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My first 997.2 - 4 Wheel Alignment Question

chunkymonkey1982

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Joined
19 Jun 2017
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111
Hi Folks, ive been lurking on the forum since mid 2017 but only now feel that i'm in the club and can post since ive just bought a 997.2 C2. Been loving the car but have some questions that I hope you guys can help with. I had a Porsche 111 check carried out on the car that flagged a few issues that I am working through sorting. One of which is replacing the rear tyres and a 4 wheel alignment.

Ive had the rear tyres changed and had booked in the wheel alignment with a well known Porsche specialist who had great reviews (centre of gravity were too expensive, and didn't trust Kwikfit etc). I took the car to them a few days ago and they recommended not doing the wheel alignment yet they said the rear control arm bushes were worn and the rear dampeners needed replacing. The thing is that I have a receipt showing that the rear shocks were replaced less then a year ago and Porsche through the 111 point check have not flagged any issues with the suspension.


What should I do? I cannot hear any knocks, handles great. Should I just take the car elsewhere for another opinion? I do love the car and am starting to wonder if I really trust others to look after it. I'm very mechanically minded (mechanical engineer) and have most tools, would I be better off just maintaining it myself? Other jobs to do include replacing condensers, spark plug change, rusted exhaust bolts, drive belt, renew heat shield bolts. Only issue is that if I maintained it, when I come to sell would people be put off that its not been maintained by Porsche or a specialist?

Cheers
 
You could ask an OPC to price match what the indie quotes or go to a good Specialist .
History and invoices are important when it comes to selling.
 
Perhaps the previous owner put the old shocks back on before selling the car :dont know:

I certainly wouldn't bother have the GEO done if a specialist is saying that other work needs doing first.

Your choice seems to be (a) get the work done and then the GEO or (b) get a second opinion from another Indy.
 
It wasn't the rear springs that were replaced leaving the dampers in situ?

If you're worried about replacing parts, Center Gravity is not the place... every tiny squeak and rattle is picked up and will be recommended for replacement! Great if you're wanting everything tight and new, less so if budget is a concern.
 
Interesting as I just had Porsche Tonbridge recommend a wheel geo after having a small sensor issue sorted. The car feels absolutely planted so I've sat it at the back of the 'monitor it' list. I'd do the same chap and get some of that list OPC flagged up completed (which are all standard niggles I might add). If you have a good OPC they'll do you a deal may chuck in 10% discount for a 'classic' :thumb:
 
So this is where the cost of CG starts not seem so expensive. They have a machine that can measure the shocks performance putting beyond doubt whether they're worn or not. It's printed out in black and white and shows whether or not it's still within factory tolerances
I took my car to a local indie and got told the same thing as you did. Turned out most of my problems were caused by a bad alignment and short a couple of PSI in the rear tyres. I also had a coffin arm replaced whilst there.
When I compared the price between CG and OPC, it worked out cheaper to use CG and I got an alignment to my needs which Porsche wouldn't do.
My 2cents
 
Ok ..

Kwick fit , halfords etc can set the geo to a standard setting , they use a Hunter system and its pretty much foolproof .. the mechanic is told via pictures which bits to move until the figures are green .

They have little knowledge of worn components and will basically do as asked .. set the geo to the the factory specs .. if that's what you want then that's fine .. i have no problem with that .

CoG are pretty much the best .. i'm not going to argue there .. they specialise in this area which will make them far better than garages like mine .. we do it old school and talk to the customer and set it by hand depending on the needs of the customer .

ref shocks .. if they are a year old then there is no way both need changing but i can't see the car or really comment other than to say why i would change shocks ..

Thats would be a leak or excessive play ... bounce test is pointless but driving the car can tell an experienced mechanic that they are worn ... again CoG have a shock test system which is going to be more reliable .

just my opinion though .
 
tom_nieto said:
It wasn't the rear springs that were replaced leaving the dampers in situ?

If you're worried about replacing parts, Center Gravity is not the place... every tiny squeak and rattle is picked up and will be recommended for replacement! Great if you're wanting everything tight and new, less so if budget is a concern.

I understand your point, but my experience of Chris at Center Gravity is that he'll say something like "the rear coffin arm is starting to delaminate. It'll be fine for around 5000 miles, or we can replace them now - what would you like?"

In other words, CG explain everything very carefully to the customer. Granted, they do not miss anything, so it can become expensive, but I wouldn't go anywhere else...........do it right, first time, is my view.
 
As above,

What's the point of having a Porsche that doesn't drive like it should.
 
:agree:

CG are not cheap but I would say that the little extra is worth it for your peace of mind! How these cars handle and feel is what they're all about and alignment/geometry its often neglected.

If the dampers are only a year old then they should still look quite fresh compared to the fronts, worth whipping a wheel off and having a look.
 
Hi All,

I'm going to get a second opinion on the rear control arm. I know CoG are the best for suspension alignment but its not a track day car and just normal alignment would do in line with OEM requirements. I just want to stop the rear tyres wearing prematurely. If someone like Kwik Fit can do it maybe I should consider them.

Will report back.
 
FZP said:
So this is where the cost of CG starts not seem so expensive. They have a machine that can measure the shocks performance putting beyond doubt whether they're worn or not. It's printed out in black and white and shows whether or not it's still within factory tolerances
I took my car to a local indie and got told the same thing as you did. Turned out most of my problems were caused by a bad alignment and short a couple of PSI in the rear tyres. I also had a coffin arm replaced whilst there.
When I compared the price between CG and OPC, it worked out cheaper to use CG and I got an alignment to my needs which Porsche wouldn't do.
My 2cents

Indeed. I was all set to replace all 4 dampers on my 115k mile 4S but CG tested them and said they were absolutely fine. Saved me well over a grand for a start.
 
How the hell is this thread 2.5 years old :dont know:
 

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