Improve the handling of the 981 - X73

[villaman]

Hi @daz05

Just came across your video and thought id have a look on here.

I might be interested in doing this to mine but can you , or anyone, confirm if this is for cars fitted with LSD and or PASM ..or would this be a mod for a  "standard" 981 ?

Thanks for the video by the way.

[mneil]

1 hour ago, villaman said:

Hi @daz05

Just came across your video and thought id have a look on here.

I might be interested in doing this to mine but can you , or anyone, confirm if this is for cars fitted with LSD and or PASM ..or would this be a mod for a  "standard" 981 ?

Thanks for the video by the way.

The full X73 kit is for 981 without pasm; this replaced original shocks and springs (giving 20mm drop) and solid stiffer any roll bars.

As Daz has done, you can replace the current anti roll bars with solid stiffer versions and still retained your original pasm dampers and springs.

[villaman]

26 minutes ago, mneil said:

The full X73 kit is for 981 without pasm; this replaced original shocks and springs (giving 20mm drop) and solid stiffer any roll bars.

As Daz has done, you can replace the current anti roll bars with solid stiffer versions and still retained your original pasm dampers and springs.

Thank you

[daz05]

6 hours ago, villaman said:

Hi @daz05

Just came across your video and thought id have a look on here.

I might be interested in doing this to mine but can you , or anyone, confirm if this is for cars fitted with LSD and or PASM ..or would this be a mod for a  "standard" 981 ?

Thanks for the video by the way.

Thanks and glad you enjoyed it.  The rear anti roll bars fitted to the cars are almost bespoke and dependant on the spec.  A manual car is lighter than a pdk car so typically has a softer rear bar, pasm cars have stiffer shocks and springs than a standard car so again get a stiffer bar. Cars with an LSD again get thicker bars.

The stiffest on the Boxster are the X73 sports chassis bars.  There are two x73 bars available, one with an LSD and one without, in the video I tried both.

The X73 LSD bar felt great but I felt the non LSD bar suited my set up better.  I've since sold the stiffer bar to a Cayman owner with an LSD and he loves it, you can see his comments within the comments section of the video.

If you want to stiffen the rear with a standard car you can go for the X73 bar or even go for a slightly stiffer one than your own from perhaps a PASM car or car with an LSD. My recommendation to you is to try x73, let me know what you decide and I'll help you with part numbers.

[villaman]

12 hours ago, daz05 said:

 

The stiffest on the Boxster are the X73 sports chassis bars.  There are two x73 bars available, one with an LSD and one without, in the video I tried both.

The X73 LSD bar felt great but I felt the non LSD bar suited my set up better.  I've since sold the stiffer bar to a Cayman owner with an LSD and he loves it, you can see his comments within the comments section of the video.

If you want to stiffen the rear with a standard car you can go for the X73 bar or even go for a slightly stiffer one than your own from perhaps a PASM car or car with an LSD. My recommendation to you is to try x73, let me know what you decide and I'll help you with part numbers.

Thank you @daz05.

After watching the vid i think i would opt for the 14 over the stiffer 15. I don't want to radially change the set up but a small improvement would be just the ticket.

I picked up the part number from your video but I'm struggling to find a source. I typically use Design911 but they dont seem to have it. .unless of course I'm searching for the wrong part ?

If you could please point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.  

Cheers Simon

[daz05]

1 hour ago, villaman said:

Thank you @daz05.

After watching the vid i think i would opt for the 14 over the stiffer 15. I don't want to radially change the set up but a small improvement would be just the ticket.

I picked up the part number from your video but I'm struggling to find a source. I typically use Design911 but they dont seem to have it. .unless of course I'm searching for the wrong part ?

If you could please point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.  

Cheers Simon

For a very slight change you could order the bar with the same part no. But ending 12, it's a slightly thicker hollow bar not sure if you would notice the change though. 

If you have an OPC nearby drop them an email and ask them to order the bar ending 14 for you. They usually come from Germany so lead time is around 5 days or so.

