

 

Sway bar link bolts seem tight. I did notice the passenger front side was sitting higher than the driver's side, so I did adjust the height in the meantime (in case that would make a difference). I really need a chance to go for another canyon run to determine if everything feels right now.

 

Were you ever able to get these tuned properly, or did you move on to something else?

 

I got it to a point where it is satisfactory but I still want more out of the car. Where it still lacks is stability in turns with uneven payment. It is much better than when I installed the coilovers initially but not quite right yet. If it were a daily driver, it would be fine but I want the best handling I can get.

So, long story short, not bad but not perfect. I have KW V1, H&R sway bars and rear toe links waiting to be installed sometime soon.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. This thread has been very helpful. My car will maybe see 4k miles per year on the street. I bought the car with the intention to track it, but I have virtually no track experience. I would get my feet wet with the stock setup first, but my shocks are shot and it doesn't make sense to me to not go ahead and install coilovers now. The question I'm asking myself is if *I* will notice the difference between the Ksports/H&R/PSS10s...

 

If you have any intention of tracking the car, I probably wouldn't go with the k-sports. I'm not a race car driver but do know enough to understand predictable handling. I've put the car through its paces with the stock suspension and when you start pushing it, it gets nervous and somewhat unpredictable. The k-ports are an improvement but still not quite there.

If you just want something to hold you over until you get the right setup, I should have mine for sale soon. I probably only have a thousand miles on them. Shoot SamboTT a message as well; he's the one that helped me make a decision on my next setup. Opinion differs but KW seems to most suitable coilovers for this platform. H&R will probably be similar to the k-sports.

 

Duly noted, thanks.

I'd be interested, but I have a C2 so I don't think yours will fit. I'll probably go with the KSports as a quick fix to get me off this worn stock suspension and plan on upgrading later on. There is quite a price jump between those and the KWs.

 

Yea, KW isn't cheap but the V1's are not too terrible. From the limited research I've done, KW's have undergone the most rigorous testing on the 996 platform (as opposed to some others).

The P/N is indeed different between the C2 and AWD model. The cheapest option to hold you over, would be to just replace the shocks with something aftermarket. I imagine a set of Bilstein shocks would be under $1k for all 4. EDIT: looks like I'm not too far off:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...SUSshk_pg1.htm

 

dcamco...I can't comment on the Ksports because I have no experience with them. I will say though that setting up the car properly with a new suspension takes a bit of time, effort, and money. You'll have to install the coilovers, set them up, and get a good alignment. Once dialed in you don't want to have to pull everything out again to switch to something else. The Ksports aren't on hand yet and you are considering upgrading to something else already

What if I told you you could get Brand New in the box German built coilovers that are TUV approved and built by the same folks that build OEM GT2 / GT3 coilover suspensions for 1700 or so (I noticed you want these for a 996 C2, right?) ??

Well, you can if you get a set of H&R Street Coilovers. Shocks are made by Bilstein and are very similar in design to oem GT2/3 coilovers. 2 year warranty, rebuildable/revalve-able and great quality. I believe KW V1 would also be at same price point as well.

If you would like more adjustments and are willing to spend a few hundred more...PSS10 or Ohlins R&T.

Or, you might be completely happy with the Ksports...just have a look at all the options

 

I would probably go with a shock replacement if I wasn't ready for a full suspension overhaul but wanted something to enjoy the car in the meantime.

It will be pretty cheap, plug-and-play and I'm sure you can resell easily since there are probably plenty of folks out there that want to keep the car stock but are in need of fresh shocks given the age of the 996.

 

Thanks to all who replied...lots of great info and even more options. More homework to do!