Carrera 4 Suspension top mounts

[gav6869]

Hi everyone,

i have replaced the front suspension top mounts on my 2000my C4 with monoballs as the factory rubber bushes were split.

I cant stand the noise and harshness on the road and want to change back to the rubber bushes.

The car has standard suspension which i thought was the same setup as the C4S and turbo (with different damping / springs). So the question is why cant i fit the sports suspension top mounts which are cheaper? (IX73 / IX74)

The have a different part number but are they really any different?

Thanks in advance.

[Loren]

:welcome:

C2 and C4 have slightly different suspensions primarily spring and damper rates based on weight differences. C4S and Turbo (widebody cars) share the same suspension which is quite different from the C2/C4 suspension.

Porsche does not recommend lowered sport suspensions (IX74) for cars older than MY02 because the frame and supports are not reenforced as much as the later cars.

Your cars suspension will be dictated by it's weight - so coupe or cab; 6 speed or Tiptronic; and 2WD or 4WD. All factor into the spring and damper rates as well as swaybar thickness.

[gav6869]

Hi Loren,

Thanks for the reply.

Does this mean i cannot use the C4S top mounts?

I understand that there is a huge difference between the C2 and C4 but having looked at a C4S today i just cant see the difference between the C4 and C4S top mounts, except that they are £32 cheaper per pair.

Even the picture in the parts catalogue looks identical but i do realise that the images are for illustration only.

Edited November 11, 2011 by gav6869

[Loren]

Your car is a 996 version 1. They changed many things when they went to version 2 in MY2002.

They also introduced the C4S in MY2002.

Apples and oranges - your early 996 series has a different upper mount than the MY2002 and later (including the C4S). So, you can not use C4S mounts on a MY2001 or older car (according to Porsche).

Edited November 12, 2011 by Loren
corrected post

[Dharn55]

Sorry to disagree with Loren but you can't use the upper front mount from a C2 on a C4, they are quite different. the C4 has a bearing mechanism that the C2 doesn't have. So you need to match both the model year constraints and the C2 vs. C4 difference.

[Loren]

Dharn is correct - I corrected my post.

[Dharn55]

Just had to replace my upper strut mounts on my C4. The mounts are the same on the C4,C4S and Turbo in the 996 series. They seem to have changed with the 997 series, at least a different part number and a lower price but I don't know if they are compatible. Here are pictures of one of the upper mounts out of my 12 year old car.

When I put my PSS10's in about 2 yeras ago the mounts looked fine, but this one had certainly failed. I have not disassembled the other side yet but ordered each side (they are different). I had a very loud clacking sound, and now I know why. The mounts list for about $237@, got them from Sunset at $145@ in stock. I actually thought about the Tarret Engineering Monoball mounts, which just came out for the C4, but they were $499 asnd I don't track my car.

So if you are having some noice in an older car you might want to check your mounts. I could not see any problems until I actaully took the struts apart.

[samba-lee]

Hi, just pulling this topic up as I probably need new top mounts now as well.

Can anyone tell me which part of the top mount rotates (or does the damper shaft rotate) on this setup ?

Also has anyone tried or adapted an alternative top mount such as those fitted to BMWs ? I say this with some experience as I've had to make/adapt some Volvo top mounts for an old Lamborghini where the originals are NLA

thanks

Lee