The online sellers will manage to order one too I'm sure but you may need to call. I like to deal with the parts guy at the dealership.

[CliveH]

Go for it Simon 👍

[daz05]

Here is a table taken from a US magazine which documented the differences.

 

https://www.planet-9.com/threads/x73-sway-bars.98295/#lg=thread-98295&slide=0

[daz05]

Softest to stiffest (Boxster)

98133370311 - Most 981s (PASM or Standard)

98133370310 (yes 10 is stiffer than 11) Manual car and PTV

98133370312 - cars with PDK and PTV cars

98133370314 - X73

98133370315 - for X73 Cayman or X73 718 Boxster with PASM

98133370316 - X73 718 Boxster with PTV

Edited August 20, 2020 by daz05

[villaman]

1 hour ago, daz05 said:

Softest to stiffest (Boxster)

98133370311 - Most 981s (PASM or Standard)

98133370310 (yes 10 is stiffer than 11) Manual car and PTV

98133370312 - cars with PDK and PTV cars

98133370314 - X73

98133370315 - for X73 Cayman or X73 718 Boxster with PASM

98133370316 - X73 718 Boxster with PTV

Thank you. That's great info.....onto my local OPC....which I think might be Wilmslow 

[Kev73]

what about the front anti roll bar?

[Kev73]

 Interesteing topic, im intrigued with the uprated arb ,I'm new to porsche just bought a cayman 2.7 981 last week after owning 10 BMW M cars , these drive totally different, im finding the front end a bit uneasy on the front , not so much understeering but tend to skip on mid bend , its hard to explain, maybe its to do with the new goodyear eagle F1s i dont know, they were on the car when i bought it so cant judge with other tyres ,I got it from ashgood porsche,only done approx 250 miles on them so far, 150 of that was on a motorway ,anyway im looking at 4 wheel alignment  along with an uprated arb, not sure which one to go for, mines a PDK, Pasm non lsd cayman, what about the front arb too?

[daz05]

31 minutes ago, Kev73 said:

 Interesteing topic, im intrigued with the uprated arb ,I'm new to porsche just bought a cayman 2.7 981 last week after owning 10 BMW M cars , these drive totally different, im finding the front end a bit uneasy on the front , not so much understeering but tend to skip on mid bend , its hard to explain, maybe its to do with the new goodyear eagle F1s i dont know, they were on the car when i bought it so cant judge with other tyres ,I got it from ashgood porsche,only done approx 250 miles on them so far, 150 of that was on a motorway ,anyway im looking at 4 wheel alignment  along with an uprated arb, not sure which one to go for, mines a PDK, Pasm non lsd cayman, what about the front arb too?

Hi Kevin, I swapped my E92 m3 before coming over, you don't have the same weight over the front end so they can feel a little different I personally think the 981 handles on another level, the rotation around the centre is absolutely awesome. I've found little changes in the tyre pressure between front and rear are also quite noticeable. Goodyears are a bit soft also.

I recommend the rear X73 bar from Porsche. I've had two reflections so far I would like the front end to be a little stiffer to match what I'm feeling at the rear, I used to run higher tyre pressure at the rear before but think I've largely solved that feeling my equalising as per recommended spec.  The second is that the ride quality is slightly compromised on very rough surfaces I'm feeling more across my shoulders when the road is really bad.

However the overall improvement, sharpness and feel now is really nice, the car honestly feels way more eager to turn in and pull itself around when on throttle.

You could do the front too ideally but I've heard from several sources that the effort vs reward factor isn't there. One of the subscribers on the channel had tried the rear arb and was very positive about it, he went on to have the front done and fitted it at quite some expense, they have to lower the front subframe for access, and after a weekend around the nc500 reported that yes it was nice to have but that he didn't feel very much difference and that in hindsight he would have preferred to just stick to the rear.

Please leave your comments and findings on the video on YouTube as it's very useful for others.

