Bob O

I just received from Suncoast Porsche the ROW M030 suspension for my 01 base boxster. I took it to a local independent who just a couple of hours ago finished the install. My question is this...My understanding of the ROW suspension is that it lowers the body by 10-20 mm (front - back). Both the mech and I agree that this install didn't do ANYTHING to lower the car. He drove it 15 miles or so, and I drove it 30 or so getting home so any settling that might happen should have happened. hmmmmm Why no lowering??? Did I receive the US M030 from Suncoast by mistake? I just called them but they're closed for the weekend. I remember reading somewhere about the paint dots on the parts indicating the particular application. I didn't personally inspect the parts, (well I did, but I don't remember the paint colors) but the mechanic remembers yellow and purple dots on the springs. I've searched the archives but can't find the thread I read about the colors. Any ideas??? Thanks

Bob

dennisafrompa

Here's the deal. First your '01 could have been very settled, read lowered, by time and mileage.
Second there are spacers, 3 and 6 mm used in front and rear depending on how long springs are. that is designated by one of the dots on the spring. So if you got a spring that needed a 3mm but you used a six there is a 3mm height gained.
Third all specs are, as i recal +/- 8mm....so you can see a lot of wiggle room.

That being said, my '04 550 SE dropped 22mm up front with ROW springs (I used 3mm spacers when 6 was called for) and only 8mm rear.

Did you actually measure befor and after?? 5 or so mm would hardly be noticed.

Bob O

Thanks Dennis. Neither of us thought to measure before installation. He just installed what I took to him and I assumed (damm there's that word again) that a significant observable drop would happen. We're both just going on what it looks like. You're right, 5mm would be virtually unnoticable. I don't know what spacers he used. I wasn't aware there were spacers or that there might be options. I'll ask him next week. I guess you're saying that if all tolerances were at the extreme end of things, and he used the 6 mm vs 3 mm spacers, the drop might be significantly less than expected. Not exactly what I was hoping for.

Thanks for the info.

Bob

dennisafrompa

...one other thing. you may not have gotten the drop you wanted, but how does the car handle with M030?? You should notice that the car is so much more settled, i.e. when cornering and hitting a bump or rise in the road, the car is NOT upset as maybe before.

I find a very significant dif. I've installed M030 on 2 of my other Boxsters, after purchase, a base '99 and '02. My 550 SE came with the sport chassis, but I added ROW springs for the height.
Would not have a car w/o..as I AX and DE frequently. I find the comfort factor just fine.

I'm 65 and my wife is 60, we travel often an long in the 986 (cross country to San Diego and Portland and back to PA) no complaints. This winter we'll go to Palm Desert,

Bob O

I haven't had the chance, since I just picked it up last night, to drive it that much. BUT... so far... it seems great. Not that much difference in ride quality, certainly not uncomfortable at all, and it does seem more planted. Definitely a noticible difference. I'll be taking it to Boxstoberfest this week and a DE at Heartland Park in Topeka in October, where we'll really find out what a difference it makes. Oh.. and I'm 56!

Bob

blinkwatt

Wait and give it a couple of weeks to settle.

I swore that my ride height was actually higher the first couple of hours I had it,I almost lost it,I HATED the look. I calmed down,waited a couple of days and it lowered to were I like it. The front lowered around(not exactly) 20mm in front and 10mm in the rear,just how I was told it would.

I can now take some long freeway ramps at triple digit speeds!
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Charlie C

Dennis,
How come your post count is so low. Did you change screen names or something? I remember reading your posts back in '04 when we both got our 550 Boxsters.

Bob O

The mech doesn't think it will settle any more... I guess we'll see. I've put 100 miles or so on it since the install Friday. Brings up a question though.. if it DOES settle more, significantly more, should I get it realigned? I hate to think of completely ruining a new set of rubber on the way to Freidricksburg next weekend due to additional settling.

insite

they take a long time to settle to proper ride height (sometimes over a month). if you want to settle it sooner, raise the car with a drive-on lift so the wheels are loaded w/ weight. loosen and re-tighten each lower control arm bolt. the issue is that when you tighten the bolts while the car is raised, the bushings actually hold the car at raised height.

of course, it's also possible that they gave you the U.S. M030 springs, which do NOT lower the car...

Bob O

Thanks. I guess I'll just wait a while and see what hapens. I haven't heard back yet from Suncoast, but, based on past experience with them, I'm doubting that I got the wrong parts

Bob

mjw930

Since the springs are new you can check the color codes on them to see which springs you got. The ones you want are Bold

Front:

986.343.531.11 504 RoW030 97-02 coil spring set - red/yellow
986.343.531.12 504 USA030 97-02 coil spring set marked red/white

Rear:

986.333.531.11 504 RoW030 97-02 coil sprg set 5 speed - red/red
986.333.531.12 504 RoW030 97-02 coil sprg set tiptronic - red/yellow
986.333.531.13 504 USA030 97-02 coil sprg set 5 speed - red/brown
986.333.531.14 504 USA030 97-02 coil sprg set tiptronic - red/white

Bob O

Yes.. I was talking to the mechanic today. He was equally confused about the lack of drop in the suspension, and didn't believe it would drop any more than it already has, which is mimimal at best. Sooooo, he did some research and called me this afternoon. WELLL..... the colors on my springs according to him, and I haven't confirmed yet, are BLUE/YELLOW, in the front at least. Also according to him, this is the Euro Standard version of the springs. The Euro Sport version (ie M030) colors are as you indicated.... red/yellow. I will be confirming his memory tomorrow by looking at the springs. Then, if they are actually blue/yelow, I think another call to Suncoast is in order.

dennisafrompa

Well that's interesting....Euro standard ride height though is 10mm lower than US ride height. Euro rear ride height is the same as US.

...but the most important part of this whole deal is the sport suspension, which is the really the big deal.
This does not sound good for Suncoast. i would wonder why they have a Euro standard in their stock, for a 10mm front difference?? Sounds like a slip up that put you in the middle.

JohnVitamvas

I had the opposite problem with Suncoast! I wanted the US 030 springs and they sent me the RoW 030 springs. Really frustrating. They eventually fixed the situation, but it was still a huge hassle.

Bob O

STOP THE PRESSES: I just had a chance to look at the springs. Red/yellow in front, Red/Red in rear! M030 colors! What the heck is going on?? BLUE??? there's no blue anywhere on them!

I appologize to Suncoast for anything I said that might indicate they screwed up. I think the next call is to the mechanic rather than Suncoast, except to appologize to them in person.

Still not much drop in suspension though. Production tolerances? I guess I'll just wait and see.

OH...the alignment was done immediately after installation. IF (big if) I do eventually get the drop I'm looking for, I assume another alignment is called for...correct???

Thanks for all your comments and sorry for the confusion. I feel like such an idiot for not checking first!

Bob