Hi, there, it's my first time to post thing in here...thanks in advance!

Info of my car:
MY05
Carrera S, 6-speed manual, without PASM, instead the -20mm Sport Suspension with mechanical LSD installed.

Country I am located: Hong Kong

Just acquired my car and found that the -20mm Sport Suspension is a bit too stiff for the road condition here in HK. So I am considering of possible ways to restore some bits of ride comfort.

Options:
1. Go for factory standard suspension (to give up the -20mm good looking but in return better ride quality)
2. Go for Bilstein PSS system

My quesions would be:
1. What would you recommend over here, factory or PSS?
2. If PSS, anything that I need to pay attention to? Say whether I have to dis-arm the mechanical LSD or I can keep it as-is?
3. If PSS, whether it should be PSS9 or PSS10? I checked the official website of Bilstein but noticed that 997C2S should only go for PSS9 but not PSS10. I am a bit confused here.

Your advices are greatly appreciated! Thanks all!

 

If looking for a more compliant ride than OEM Sport, then I suggest going with OEM standard. Then you could probably sell your -20mm Sport suspension to one of the 6speed guys here in the US. Everyone in the US is upset that we never got the option.

 

Thanks Ron.

One question I have in mind is that whether the softest setting in PSS system would be anything close to the factory standard suspension. As the road condition here in HK is not very satisfactory, I would prefer better ride quality over sporty-but-too-stiff setting. And the $$ for a factory standard suspension is more or less the same as that for a PSS (actually PSS could be cheaper), and having 9/10 adjustable settings, PSS is more attactive to me (if it can ride as comfortably as factory standard).

Anyone has hands-on experience on PSS suspension?

Yeah, I would considering putting up my -20mm Sport Suspension for sell later if a replacement has been put in place! Thanks!

 

The biggest problem is that no one has the 20mm suspension (on the 997S) and many wish they did . If you feel taht the ride quality is impaired I have been told the Pss10 is quite a system .

 

Just to clarify a bit...

There's only PSS9, but not PSS10, available for 997 C2S w/o PASM. Is that a correct statement to make?

I just checked against the Bilstein office website, and only saw that PSS10 is for Turbo/C4S, but not C2S.

Please help to clarify. Thanks!

 

I don't know but you need to know that answer before you order , The Pss10 is a damptronic compatible with PASM . If someone doesnt answer here you might ask one of the site sponsors .

 

Just to clarify, there is no such thing as PSS10 Damptronic - even some tuner websites have that wrong. PSS10 is a 10-way dampening adjustable shock. Damptronics is an infinitely adjustable shock. Billstein makes 1) PSS9 (or did, they have been discontinued and right now everyone has them on close-out pricing to get rid of stock), 2) PSS10 (replacement for PSS9 and 10 way adjustable), and 3) Damptronics for PASM (computer controlled, infinitely variable dampening).

I had the Damptronics and sent them back, which was an expensive proposition. The spring rate was not working well with the shock valving. The 997S version was "over sprung". I've driven other cars with PSS9 and liked it, but in each case the ride was substantially "stiffer" than stock. Unfortunately for you, I don't know of anybody that can help you with a comparison of OEM -20mm Sport Suspension vs. PSS9 because here in the US, nobody has the -20mm option.

You might buy and install the PSS9 and end up hating it and then have to start over. Or, you may put them on and think they are fine. Alternatively, you could go with OEM standard suspension and know it's going to be a well matched and quality item for your car. BUT, understand that your ride height will go up 20mm, where in the PSS9 you can set it anywhere you like, but with a working minimum of -30mm. So, it looks to me like you either are going to have a stiff PSS9 setup with -10mm from what you have now, or you are going to have a compliant OEM suspension at +20 friom what you have now.

 

Thanks as well for your reply in https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...-vs-stock.html

I think I shall lay out my thoughts to make my case clear:

1. I bought my car used (C2S, non-PASM) which has come with -20mm Sport Suspenson kit. And therefore I have no experience over OEM standard suspension and don't know how it rides.

2. I've found the -20mm Sport Suspension kit too bumpy for regular road use. Yes, my 997 will most likely be a street car for majority of time.

3. So making it softer is my primary objective. And thus, the idea of changing over to factory OEM standard suspension has come into my mind.

4. However, for the cost of OEM standard suspension, I could well afford a PSS set.

5. So my logic here is, if the softest setting of a PSS suspension would be somewhere close to the OEM standard suspension, then I will go for PSS. On the other hand, if PSS's softest setting is still way stiffer than the stock, I might go for the latter.

6. The lowered outlook isn't my key concern.

I understood that you guys wouldn't have much chance to come across the -20mm Sport Suspension, and thus difficult to compare with PSS. But please comment on OEM standard suspension v.s. the softest set-up of PSS9.

One more thing, the minimum lowering of PSS9 is -30mm? As I checked with Bilstein website, I've got the following:

BILSTEIN - B16 PSS9
Threaded Suspension (height adjustable), Mechanically adjustable shock strength, Mounted Adjustable
Gas Pressure, Conditions see certificates, For vehicles without PASM
Fitting Position Front Axle, Lowering 15-35 mm, To axle load 775 kg
Fitting Position Rear Axle, Lowering 15-35 mm, To axle load 1180 kg

I thought it would allow lowering anywhere in between 15-35mm. Please correct me if I am wrong.

And if you are saying that PSS9 has been discontinued, then PSS10 is the replacement and will fit 997 C2S well??

Sorry for the long message, but your opinion is very much appreciated!

Thanks a lot!

 

Those are basically the same lowering numbers I have, but I've also seen from experience that the "sweet spot" in the suspension is found when -30mm is used. So you certainly could try the PSS9 and lower -20mm to match what you have, or even raise it up a bit if your roads are less than perfect.

 

sorry for re-instating my last question:

And if you are saying that PSS9 has been discontinued, then PSS10 is the replacement and will fit 997 C2S well??

I would of course prefer something newer

 

Contact Mike@awe-tuning.com for answers to your Bilstein questions. He is very knowledgeable about these.

 

Just took some pictures to compare my -20mm Sport Suspension with PASM. The black on the left is mine (with -20mm) and the right one is equipped with PASM. Both are on 19" wheels.



By looking at the headlights and side mirrors, it's easier to notice the difference.

Below two show the front wheels of -20mm & PASM respectively:





Below two show the rear wheels of -20mm & PASM respectively: