997/987 One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve your car's handling is the installation of a Rennline strut tower brace. These braces bridge both shock towers, eliminating virtually all camber change that occurs during hard cornering. 2006 Cayman S RWD Porsche 987 L R CROSS MEMBER STRUT BARS 0 2024 512. $90.00 View Details. Porsche 987 Cayman Strut Shock Absorber Suspension Spring Vibration Damper Coil. Manufactured By Porsche. $120.00 View Details. Find Porsche Cayman Strut Bars.
Need to buy parts for this project?The Porsche Boxsters are well known for their agility and superb performance in handling. However, because of the design of the chassis, there exists a weakness in the handling of the cars. The front shock towers are not well supported in the Boxster chassis: they are somewhat isolated and unsupported.
As a result, the towers can bend and flex under heavy cornering. This flexing can cause detrimental changes in the handling of your car, because in general, the stiffer the chassis, the better the handling of the car. Camber strut braces are designed to maintain the distance between the shocks under heavy cornering.
A bar linking the top of the shock towers insures that the towers do not bend when the chassis is flexing.Well, that's what the marketers say when selling these bars. The strut bars are yet another controversial product that many people feel the need to install on their cars. On some cars, the early Porsche 911s for example, the installation of the strut bar is an important chassis stiffening device. Because of their rear engine design, the front chassis can be decidedly weak, particularly when rust has started to affect the chassis stiffness. But the Boxster mid-engined chassis is different: it's supported by a much more rigid frame, which includes a very strong sheet metal structure that runs the width of the car. Included in this are two welded strut braces that can be seen in.Which strut bars are most effective?
First of all, I have little faith in the strut bars that are manufactured out of aluminum. Aluminum is not a very strong metal: you can often bend aluminum pipes with your hands. Add to that the fact that most of the strut bars must have some type of angle in them in order to fit neatly around the engine and under the hood: there's no straight shot across the engine bay. This combination creates a very weak support when you think of the forces you're trying to counteract. In my opinion, the aluminum strut braces are merely window dressing for the engine compartment.I'm also not fond of bars with hinges built-in to the strut mounts.
If they move at all, the shock towers are likely to see movement that would place the strut brace in both compression and tension. This means that a stiff connection between the strut towers is vital to proper operation of any strut bar. Any time you place a fastener in the assembly, you will introduce backlash and slop in at least one direction (compression or tension). This results in the bar becoming ineffective in at least one direction (compression or tension).The best strut tower braces are the one-piece units manufactured out of thick steel pipe welded together. These will offer the best protection against any chassis flex when installed between the two strut towers. Unfortunately, I can't say that I've seen one installed in a Boxster that I actually thought would provide additional stiffness.I also find it surprising that if you ask die hard racers who drive their Boxster cars on the track, most of them don't run with a strut brace, and can't even feel the difference even when pulling some significant side loads (1.4G) out of the corners. For dedicated track cars, the strut towers are often reinforced with steel pipe that is welded diagonally across the front trunk compartment.
Another problem I see is that the Boxster already has reinforcement bars bolted from the shock towers to the chassis. These already provide a tremendous amount of structural support for the towers.The bottom line? If you believe that a strut bar will do you some benefit, or you are looking to spruce up your engine compartment, then adding one to your car is a relatively simply task: simply bolt it on top of your strut towers. If your goal is increased performance, then I would probably spend your money elsewhere. Figure 2I included this photo of an E30 BMW M3 to illustrate what I feel a good strut brace should look like. Although not as attractive, the brace shown in this photo is probably one of the most effective I've seen.
It's a thick, large diameter steel pipe that directly reinforces the shock towers, and requires significant forces to deflect and bend. Despite the fact that there are two rather large angles in the brace, the strength of the steel pipe should more than compensate for the reduced rigidity.
![987 Strut Bar 987 Strut Bar](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125410777/644748989.jpg)
These are the types of bars that I recommend if you're going to be installing one in your car. Unfortunately, the lack of room in the Boxster's front trunk make the installation of this style somewhat prohibitive. Comments and Suggestions:The Radium KingComments: the research i have done indicates that the front bar is there to stop the top of the front stut towers front spreading apart; in that case a hollow alu tube is more than adequate i.e., better in in tension than compression.September 15, 2012Followup from the Pelican Staff: Thanks for the input on this one. We appreciate the help. Nick at Pelican PartsHenryComments: Does the the installation or removal of the cross brace require an alignment?February 29, 2012Followup from the Pelican Staff: No, it should change the alignment angles. Nick at Pelican PartsthstoneComments: The writer for the rear suspension Pedro Bar upgrade says that the rear bar is:'Manufactured from strong and lightweight 6061 aluminum, the bar reduces rear lower suspension flex, allowing for static camber settings to be maintained through sharp turns and cornering.' Interesting that an aluminum bar for the front shock towers is consider weak but one for the rear suspension is considered strong.Which is correct?December 3, 2010Followup from the Pelican Staff: The bar that I talk about in the front is hollow, which is weaker.
