PASM and lowering - springs only and which?

[D.J.]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for a 987.2 Cayman in Europe and depending on the answers, I'll be buying a PASM or non-PASM car. I already decided if I get non-PASM I'll be retrofitting the Cayman R full OEM suspension. The car will be mostly fast road and trackdays a few times a year.

 

That said, there are still some questions regarding PASM-equipped cars. I like the adjustability but I will want to lower it the ~20mm to get the Cayman R height. The question now is, are springs enough or does it need damper replacement as well? Some say only springs are fine (but they need to be linear) because PASM adapts. Others say, full replacement is required if you want it done properly and have the right balance on road and track.

 

What do you recommend? If only springs are enough, which are good? I read that Cayman R springs would be a good fit for PASM as well.

 

Thank you!

Edited April 23, 2021 by D.J.

[zcacogp]

Personal advice? Find the right car and drive it for a while. Don't decide what you are going to do with it before you have even purchased it. 

 

Bear in mind that the PASM-equipped cars are lower than the standard ones anyway and that can cause problems. My 987.1 with PASM and 18inch wheels was miserable on speedbumps in London as it scraped on them regardless of how slowly you went. I can't imagine how much worse it would have been if any lower. 

[D.J.]

Yeah, a test drive is out of the question. There’s three cars on sale

in whole of Europe right now, all thousands of kms away.  

 

I decided for non-PASM since the car is mostly used for fun and I think R will be better suited. 

[Masher]

I sent a 997GTS to RPM Technik with the same challenge - to lower with PASM. They recommended just lowering springs (same dampers). The PASM coped perfectly well and the cars handling was improved but you have to accept the suspension becomes less supple as a result of the shorter spring travel.

[Craiglm68]

A few of use on here have done similar, Eibach or H&R springs are popular, PASM copes just just fine, as said the ride will be firmer. Thereafter you're down the path of coilovers etc