So I recently bought a 997.2 C2 non PASM, and while I love driving the car I find that some bumps are quite...jarring to the body, and bad roads can be a nightmare to drive on. Is there a way to make the suspension more agreeable for the road, or is this something that I'm going to have to get used to. Coilovers perhaps?

 

Coil overs will make the ride even harder. The only solution I can think of without having to spend a fortune is to get 18" wheels. I have 18" wheels I use on the winter with winter tires and the ride is much smoother than with 19" wheels. There is just more rubber between the rim and the asphalt. I hope that helps!

 

smaller wheels/bigger profile tires or buy a Cayenne...

 

try lowering your current tire pressures.

Or a less aggressive tire like a Continental DWS...

 

So you find the Non-S, stock 911 suspension too harsh? First I've heard of that, usual complaint is too soft. What was your previous car?

 

I bought a non pasm c2 and had the same complaint.
I installed a set of Bilsteins pss9 set them at 4&5, and the ride is not harsher, but made it smoother to drive, lowered it a bit, and I love the difference.
I've installed pss9s on my 993 and 996 c4s so I knew what to expect.
By far a better ride than stock.
The dampers I removed were not shot . I made the change with 34,000 miles on odometer.
Someone is offering pss10s for 2100 bucks for non pasm 997.2 I think on rennlist. That's a bargain!
Ymmv, but I love them.
Kevin

 

Actually just posted the same complaint just a bit ago. My non PASM is riding a bit harsh also. Just feel every bump. The only way to make it better is to sell it and get a car with pasm. Test drove a C4S (pasm standard) today and it was a little better but not a world of difference.

 

going to 18s slimmer tires will help, but unless you have a back problem this is ridiculous.

 

I've been through this last year when I asked for some info on same subject and a bunch of a** holes started saying get a different car if you don't like it.
I say it again, just because a car manufacturer made something a certain way doesn't mean I have to like it 100% and go with it no matter what. My car, my taste, my personality. I don't see how its consideted to be okay to make modifications to stiffen the car but not okay if you want to relax it for a more comfortable ride on a street.

OP, I to found it a tad harsh for my taste for a DD as well. Especially when I came from S550 as my daily. I love what it offers but it is a tad too harsh on some of those roads for a DD.
Although I haven't gotten to it yet, been a busy year, I got my hands on all stock PASM parts. Sensors, ecu, shocks and center console control. All of which I'm planning on retrofitting.
I drove a C2S and I found PASM shocks in normal mode to be just right.
The only significant way to change the dampening/harshness is to change those shocks. Maybe changing springs might help but you'd need to talk to an expert on that. A few tune shops on here and Ren**** can give you an answer on that.
Wheels and tires will help but not much.

Good luck.

Edit: do research on the chocks before buying them. None of them are really made to soften the ride. They might just help smooth it out.

 

So my C2S has the "Normal" and "Sport" modes.
Are the non PASM equipped cars then set up like normal, sport or somewhere in between because I find normal on my 19" PSS' just fine.
It is a sports car after all, not a Camry

 

I agree with cerbomark's tire pressure recommendation. Many drivers seem to go with the pressures at the max-load cold pressure of 37/44 but I found this to be unnecessarily harsh. Remember that you'll tend to see a 4 to 5 psi increase over that when hot so the pressure at that level gets really high.

I've been running with 33/37 cold for quite some time after seeing that recommendation from others in multiple posts. Even the electronic nanny doesn't mind and it works well for me when autocrossing (it helps reduce understeer). If you are running the higher pressure then this could help a lot. It is certainly an inexpensive thing to try!

 

I've seen several posts over time saying that non-PASM is set up "in-between".

 

18's are definitely a different feel and *maybe* mildly less bumpy. I just pulled the 18s off mine and went to 19" Sport Classics which are also VERY wide in comparison to the stock 18s. They are louder - for sure - and the feel is different, but not significantly less comfortable, if at all. The extra weight and inertia seem to make the car feel a tad less quick - this after driving it for 6 years; very subtle - could be in my head, but I don't think so.

I keep the pressure at the recommended level - not max. For the 997.2, the TPM seems to be pretty accurate and matches my gauge within 1/2 pound. TPM happy - I'm happy. And the feel is just right - I can feel a front tire 1 pound low and it bugs me - starts to feel mushy - some might be OK with that. the TPM also seems to take into account temperature, so if there tires aren't at 68F, I can still get a pretty accurate fill - and I may add a pound in winter as I often don't drive far enough to heat up the tires to bring up the pressure.

I sort of love the feel of the car otherwise. Sure, on a crap road it can be a drag to the point that I'd avoid a really bad road if there is an alternative. Mostly because a bad road is such a buzz kill.

Just make sure anything you do can be undone easily if / when you want to sell it because I expect most buyers will want the car to feel and ride like a 911.

 

correct...
PASM in Normal mode dampens less thus "softer" feel than standard shocks.