Slipstream May 2021

Do It Yourself: X73 Suspension Install, Part 2
by Matt Wilson, Coffee Meets Co-chair
photos by Matt Wilson
As a quick recap, I was in the middle of installing
the X73 Sport suspension kit on my 981 Cayman S.
Last month we left off at the point where we had just
lowered the front subframe and removed the front
swaybar out toward the front.
When putting the front end back together the
process is the reverse of removal.
According to the service manual,
it’s important to use new sub-frame
bolts as they are TTY (torque to
yield) with a specific torque setting
with an additional 90 or 180 degree
turn. I also replaced the three 13mm
nuts for the top of the struts mounts
and tried to tighten them in the same
spots as when removed. (These will
get adjusted later when the alignment
gets completed.) All of the needed
bolts are included in the kit.
The rear is pretty much similar to
the front in that you first disconnect
all the electrical bits (pad wear
sensor, wheel speed sensor, and
parking brake servo). Next remove
the caliper, toe drop arm, diagonal
arm from the lower control arm, and
the lower control arm from the subframe. Finally, use
the M9 triple square bit to loosen the axle from the
transmission flange.
You do have to remove a bit of the rear hatch interior
side trim in order to access the 3 upper strut nuts.. two
pieces of trim pull out from each side. Be sure to find
the little clips and plastic cones that may fall off the
trim panel so you can put them back on before you put
the trim back in place. I think these are to help prevent
squeaks when rubbing together. Just like the front, the
whole wheel carrier assembly comes out together and
at this point is where you swap in the new struts. The
rear sway bar is easypeasy
to swap out at
this point; just remove
the two brackets and
be sure to use new
bushings (these come
with the kit.) One
cautionary note: Don’t
use an impact wrench
on the rear eccentric
suspension bolts like
I did – use hand tools
only. I had to replace
one of bolts that got a
bit banged up from my
aggressive approach to
remove it.
Like the front,
installation is the
reverse of removal. The
rear took much less
time than the fronts.
After all this
suspension work, it is
imperative to get an
alignment. I wanted a
slightly more aggressive
than stock alignment
since I was planning
on taking the car to the
track soon. I gave the
specs to my alignment
shop who has done a lot
of Porsche alignments
before. I ended up with
in the front: zero toe,
-1.5Deg camber; Rear: .1Deg toe, -2.0 Camber.
On the road, it feels only slightly stiffer over uneven
roads and surfaces. Ride height looks good with my
20” wheels. I have already signed up for a HPDE day in
a month, so I’m looking forward to how she performs!
Happy wrenching!
The eccentric bolt in the rear suspension. Take the note and
use hand tools to avoid the need to replace when you button
everything back up.
12 May
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