Lower Control Arms for Porsche 996/997/986/987
Brand : SPL Parts
- Part Number:
- SPL LCA 996 V2
The SPL Lower Control Arms (LCA 996 V2) significantly improve front or rear mechanical grip, provide greater stability under hard braking, and precise steering feel. The use of PTFE-lined, F1-fit FK USA spherical bushings eliminates OEM rubber bushing deflection and bind, allowing the suspension to freely articulate without undampened rubber spring forces, while also preventing camber loss, bumpsteer, and vague feedback that occur due to bushing deflection.
The kit enables adjustable track width, camber, and roll center for a deeper customization of the front or rear suspension geometry to better suit your driving preferences and adapt to changes in tracks, aero loading, tires, and more.
Technical
Camber Adjustment
Increase Camber for More Peak Lateral Grip
One of the biggest improvements to cornering grip you can make is adding more front negative camber. This also will significantly improve tire life by reducing heavy wear on the outer portion of the tread that occurs when there's insufficient camber angle relative to body roll.
Elongating the lower arm will add more camber without the need for adjustable camber plates or eccentric bolts that could potentially slip. However, pairing the SPL LCAs with camber plates allows you more adjustability options for inner and outer tire clearance as well as elongating the track width while retaining a specific camber angle.
Track Width Adjustment
Get More from the Inner Tire
Extending the front track width promotes a more neutral handling behavior and reduces the overall amount of weight that shifts off the inner tire and onto the heavily loaded outer. This is a big reason why Porsche has added nearly 5" (124mm) to the front track of the 911 GT3 since the 996, and nearly 3" (72mm) to the Boxster/Cayman since the 986. The SPL front lower control arm, SPL tension / traction arm, and an adjustable camber plate allows you to properly maximize front track width and set your ideal camber angle.
Roll Center Adjustment
Reduce Body Roll with Geometry not Spring Rate
Roll center is the imaginary point that the chassis rolls about during cornering. The distance between the roll center and the center of gravity (front-view, vertical) is essentially the amount of leverage the chassis has to produce roll. When you lower your Porsche the roll center drops further than the center of gravity, resulting in a larger roll moment (force). Using the roll center correction spacers to correct the angle of the front lower control arm brings the roll center back up, resulting in less body roll at the same spring rate and less tendency to understeer with fast transitions.
Benefits
- Adjustable Camber, Roll Center, and Track Width
- Lightweight: 2.86 lbs (1.30 kg) per Side (11% Lighter than OEM)
- Significantly Better Front Grip and Tire Wear
- Sharpened Turn-in and Steering Feel from Eliminating Bushing Deflection
Materials
- 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum Arms (Anodized Black)
- 6061-T6 Aluminum Spacers and 360° Clamps
- 4140 Chromoly Steel Double Adjuster (Electroless Nickel Plated)
- 304 Stainless Steel Adjustment Spacers
- 4340 Chromoly Steel Studs (Heat-treated)
- Class 10.9 Metric Hardware / SAE Grade 8 Imperial Hardware
- Ti-6Al-4V Titanium 1/4"-20 Socket Head Allen Screws (Anodized Blue)
Featured On
Eric Sutton's / Driver's Source Solo National Champion 996 Turbo
Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH)
The lower control arms are an important part of mitigating NVH. By eliminating the bushing deflection the front suspension will transmit more road noise, felt energy from bumps, and can increase tramlining in some cases. However, the reduction of bushing bind and reduced friction will improve ride quality over smoother roads and allow the shock to work more effectively over moderate bumps.
Tire choice, tire pressure, spring rates, and shock quality will have significant influence on ride quality as well. For daily driving, felt energy and noise can be reduced moderately by running a more compliant tire, either through reduced pressure (suitable for the load and tire) and/or taller or softer sidewalls, as well as optimized compression dampening on a quality shock.
Most drivers will find the NVH to be present and tolerable, similar to an OEM GT3.
Applications
FRONT & REAR (2 Sets per Vehicle)
1999 - 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera, Turbo, GT3 (996)
2005 - 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera, Turbo, GT2 / GT3 (997)
Arms can be mounted on the front or the rear of the 996 and 997
FRONT ONLY
1997 - 2004 Porsche Boxster, Boxster S (986)
2005 - 2012 Porsche Boxster, Boxster S (987)
2005 - 2012 Porsche Cayman, Cayman S (986)
ADDITIONAL FITMENT INFO
WILL THIS FIT A ...
We limit the above applications to known fitments from testing and research. If you're unsure if this is the proper part for your application, send us an email.
THIS SHOULD FIT MY CAR
Occassionally, parts will fit other vehicles not listed above. If you believe, or know, this part will fit your vehicle, send us an email and we'll work with you to confirm proper fitment.
Replaces OEM Part Number(s)
This is a list of known OEM part numbers. OEMs constantly make changes to part numbers due to part updates, suppliers, etc so this may not be a complete list.
996-341-053-19
996-341-053-05
996-341-053-06
996-341-053-07
996-341-053-14
996-341-053-16
996-341-053-17
996-341-053-18
996-341-063-00