Also, the mounting points in the front are off at angles, which makes any installation of a bar mostly useless in my opinion. In contrast, this rear bar is sold, stiff, and firmly mounted across the bottom cage / plate. The rear suspension drop points here hang out in space (as opposed to the firmly mounted shock towers in the front), and are lacking support. The sheet metal plate under the car acts to keep the lower suspension points stiff - this bar assists in that role.
I do recommend it, much more than a front-mounted bar. Thanks for the question, it's a good one! - Wayne at Pelican Parts. Got more questions? Join us in our and ask a question to one of our many automotive experts.Or, see what other about this article.Applies to: 1997 Boxster, 1998Boxster, 1999 Boxster, 2000 Boxster, 2001 Boxster, 2002 Boxster, 2003Boxster, 2004 Boxster, 2005 Boxster, 2006 Boxster, 2007 Boxster, 2008Boxster, 1999 Carrera, 1999 996, 2000 Carrera, 2000 996, 2001 Carrera,2001 996, 2002 Carrera, 2002 996, 2003 Carrera, 2003 996, 2004 Carrera,2004 996, 2005 Carrera, 2005 997, 2006 Carrera, 2006 997, 2007 Carrera,2007 996, 2008 Carrera, 2008 997. This site was designed and produced solely by Pelican Parts.
Pelican Parts is not associated with Porsche Cars North America in any manner, except for a mutual appreciation and love of the cars. All pictures and references to the Porsche name, and the car names and shapes are for restoration reference only, and do not imply any association with Porsche. Pelican Parts is not responsible for any typographical errors contained within the site. Information and technical articles within this website are for reference only. Consult authorized factory manuals when performing repair procedures. By entering this site, you agree to hold Pelican Parts free from any liability arising out of the use of any information contained within.
Need to buy parts for this project?There are lots of bushings and joints on the Boxster suspension that can wear and become loose after many miles of driving. If your car's steering wheel vibrates when traveling on the highway, then there are most likely components in your front suspension that need replacement. In general, I recommend replacing every wearable part in the suspension every 80-100K miles. This will assure you a crisp, firm-handling ride. There are four main components that need attention when you overhaul your front suspension: control arms, ball joints, sway bar bushings, and tie rods. On the Boxster, the rear suspension is a very similar, yet simpler version of the front: replacement procedures are almost identical. The PelicanParts.com online catalog has complete replacement kits with everything you need for your overhaul, making the job of acquiring the parts substantially easier.Tie rods: One of the most common parts to replace are the tie rods.
These rods have two universal joints on each end and control the angular position of each front wheel when the car is steered. If the tie rod's joints are worn, then precise steering is impossible, and the car will also have wobbly front wheels and a possible alignment problem.
Sometimes vibrations in the steering wheel can be caused by worn out tie-rods too.Replacement of the tie rod is relatively simple: if you have the proper tools. Each tie rod is attached to the wheel bearing carrier with a beveled fit. This means that the tie rod is securely pressed into the spindle arm, and cannot be removed without a special tool.
The best tool for removal is an angled pitchfork tool, called a pickle fork that is designed specifically for this task. Do not attempt to hit the top of the rod end with a large hammer, as this will only serve to bend or damage your strut. Place the pickle fork tool in-between the strut and the rod end and then hit the tool repeatedly with a large hammer. The wedge in the pickle fork tool will drive the rod end out of the arm. You may have to hit the pickle fork tool quite a few times before the rod end will pop out of its location.Start by removing the top self-locking nut with a Torx socket wrench (Photo2).
Place the pickle fork tool in-between the spindle arm and the rod end and then hit the tool repeatedly with a large hammer. The wedge in the pitchfork tool will drive the rod end out of the arm. You may have to hit the pitchfork tool quite a few times before the rod end will pop out of its location.Once you have the outer rod ends disconnected, remove the boot clamps that attach and secure each end of the rubber boot (bellows) to the tie rod and the steering rack. You will see the exposed metal shaft of the steering rack. Make sure that you don't get any dirt or debris on the rack while you are working on it.
Now, it's time to unscrew the old tie rod from the rack. This sounds easier than it really is. The old tie rod may be quite snuggly secured to the rack, and could require significant force to remove it. There are a few specialty wrenches designed for this purpose, but I've always had good luck with channel locks and/or a plumber's wrench.Before the final install of the new tie rod, place the new one and the old one side by side on a workbench, and adjust the new tie rod so that the length from the rod end to the rack-mating surface is the same.
