Background:
When I purchased my 1996 993 in 1997,
it came from the factory with the standard (Non-sports) shocks with US
ride height springs. Right away without exploring too many option
I opted to have the car lowered with some Eibach sports springs.
The Eibach springs really slammed the car down lower than I expected it
to be, but still it was better than the "SUV" look of the US spring ride
height. (This particular shock
and spring combination was not a very good combination as my car with this
setup exhibited oscillation during high speed turns with dips on the road
surface. The front of the car just don't feel very secure because
the shocks were just way too soft for the spring)
In 2001 I was given an used set of factory
M030 shocks by Hank Cohn, the used M030 shocks already had over 60,000
miles on them but were still functional. I did notice a change in
ride quality according to the ambient temperature. (Cold - stiff,
warm - soft) Combined with the Eibach sports springs they were a
much better match than the previous setup. The car instantly felt
a lot more confident during high speed turns and with less body roll, since
the M030 sway bars were also installed at the same time. (Ride
height did not change)
In 2002 I replaced the worn out M030 shocks
with the Bilstein HD shocks from www.carnewal.com
and now I am even happier than before with the way my 993 handles.
The Bilstein HD shocks are definitely higher quality units compare to the
factory M030 shocks as the factory shocks tends to start ware out at around
30,000 or so miles, whereas the Bilstein offers a life time rebuild charge
of only $55 per shock. I also notice the diameter of the Bilstein
front shocks shafts were a lot beefier than the factory shocks. The
ride quality with the Bilstein HD was firm but not harsh, the shock rebound
were quicker than the factory M030 shocks.
The kit:
The kit consist of 4 shocks, each with
it's own dust shield. The front shocks unlike the factory shocks
does not require bump stops. The rear shock does require the drop
links that comes with the Bilstein HD units. The installation is
no different from the installation of the factory shocks, with the only
exception on the additional ride height adjustability on the rear shocks
compare of the factory units. Although the adjustment threads does
not offer too much height adjustment, their purpose is mainly for corner
balancing.
The ride:
The ride quality
was excellent when combined with the Eibach sports springs, I would assume
that it would be just as good with the factory ROW M030 springs or H&R
springs. But I have heard that when combined with the factory ROW
springs it somehow does not lower the car to some people's expectations.
Ride height:
Surprisingly the ride height is a little
higher with the BIlstein HD shocks compared to the factory shocks, I am
guessing it must be some design difference with the shock compression which
caused the difference. But coincidentally it worked out better with
the Eibach sports springs. In my opinion my 993's ride height
is now perfect. Hank's 993 was installed with the factory RS suspension
components and aligned and corner balanced with the exact factory recommended
RS ride height. See the below picture for comparison. Although
I didn't get a chance to measure my chassis to the ground compared to Hank's
993, but visually from the outside both car wear almost the identical ride
height.
 
Conclusion:
The BIlstein HD is definitely a system
I would recommend to anyone who is experiencing worn out factory shocks.
For the price of the upgrade it is a no brainer, of course if I had the
extra cash the next option up would be the PSS-9 with the mono ball setup.
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