H&R Springs/spacers or OEM initially?

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Feb 12, 2008 | 06:53 AM
  #1  
After six or seven long months my Turbo is at the dealer and I'm planning on picking it up on March 1st. What I'm trying to decide is whether I should have the H&R springs and spacers installed prior to pick-up or if I should try OEM for a while first and do the install later (if at all).

Having read the multitude of posts on the topic of springs/spacers there seems to be no decisive view one way or the other. Some feedback claims that floatiness is reduced and turn-in sharpened while ride isn't degraded at all. Others rightfully ask the question why Porsche simply didn't engineer this solution in the first place and mention concerns about ride height (an issue for me in NYC) and the mod not jiving with the factory alignment.

I definately prefer the look of the car lowered a bit and with the 5mm/17mm spacers pushing the wheels out to flush. That said, I'm not one to do mods simply for the look and I do believe in the law of unintended consequences - in this case, what am I potentially doing or undoing by running this mod? I generally do 3-4 DEs a year running in the advanced group as an additional piece in the puzzle.

So, as I see it options are:
(a) leave OEM with OEM Turbo alignment
(b) leave OEM but with GT3 alignment
(c) spacers only - which alignment?
(d) springs + spacers - which alignment?

Thoughts appreciated.

Anthony
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Feb 12, 2008 | 06:56 AM
  #2  
Quote: After six or seven long months my Turbo is at the dealer and I'm planning on picking it up on March 1st. What I'm trying to decide is whether I should have the H&R springs and spacers installed prior to pick-up or if I should try OEM for a while first and do the install later (if at all).

Having read the multitude of posts on the topic of springs/spacers there seems to be no decisive view one way or the other. Some feedback claims that floatiness is reduced and turn-in sharpened while ride isn't degraded at all. Others rightfully ask the question why Porsche simply didn't engineer this solution in the first place and mention concerns about ride height (an issue for me in NYC) and the mod not jiving with the factory alignment.

I definately prefer the look of the car lowered a bit and with the 5mm/17mm spacers pushing the wheels out to flush. That said, I'm not one to do mods simply for the look and I do believe in the law of unintended consequences - in this case, what am I potentially doing or undoing by running this mod? I generally do 3-4 DEs a year running in the advanced group as an additional piece in the puzzle.

So, as I see it options are:
(a) leave OEM with OEM Turbo alignment
(b) leave OEM but with GT3 alignment
(c) spacers only - which alignment?
(d) springs + spacers - which alignment?

Thoughts appreciated.

Anthony
You will not be able to achieve GT3 alignment with the standard springs. You will need to lower the car.
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Feb 12, 2008 | 10:16 AM
  #3  
Quote: So, as I see it options are:
(a) leave OEM with OEM Turbo alignment
(b) leave OEM but with GT3 alignment
(c) spacers only - which alignment?
(d) springs + spacers - which alignment?
(e) none of the above, wait until you can afford to get damptronic coilovers and use the GT3 alignment specs.
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Feb 12, 2008 | 10:50 AM
  #4  
Yeah, coilovers are a plausible option (e) I suppose. Good point.
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Feb 12, 2008 | 10:57 AM
  #5  
Damptronics are really the way to go. Springs generally wear shocks faster, whereas coilovers are designed as a complete setup, and you retain PASM.
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Feb 12, 2008 | 02:25 PM
  #6  
+ 1 on the damptronics, no sense on messing around. Do it once, do it right.
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Feb 12, 2008 | 04:02 PM
  #7  
I do not agree with the Bilsteins. Jason you are wrong.I mean who in their right mind would want to lower a Porsche for heavens sake! I am sure the engineers at Porsche knows what they are doing and the springs and shocks costs millions of dollars in development to achieve what Porsche feels as the Quenessential Turbo.




Oh wait wait sorry I was being someone else for a minute. Get the Bilstein PSS Damptronics and a good GT3 alignment and you will be happy as a pig in mud. No pigs were harmed or verbally abused during this posting. No offense to any pigs out there.
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Feb 12, 2008 | 04:15 PM
  #8  
Khanh, you are OUT of control!
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Feb 12, 2008 | 09:53 PM
  #9  
You know what I'm gonna say.... keep the stock stuff initially, esp while the weather still sucks. Do have the alignment checked within 2k miles(free). I'd try it at the track in April with the imagined squirrely handling at speed, oh wait that's only in the green run group, you should be ok in red or black
That said, I could see a decent set of springs lowering the car a bit helping turn in at a short course like pocono with cups. GL sounds like a nice car, which stealer?
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Feb 12, 2008 | 10:38 PM
  #10  
Why dont you do our lowering spring which is actually tuned for the PASM damper and not a softer spring rate than the H&R which will only make the ride worse.

If you do the springs and sway bars you will have the best of both worlds.

Go here for more info:

http://www.gmgracing.com/porsche_suspension.shtml
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Feb 12, 2008 | 10:39 PM
  #11  
Quote: Why dont you do our lowering spring which is actually tuned for the PASM damper and not a softer spring rate than the H&R which will only make the ride worse.

If you do the springs and sway bars you will have the best of both worlds.

Go here for more info:

http://www.gmgracing.com/porsche_suspension.shtml


Check out this months Excellence Magazine our 997TT is on the cover..


If you need more info please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Feb 13, 2008 | 10:13 AM
  #12  
Damn, if I was gonna do springs, those would be the ones.
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Feb 13, 2008 | 10:27 AM
  #13  
GmG vs. damptronics
Any insight on the full GMG kit with ball end mounts, springs, etc as per the Excellence article, vs the Bilstein setup? ride quality comparison on road and track? Trying to decide myself.
Thanks
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Feb 14, 2008 | 10:48 AM
  #14  
I think the GMG would be more hard core track oriented while the pss10s more street from reading the mag.
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Feb 14, 2008 | 11:31 AM
  #15  
Sorry Chris I'd definitely have to disagree with that sentiment. You have had no direct experience with suspension mods and it'd be hard to draw conclusions from two different articles about two different mods. Eclou would really be the best person to comment on which would be the better track setup since he's had both done and he tracks his car fairly often. From what I've seen he seems to prefer the damptronics for tracking. We should wait to hear from him about that.
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