Boxster Shocks

Posted on February 17, 2011 by porschedoc

With nearly 100k miles on the clock, it was time to replace the shocks and struts in this 2.7L Boxster. The obvious choice for replacement comes from Bilstein, so I got them ordered up, and was able to get the job knocked out. I have never really enjoyed doing the rears on the boxster, as the design of the mid engine and multi link rear suspension makes it a lot more involved then it should be, lol. The big kicker is that the strut slides into the wheel carrier (like the front of all boxster/996/997), but with the multilink rear, it is not easy to get the carrier out. On the 996/997’s, the rear strut is held by a single lower bolt, versus a slide in, which is much easier to remove.

When you are doing the job, make sure to check the condition of ball joints and tie rods as you go.

Up on the lift

Starting to tear the front strut down. The carrier is essentially the same on all 996/997/Boxsters, with the exception of the awd models, which throws the axle into the mix. Hard to see in this picture, but you’ll notice in the next picture we have a leaking brake line that will need to be replaced as well.

Strut out of the carrier. Magic.

And the old grungy strut out of the car. Yes, I know, I need to redo the floor this spring!

And as fast as it came out, the new strut assembly goes in. No need for spring compressors on the boxsters, when diassembling the strut, there are not under much pressure. You will have to lean/sit on them a little to compress the spring enough to get the nut started on reassembly though.

After repeating on the passenger side, it was time for the rears….ugh.

Top nuts are found between the trunk and convertible top area.

Can you tell this is a daily driver in all weather!

Starting diassembly. Disconnect the rear toe link, the front thrust arm, the axle, sensors, and lower crossmember. Then the secret is to drop the control arm out of the carrier and not even mess with the ball joint. This will make manuevering the carrier out of the car much easier for strut removal.

New strut in place and it is off to alignment.

About porschedoc

The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it. Ok, for those that can't figure it out, that is actually not my profile, but that of Dr. Evil's profile from Austin Powers. Though chestnuts are indeed lazy, you can't argue with that.
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