 

 

[Kev73]

28 minutes ago, daz05 said:

Hi Kevin, I swapped my E92 m3 before coming over, you don't have the same weight over the front end so they can feel a little different I personally think the 981 handles on another level, the rotation around the centre is absolutely awesome. I've found little changes in the tyre pressure between front and rear are also quite noticeable. Goodyears are a bit soft also.

I recommend the rear X73 bar from Porsche. I've had two reflections so far I would like the front end to be a little stiffer to match what I'm feeling at the rear, I used to run higher tyre pressure at the rear before but think I've largely solved that feeling my equalising as per recommended spec.  The second is that the ride quality is slightly compromised on very rough surfaces I'm feeling more across my shoulders when the road is really bad.

However the overall improvement, sharpness and feel now is really nice, the car honestly feels way more eager to turn in and pull itself around when on throttle.

You could do the front too ideally but I've heard from several sources that the effort vs reward factor isn't there. One of the subscribers on the channel had tried the rear arb and was very positive about it, he went on to have the front done and fitted it at quite some expense, they have to lower the front subframe for access, and after a weekend around the nc500 reported that yes it was nice to have but that he didn't feel very much difference and that in hindsight he would have preferred to just stick to the rear.

Please leave your comments and findings on the video on YouTube as it's very useful for others.

 

 

Ok thanks Daz would you say from experience that this p/n 98133370315 is the one to go for ?

[daz05]

1 hour ago, Kev73 said:

Ok thanks Daz would you say from experience that this p/n 98133370315 is the one to go for ?

That is the correct part number for the Cayman with x73 yes. I would probably go for the X73 Boxster bar if you don't intend doing the front 98133370314.  That way you retain the thickness of your existing bar and you can reuse your bushes also.

 

[Kev73]

Had a play with my front camber setting earlier , set it to full neg camber(after marking the original setting) went for a blast on a road i know and love ,what a difference it made, front is much more planted now and also the tyres have scrubbed in more  and this  was in the wet too! im going to get a full alignment soon and use full neg camber like i did with my old M3's , I think its circa -2 degrees

[daz05]

19 minutes ago, Kev73 said:

Had a play with my front camber setting earlier , set it to full neg camber(after marking the original setting) went for a blast on a road i know and love ,what a difference it made, front is much more planted now and also the tyres have scrubbed in more  and this  was in the wet too! im going to get a full alignment soon and use full neg camber like i did with my old M3's , I think its circa -2 degrees

Same procedure as the m3, adjust at the strut? 

 

[temporarychicken]

I retrofitted a full X73 kit almost a year and a half ago. It came from Carnewal.

I fitted the whole lot myself on the drive. The front ARB was the most challenging bit, since it involves partially dropping the front-most section of the front subframe. It was also necessary to unbolt the steering rack from the subframe and leave that dangling above.

If you're planning to track the car, X73 is absolutely perfect. In my experience it's not possible to unleash the potential of the X73 on the road - not legally at least!

For a mainly road car that has to cope with varied road conditions, you are honestly better of with the standard suspension, or PASM. With these setups you'll actually have more traction on bumpier roads with iffy surfacing. A very rough bit of road will cause the X73 to lose it's composure and you have to slow right down.

I wouldn't want X73 on a car used for commuting or road-trip holidays for example.

Then again, if you have access to another more comfortable car, and the Boxster is a second vehicle (as is often the case here), then the X73 might not annoy you every time you encounter a poorly maintained road.

As for front camber adjustment, there's a healthy amount of negative camber to be had at the strut-top adjustment (unlike the E92 M3 where this adjustment is very small). However, adjusting this will noticeably throw your tracking out, so be prepared to re-adjust that at the same time.

 

[Patt]

1 hour ago, temporarychicken said:

I retrofitted a full X73 kit almost a year and a half ago. It came from Carnewal.

I fitted the whole lot myself on the drive. The front ARB was the most challenging bit, since it involves partially dropping the front-most section of the front subframe. It was also necessary to unbolt the steering rack from the subframe and leave that dangling above.

If you're planning to track the car, X73 is absolutely perfect. In my experience it's not possible to unleash the potential of the X73 on the road - not legally at least!

