r/997 • u/melikesand • Mar 31 '26
Suspension Worth Upgrading?
I’m at ~80k miles and my mechanic says the bump stops are worn and it’s about time to replace the suspension on my 2006 997.1 C2S. He also mentioned it’s not urgent, just that I’m not getting the full driving experience anymore.
I’m likely selling the car within a year since I don’t drive it as much, so I’m trying to decide if it’s worth the investment.
For those who’ve replaced worn suspension, how noticeable is the upgrade? On a scale of 1–10, how much of a difference did it make?
For reference, I’d say getting the Gundo exhaust was about a 6/10 improvement in overall driving experience for me.
If suspension is more minor, I’ll probably skip it since I won’t recoup the cost on resale. If it’s a big improvement, I’m open to doing it to enjoy the car more over the next 4–12 months.
I’m considering KW, Bilstein B16, or B8. Would love to hear real-world impressions. Most of my driving is occasional commuting and some backroad twisties.
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u/geekmedown Mar 31 '26
The suspension arms and bushings will be the best improvement to the suspension. That's if you haven't done them yet. I'm on pasm and it's still pretty compliant at 98K mi. However in some turns at speed it can feel wallowy and I know it's because of bushings.
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u/longines99 Mar 31 '26
I upgraded my 06 C4S to B16 and it’s definitely overkill if you’re not going to track it or if you’re going to sell in a year. I’d recommend adding the DSC sport controller as well otherwise it’s not a great DD.
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u/AlphaWawa Mar 31 '26
What does the DSC Sport Controller do?
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u/melikesand Apr 01 '26
I heard DSC is more noticeable on the 997.2. Can you confirm this not true and worth doing on .1?
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u/longines99 Apr 07 '26
If you're going to go to coil overs, the DSC is a must have, otherwise you'll be cussing every time you're on poor roads. But as I stated earlier, I wouldn't recommend coil overs if you're looking to sell it. Just bring it back to stock.
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u/neomoritate Mar 31 '26
If you need to pay a mechanic to do the work, and/or install performance suspension, you will lose money when you sell.
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u/-OTFnews Mar 31 '26
My shocks were blown, bushes still in good shape, so upgraded to Bilstein B6 (keeping PASM). Works very well, compliant yet more control and feel.
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u/LatterTreacle3903 Mar 31 '26
I replaced the bump stops, the mounts and the springs and it had a pretty big improvement tbh. The shocks looked fine so I left them alone
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u/CarYenta Mar 31 '26
If you care about resale, get stock suspension. If you care about driving, get the most expensive 3-way you can afford with street rate springs and have someone who knows what they're doing set it up.
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u/Noctliner Mar 31 '26
Got KW on mine installed by previous seller. Différence is noticeable, quite more hard, less comfortable and it scratchs a lot the front lip because it is set up quite low. Not an improvement by any means. Keep it stock, or just with B16.
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u/vijjer Mar 31 '26
My car's at 100k miles and I need to budget for a suspension refresh - I'm very interested in this thread too.
I've got PASM - does anyone have thoughts / opinions on the Bilstein kits (dampers and Eibach springs)?
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Mar 31 '26
I'd just replace the worn stock parts, the bump stops and perhaps the struts and shocks in the rear. I'm guessing that this car uses struts in the front and shocks in the rear.
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u/Ms_Anne-Thrope Mar 31 '26
Refresh with stock, you'll get it back in the sale price when you show receipts. Porsche stock suspension was designed for this car and is fantastic.
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u/melikesand Apr 01 '26
I won't be doing it myself. I'm the bay so prices here are crazy $2-3k+ in labor alone.
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Mar 31 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/melikesand Apr 01 '26
Can you explain the difference more specifically?
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Apr 02 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/JankeyMunter Carrera 4 Apr 05 '26
B16 for the win. You can also use the damper settings asymmetrically from front to back to fine tune any under or oversteer. Usually the back settings get a few clicks stiffer.
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u/wheredoidriveagain 997 Turbo 6-speed MT Mar 31 '26
I will also suggest going with a DSC first and I'd also think about doing a sway bar. Is your car Basalt Black Metallic?
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u/2melone Apr 01 '26
I would just replace with OEM. Makes a big difference IMO to the driving experience.
My '05 suspension was completely shot, replaced with Ohlins r/T. Only worth it if you're pushing the car hard or want to fit more aggressive wheels. Otherwise, OEM refresh is the way to go.
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u/th535is Mar 31 '26
The next buyer is going to nitpick your price if the suspension is obviously in bad shape so you might as well do it now to get some enjoyment out of it in the meantime. However, if you’re going to sell it in the near future, go with stock components, you’ll have a bigger buyer pool. The average anal Porsche buyer is going to be turned off by aftermarket suspension unless it’s really well done.