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B8s and Cayman R springs


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I can't remember who asked but I said that I would share my thoughts once I had fitted the Cayman R springs and Bilstein B8s to my 987 2.7. So here goes...

 

First off it is worth me pointing out a few things:

1. My old springs/shocks had 100k on them and so probably aren't a great benchmark

2. At the same time as installing the shocks/springs, I changed all of the rear arms (with polybushed coffin arms to match the front)

3. I am yet to have the car properly aligned (the ramp at my local place needs new software and my backup has closed permanently due to COVID). I 'stringed' it at home and so the alignment is 'in the ballpark' but not great. I'm also running more than stock camber on the front (~-1.5/1.6)

 

Nonetheless, first impressions are that it is a very well matched setup. The damping of the B8s seems to work well with the spring rates and the car seems to handle the rutted and broken roads near me (West Oxfordshire) much more confidently. Obviously it feels stiffer but the better damping characteristics make the car feel less jarring/brittle - It's a noticeable improvement over stock.

 

I haven't got another track day until early December but I'll update my feedback after that (with the caveat that this setup is still a road car setup and so won't really be comparable to something like a set of Nitrons on the track!)

 

 

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This is a very interesting thread and I’d love to see how the car sits and how it’s ride feels, and how it handles after a proper full geo set up. 
 

id like to address the ‘bouncy’ / skittish nature on typical a Bucks / U.K. roads of my 987 S stock suspension (and lessen the 4x4 vehicle style wheel arch gap), but without compromising road manners. I do trackday it, but I don’t want an outright ‘track-rat’ car. Ohlins R&T seem like the likely route, but at £2.5k + fitting and other components refresh it becomes prohibitively expensive. And I’m not that interested in adjusting settings between road and track. 
 

Your B8s + R springs might be a good middle-ground. What did you pay for the R springs and where from please?

Edited by Windymiller
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I don't have any photos to hand but I will take a few at some point (my other car is currently blocking it). Certainly it looks lower but it doesn't look 'lowered' (if you see what I mean)

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4 minutes ago, Lennym1984 said:

I don't have any photos to hand but I will take a few at some point (my other car is currently blocking it). Certainly it looks lower but it doesn't look 'lowered' (if you see what I mean)

How many fingers can you get in now? 😯🤪

 

ie on my stock I can fit 4 in (with hand vertical) up to 2nd knuckle between arch and wheel - approx 55mm I think 🤔

 

id like about a 30-35mm gap for aesthetics. 
 

where did you spurce the R springs from - OPC?

 

 

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7 minutes ago, Windymiller said:

This is a very interesting thread and I’d love to see how the car sits and how it’s ride feels, and how it handles after a proper full geo set up. 
 

id like to address the ‘bouncy’ / skittish nature on typical a Bucks / U.K. roads of my 987 S stock suspension (and lessen the 4x4 vehicle style wheel arch gap), but without compromising road manners. I do trackday it, but I don’t want an outright ‘track-rat’ car. Ohlins R&T seem like the likely route, but at £2.5k + fitting and other components refresh it becomes prohibitively expensive. And I’m not that interested in adjusting settings between road and track. 
 

Your B8s + R springs might be a good middle-ground. What did you pay for the R springs and where from please?

 

Given that we don't live too far away you're welcome to come for a ride in it once it is setup.

 

I've probably driven it about 50 miles so far and the damping is much better. On crap roads it feels far less skittish and far less like you are bouncing over the top of the bumps (if you see what I mean). It's a noticeable and quite surprising improvement (I was sort of expecting the lower, stiffer springs to give better handling but a worse ride - I was okay with this compromise given that I do a reasonable number of track days)

 

 

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Sounds perfect and exactly what I’m after Lenny. Yes a trip over to see and ‘feel’ it once set up would be much appreciated. 
 

I really noticed the difference in skittishness whilst up in Scotland driving with a mate - we swapped cars at one point and I was quicker in his 20yr old 2.7 Bx on stock original set up than in mine because his suspension just soaked up the road imperfections whereas mine bounced me all over them 🤔🙄🤷‍♂️

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12 minutes ago, Windymiller said:

How many fingers can you get in now? 😯🤪

 

ie on my stock I can fit 4 in (with hand vertical) up to 2nd knuckle between arch and wheel - approx 55mm I think 🤔

 

id like about a 30-35mm gap for aesthetics. 
 

where did you spurce the R springs from - OPC?