You want to set the two lengths of the tie rods to be equal so that you can minimize the change in alignment of the car. You will have to get the car realigned regardless, but it's good practice to get the alignment close so that you can safely drive to the alignment shop. Mark the final position of the tie rod end on the new tie rod (white paper correction fluid comes in handy here), and then remove it. Don't install the new rod end yet.Before you screw the tie rod into the rack, make sure that you spread a few drops of Loctite or Permatex Threadlocker onto the threads. After you insert the tie rod into the rack, use a pair of large vise grips or channel locks to tighten it down. There really isn't too much to grab onto with a regular wrench, and chances are you won't have the special thin wrench that is required to tighten the tie rod.
The torque specification for the tie rod to the rack is 59 ft-lbs (80 Nm).Once the tie rod is tight, then place the rubber boot over the tie rod and onto the steering rack. You will have to remove the rod end on the end of the tie rod in order to make the boot fit. Use pliers and screwdrivers to stretch the boot over each end. Once the boot is in position, install two new clamps over the two ends of the boot to secure it to the rack housing.After the boot is installed, reattach the tie rod end. Make sure that the length of the tie rod is the same as the measurement of the old one. Adjust the position of the rod end to match up with the mark that you previously made when you compared it to the original tie rod.
The torque specification for the tie rod end adjustment lock nut is 37 ft-lb (50 Nm), and the tie rod to wheel carrier torque is 56 ft-lb (75 Nm).To complete the job, install the new rod end into the front control arm. Perform the same procedure for the opposite side. The car should be taken straight to an alignment shop, as it is very easy to mess up the toe-in of the front suspension when you are replacing the tie rods. If you are planning on performing any other front suspension work that might affect the alignment, it would be advisable to do it now, since you will have to realign the car anyway.Wishbone / Control Arms: The Boxster uses two separate components to create a virtual A-arm suspension that integrates four joints: two ball joints, one center connection, and one rear rubber bushing.
Many suspension problems can be traced back to worn out control arm / wishbone ball joints or bushings. Shaking of the steering wheel at high speeds is a good indicator that the control arm / wishbone bushings are worn, the ball joints are worn, or the control arm itself has become bent.The ball joints, located at the bottom of the strut and attached to the chassis end of the control arm, help the entire assembly pivot and rotate as the control arm turns and pivots and the suspension rides up and down. Needless to say, these critical components can wear out over time, and should be replaced every 100,000 miles or so or if the front suspension is beginning to feel a little wobbly.Both ball joints are integrated into the two assemblies and are not replaceable (you must replace the entire control arm and/or wishbone). Removal of the control arm involves the following steps: disconnect the inner ball joint, and disconnect the attachment point to the wishbone (see Photos).The wishbone removal requires that you disconnect the wheel bearing carrier from the wishbone (attached with the outer ball joint), and the control arm. For the outer ball joint, the nut is easily accessible on the lower part of the strut. The ball joint is attached with a beveled fit, similar to the tie rod ends.
This means that the ball joint end is securely pressed into the spindle arm, and cannot be removed without a special tool. The best tool for removal is the angled pickle fork tool discussed previously. Installation of the new ball joint on the wishbone is easy: simply insert it into its hole and tighten down the nut on top. Follow the photo array in this project for guidance on which components need to be disconnected for replacement.Sway Bar Bushings: As Boxsters age, the tendency is to find them with worn out bushings, particularly the sway bar bushings.
The first step in replacing your bushings is to figure out if they need to be replaced. Carefully inspect them for cracking, and also check to make sure that their inner diameter hugs the sway bar tightly. If they do not appear to be worn, then simply apply a little bit of lithium grease inside the bushing.
If they are worn, then they will need to be replaced.Replacing the bushings is very easy. With the car elevated and the front wheels removed, simply disconnect the bracket that holds on the sway bar bushing (see ).
The bar and bushing together should drop down slightly if you release both sides at the same time.The new replacement bushings are split down the middle, so they should easily slide onto the bar and into the bracket (see ). Remove the old bushings, and insert the new ones, making sure that you coat the bushings with some white lithium grease on the inside.The sway bar drop links are an easy replacement too. Both the top and bottom parts of the drop link contain small ball joints that attach to the strut tower and the sway bar. Remove the nut from each of the two mini ball joints on each end of the drop link. The small ball joint may present a bit of a challenge: you may need a special thin wrench to remove the retaining nut (see ).
Installation of the new drop links involves simply bolting them into place while holding the ball joint from spinning using your thin wrench. The replacement of the rear sway bar bushings is nearly identical to the front.It's important to note that you should always use brand new factory hardware when replacing your suspension components. Most of the nuts and bolts used in the front suspension have self-locking compounds impregnated into their threads.
