Not suspension advice but suspension mystery

[leesweeney]

How do I know what suspension option was fitted to my C2S?

Just had a chat with Gert at Carnewal and he said look at the option code in my service book or under the bonnet - 029 = normal suspension and shouldn't be on a 'S', 030 = the lowered 'S' suspension and 033 the optional sport suspenion (I may have got 030 and 033 the wrong way around). None of these codes appeared. Gert was a little surprised.

So he suggested I have a look at the shocks, red = the sports option (Monroes) and green = the lowered suspension as standard on the 'S' (also Monroes I think he said).

They were black! Gert said this meant they were even older than Monroes and were probably Boge? He then suggested looking for various coloured dots and by now I was losing the will to live having got the car out the garage, jacked it up, lowered it and put it back in the garage once already.

The reason it's relevant is I am about to upgrade to Bilstein's but need to know what I have got to start with.

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers

 

[AlexG]

I'm fairly certain the C2S and C4S were M033 as standard (this being the lowering option only).

Does it make any difference? I thought either M033 or M030 springs would work with the Bilstein shocks.

 

[kbooker]

Hi Lee,
I fitted HD Bilsteins and M030 springs and roll bars last year, if you need a test ride i'm 20 minutes down the M1, 07854990441.

 

[leesweeney]

Thanks all for your responses.

If the ride height's the same which as you point it is I guess it doesn't make any difference. I was keen to solve the conundrum of what I had fitted and I've deduced it must be Boges. Yes Maurice, having cleaned them they are still black.

Bilstein HD's it is.

Kevin, thanks for the offer of a ride but I'm going to take the plunge. I think you said in a post months ago you will be heading over to Harewood? If so I;ll see you there.

Cheers

 

[kbooker]

It's a decision you won't regret Lee, don't forget when the ride height is reset the car should be on a full tank of fuel, a really smart tuner will weigh you and replecate this weight in the drivers seat (plastic bar bell weights usually) i'm sure you know the corner weights, toe, camber, caster, kinematic rear toe will all need sorting too, if the geo' isn't done correctly it'll kill the car. The M033 ride height has a tolerance of +/- 10mm so in theory you could set it at M033 minus 10mm but there is a reasonable chance the new set up will "settle" over a few months which would make the car too low, making for an ill handling bump steering car, don't go too low too soon if this is the way you're thinking of going.
See you at Harewood.[]



Edited to say, apologies for the above ramblings if you knew allready!

 

[leesweeney]

All very good advice. I'm getting it done at Specialist Cars at Malton so if they don't mention all of this too me I will raise it with them.

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: leesweeney

Just had a chat with Gert at Carnewal and he said look at the option code in my service book or under the bonnet - 029 = normal suspension and shouldn't be on a 'S', 030 = the lowered 'S' suspension and 033 the optional sport suspenion (I may have got 030 and 033 the wrong way around). None of these codes appeared. Gert was a little surprised.

Lee, on the factory sticker applied to the service book page 4, the first code under section 4 will be the chassis code (ie. 033, or 030). My C2S like most others is M033.

 

[leesweeney]

ORIGINAL: ace571

Lee, on the factory sticker applied to the service book page 4, the first code under section 4 will be the chassis code (ie. 033, or 030). My C2S like most others is M033.

Yes, that's what Gert thought too but it ain't there on my car. Section 1 is the VIN number, 2 = Model No, 3 = Engine and transmission code, 4 = paint code/interior trim and 5 = optional equipment. There ain't no chassis code and the numbers 029, 030, 033, M029, M030, M033 don't appear in any section in any order.

However, as the shock absorbers are black, we have deduced they are Boges which is about as much as I know for now. Whether Boges came with M030 or M033 I do not know.

 

[Guest]

That's v odd Lee. Are you talking about the sticker on the underside of the bonnet or the one in the service book?

 

[leesweeney]

ORIGINAL: ace571

That's v odd Lee. Are you talking about the sticker on the underside of the bonnet or the one in the service book?

Both - they contain precisely the same info. Maybe Porsche altered the info they put on the label on later cars (mine is August 97) or maybe they started omitting the standard code and only put in a code if you'd gone for the optional sports suspension.
Confused yes, worried - no.

 

[38F3E1]

M033 and M030 are both the same height and are 10mm lower than standard. RS height is then a further 20mm lower.

Ian.

 

[38F3E1]

Are you sure it's 15mm ... always been quoted as 10mm to me ... happy to bow to your superior knowledge though.

 

[kennyboy]

Lee - I've seen your ride height of course and it looks M033 or M030 to me (definately not standard NB height)....can't explain the 029 in your options list though.

 

[38F3E1]

Thought the car was looking a bit nose up since being lowered to RS height. Not sure I like the slanting back look so much.

 

[38F3E1]

I'll do the same with mine. Thanks for the reference point to check against.