 

 

On the front it is 2 fingers and on the rear about 3. I am running increased camber on the front which will also contribute to the slightly lower height.

 

I bought the springs from Eurospares who I cannot recommend enough. Their prices seem to be very similar to (if not the same as) OPC and the delivery is quick. They cost me about £430, which is obviously a little more than something like H&R or Eibach, but I figured it was worth paying for what I actually wanted rather than what I thought 'would do.'

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17 minutes ago, Windymiller said:

I really noticed the difference in skittishness whilst up in Scotland driving with a mate - we swapped cars at one point and I was quicker in his 20yr old 2.7 Bx on stock original set up than in mine because his suspension just soaked up the road imperfections whereas mine bounced me all over them 🤔🙄🤷‍♂️

 

Yeah I hear you on that one! I was explaining to somebody recently that on a poorly surfaced road, I could probably navigate it quicker in my jaguar purely due to the better damping.

 

I used to have a 2.5 986 and - as you say - on bad roads the suspension was far more compliant (on track the Cayman is in a different league though).

 

The new setup feels far more compliant. Stiff but well damped.

Edited by Lennym1984
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Quite topical for me actually.  I am looking at the Ohlins R&T however, my local indie advised me today that the B8 with new springs is a more common route to go for upgrading (on the 996).  I'm more concerned with road performance and general damping ability on the good old British roads rather than track performance. 

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Do these R springs not work with the stock dampers on a S? Lennym1984 do you have a part number for the R springs? I think the rear springs differ depending on whether you have PDK or manual. 

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I found these part numbers for specifically CR coil-springs in the 987 parts catalogue:

 

front: 987-343-531-40 (+504 for a pair ‘set’)

 

rear: 987-333-531-1M (+504 pr) or 987-333-531-96 (+504 pr). I can’t tell which one is for manual vs PDK though. 🤷‍♂️

Edited by Windymiller
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23 minutes ago, Childsy said:

Do these R springs not work with the stock dampers on a S? Lennym1984 do you have a part number for the R springs? I think the rear springs differ depending on whether you have PDK or manual. 


If you fit lowering springs, then ideally you should fit a damper with a shorter stroke.  The Bilstein B8 is basically a shorter stroke version of the B6 for that reason.  
 

They do physically fit and some have done it, cosmetically you get 20mm lower ride height but performance of the 2 combined is not Cayman R performance and is a bit experimental.  But then these things quite often are.  


 


 

 

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Here you go:

98734353140504

98733353196504

 

That's for a manual Cayman R or (so I've read) a PDK boxster Spyder (which kind of makes sense) 

Edited by Lennym1984
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2 hours ago, Beanoir™ said:


If you fit lowering springs, then ideally you should fit a damper with a shorter stroke.  The Bilstein B8 is basically a shorter stroke version of the B6 for that reason.  
 

They do physically fit and some have done it, cosmetically you get 20mm lower ride height but performance of the 2 combined is not Cayman R performance and is a bit experimental.  But then these things quite often are.  


 


 

 

Thanks for the advice 😄 I wasn’t necessarily looking for a performance upgrade as such, I was just looking to lower slightly. I think the 20mm achieved with the R springs is spot on. But I will certainly consider the B8’s. Thank you 

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C’mon then @Lennym1984 let’s see a photo or 2 - plenty of time to shuffle cars around at the wknd 😉 

 

I’m also following Beanoirs suspension change (see his thread on the Koni Special Adaptive Dampers) - between yours and his choices (albeit his is on a 996) it’ll be interesting to see & feel the different end results 🤔👍🏻

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I'll take some today. 

 

It's now been aligned and is an absolute weapon. It's definitely a lot stiffer but it feels far more composed and less unsettled on poor surfaces. 

 

The handling is fantastic and the way it changes direction is immense. I'll probably dial back the alignment in a few months but it is currently running 2.2 degrees camber up front and 1.6 on the rear. That should save the tyres on track but a) it'll probably kill them on the road and b)I'd like to redress the front to rear ratio (maybe go 1.8 on front and 1.6 on rear). 

 

I'll upload some photos once I've taken it out

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