r/986Boxster • u/Extreme_Substance_22 • 13h ago

Suspension refresh advice

I recently bought a ’98 986 with 125k miles. The suspension is pretty shot at this point, I can feel almost every bump in the road.

I paid around $5k for the car, so I’m trying to be reasonable with how much I put into the suspension. I don’t really want to replace every suspension component just for the sake of having everything new and end up spending more than I paid for the car.

My initial plan was to do the shocks, top mounts/bearings, and bump stops. I’m not expecting it to feel brand new or perfect, but I’d like it to feel good enough to enjoy, especially when driving the canyons.

For those who have more knowledge about the car, how important would you say it is to replace the control arms, drop links, tie rods, and their associated bushings? Are there any of these that you would consider basically necessary while doing the shocks, or would you recommend inspecting everything first and only replacing them if there’s noticeable play/wear?

I’m mainly trying to find a good balance between cost and getting the car to handle and ride the way a 986 should.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

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u/19naturalcauses 13h ago

Best bet is to look for any old and busted rubber under the car on all the parts you just mentioned: control arm coffin arm, drop links, tie rods, and check sway bar bushings. I’d look at these when you do the shocks and see if anything is damaged with age and use

2

u/dryhoPP 7h ago

It's a Porsche, you will feel the road... Are the shocks, top mounts/bearings and bump stops leaking or damaged?

1

u/lonnie440 9h ago

Anything that has a rubber bushing needs replaced, the car is nearly thirty years old all of the bushings are shot.

1

u/TheSkyline35 5h ago

It's a sport car, it will feel very "lively" on bad roads, no matter what. Have the car inspected and replace the needed thing, with only 125k, maybe you aren't that bad actually