Reusing old hardware can result in nuts or bolts coming loose and causing a dangerous situation. Figure 4Before you install the new tie rods, you should attempt to get each one as close as possible in length to the originals (the distance between the green arrows should be the same). Place them on your bench and compare the lengths, then mark the position of the tie rod end using some white correction fluid (small white arrow). Adjust the new ones as necessary to the lengths of the old ones. This will enable you to get as close as possible to the toe-in alignment adjustment. You will still need to take the car in for an alignment, but you want to get as close as possible to minimize tire wear while you're driving to the alignment shop. Figure 5Shown here are several steps in the tie rod installation process.
A- A good tool I've found to remove tie rod ends is a plumber's wrench. I've had good luck removing the tie rod ends with this tool, especially when access to the area is tight, as it is on the Boxster. B- The new tie rods are screwed into the ends of the steering rack. Although there is a torque specification for this, it's nearly impossible to measure without the use of a special installation tool. I typically tighten it as tight as I can using the plumber's wrench. Add some Loctite or Permatex Threadlocker to the assembly as well, as shown in. C- Pre-fit the boot and clamps, and slide them onto the tie rod.
D- It's an understatement to say that the OEM clamps are a bit difficult to work with. I believe that they are meant to be used during the car's assembly when good access can be had to all areas. So instead, I typically use standard hose clamps, which I feel are better constructed and easier to install. Figure 8The drop links (green arrow) may present a challenge to remove, as the ball joint on the top of the link may spin when you try to remove the outer nut. If this happens, you will need to use a thin wrench (yellow arrow) to hold the ball joint in place while you loosen the nut. You can purchase a set of these wrenches that are specifically designed to fit into places where a normal, thick wrench will not (available in the tools section of the PelicanParts.com online catalog). They are typically about an 1/8th of an inch thick, and are a very useful tool to add to your arsenal.
Figure 10Shown here is the top view of the front suspension. Since the front shock has been removed, the assembly must be supported by the floor jack (blue arrow). The brake caliper is tied up and hung from wire on the left (purple arrow).
The tie rod is connected to the wheel carrier as shown by the orange arrow. When removing the shocks, you need to loosen the main bolt that attaches the wishbone to the chassis (yellow arrow). Don't remove it, only loosen it, as this will give you enough free play to drop the assembly down and remove the front shocks. The control arm is connected to the center of the wishbone (red arrow), and the boomerang-shaped plate shown in Photo 7 (green arrow). Finally, this photo also shows the sway bar (white), which has been disconnected from its drop links (not shown).
Figure 11This photo shows the main components of the front suspension on the Boxster. A- This is the wishbone, and supports the wheel carrier which wraps around the shock and contains the wheel bearing. B- The control arm constrains the movement of the wishbone so that it travels in a mostly up and down manner. C- The inner tie rod attaches to the steering rack and is mated with the outer tie rod (D). Changing the effective length of the tie rod assembly (C and D together) changes the toe-in alignment specification for that side of the car (see ).
D- The outer tie rod attaches to the wheel carriers and transmits steering input from the rack to the carrier. Figure 13There's a night and day difference between a new and used rack. The inset photo shows a Genuine Porsche rebuilt power steering rack and pinion assembly. If the rack wears out, then you will find that your steering will be sloppy. Also common are leaky racks that deposit power steering fluid on the floor of your garage. Be aware though: sometimes it may only be the power steering lines that are leaking and need to be replaced: not an expensive rack (green arrow: pressure line, yellow arrow, return line). Carefully check the rack and lines first, prior to spending your money on a rebuilt rack.
The most common leakage point for the rack is out the ends. If you cut open your tie rod boot, and a lot of power steering fluid starts flowing out, then chances are that the seals in the ends of your rack are worn, and it needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Unfortunately, there are no individual repair parts available for you to fix the rack yourself: it must be sent back to the manufacturer. Got more questions?
Join us in our and ask a question to one of our many automotive experts.Or, see what other about this article.Applies to: 1997 Boxster, 1998Boxster, 1999 Boxster, 2000 Boxster, 2001 Boxster, 2002 Boxster, 2003Boxster, 2004 Boxster, 2005 Boxster, 2006 Boxster, 2007 Boxster, 2008Boxster, 1999 Carrera, 1999 996, 2000 Carrera, 2000 996, 2001 Carrera,2001 996, 2002 Carrera, 2002 996, 2003 Carrera, 2003 996, 2004 Carrera,2004 996, 2005 Carrera, 2005 997, 2006 Carrera, 2006 997, 2007 Carrera,2007 996, 2008 Carrera, 2008 997. This site was designed and produced solely by Pelican Parts. Pelican Parts is not associated with Porsche Cars North America in any manner, except for a mutual appreciation and love of the cars. All pictures and references to the Porsche name, and the car names and shapes are for restoration reference only, and do not imply any association with Porsche.
Pelican Parts is not responsible for any typographical errors contained within the site. Information and technical articles within this website are for reference only. Consult authorized factory manuals when performing repair procedures. By entering this site, you agree to hold Pelican Parts free from any liability arising out of the use of any information contained within.