For a mainly road car that has to cope with varied road conditions, you are honestly better of with the standard suspension, or PASM. With these setups you'll actually have more traction on bumpier roads with iffy surfacing. A very rough bit of road will cause the X73 to lose it's composure and you have to slow right down.

I wouldn't want X73 on a car used for commuting or road-trip holidays for example.

Then again, if you have access to another more comfortable car, and the Boxster is a second vehicle (as is often the case here), then the X73 might not annoy you every time you encounter a poorly maintained road.

As for front camber adjustment, there's a healthy amount of negative camber to be had at the strut-top adjustment (unlike the E92 M3 where this adjustment is very small). However, adjusting this will noticeably throw your tracking out, so be prepared to re-adjust that at the same time.

 

I have very similar feedback as Chicken - front bump steers on uneven roads.  Not a lot, but enough to be annoying.

I will address the alignment when the roads dry up more and personalise it.  You can't really push on as much with winter tyres as the front usually washes out into understeer.

[daz05]

Thanks @temporarychicken and @Pattso you guys have installed the entire x73 package and not only the arbs.  I can believe with the stiffer springs and dampers installed it would impact the driveability on rough roads, even with just the bar installed at the rear you feel the difference when the going gets tough. Looks so good though. 

X73 is more feel some at lower speeds for sure.

 

 

[Patt]

I find the ride very compliant and enjoy the OEM matched feel of springs and dampers.

On Alice it has lowered it so it now sits lower than a PASM car.  Feels very much like the sports mode or PASM and slightly stiffer than the M030, although I didn't run the ARBs on my M030 style install.

Removing the wheel arch gap that was only fit for 90's Jap cars is such an eye pleasing sight.

Over all I am extremely pleased with the results and for those that like to "progress quickly" down the road, I would certainly recommend.

[Kev73]

So what cars were x73 suspension fitted too, are gts springs  the same as x73 ? 

Edited November 3, 2020 by Kev73

[Kev73]

1 hour ago, Patt said:

I find the ride very compliant and enjoy the OEM matched feel of springs and dampers.

On Alice it has lowered it so it now sits lower than a PASM car.  Feels very much like the sports mode or PASM and slightly stiffer than the M030, although I didn't run the ARBs on my M030 style install.

Removing the wheel arch gap that was only fit for 90's Jap cars is such an eye pleasing sight.

Over all I am extremely pleased with the results and for those that like to "progress quickly" down the road, I would certainly recommend.

What's springs did you fit, I'm looking to eliminate wheel arch gap on my cayman, allthough I have pasm I still feel it could do with a subtle drop, anyone had experience with eibach springs, used them several times on my past cars

[daz05]

1 hour ago, Kev73 said:

What's springs did you fit, I'm looking to eliminate wheel arch gap on my cayman, allthough I have pasm I still feel it could do with a subtle drop, anyone had experience with eibach springs, used them several times on my past cars

Fit the X73 springs they also work with pasm dampers tried and tested in the USA. I've read about it on planet 9. 

To answer your other point GTS cars don't have unique suspension set ups,x73 is an option package available for the 981 cars regardless of whether you had an S or a GTS. 👍

[mneil]

55 minutes ago, daz05 said:

Fit the X73 springs they also work with pasm dampers tried and tested in the USA. I've read about it on planet 9. 

To answer your other point GTS cars don't have unique suspension set ups,x73 is an option package available for the 981 cars regardless of whether you had an S or a GTS. 👍

Beware, I had the idea of fitting just the X73 springs first to get rid of that wheel arch gap. Gareth tried but the standard shocks are too long; the springs do not fill the gap when fully extended and so would be dangerous. Lowering springs when"relaxed" are the same length as standard springs and have a special section that will easily compress. This keeps the spring in constant contact with its housing top and bottom.

Hence I went with the complete X73 kit.

Very difficult to explain 🥴 but you need the correct shocks to fit SAFELY maybe the yanks have a more relaxed view to safety. They did elect Trump after all 😂😂