The Perfect Lowered Porsche 944 (Guide)
Lowering your ride is one of the coolest things you can do to your Porsche 944. While it isn’t revolutionary to drop your Porsche’s ride height, it is certainly not all that common.
We’re going to walk you through the basics of lowering your Porsche, what it means, and why you might do it. As well as why you might not want to do it.
We will also, of course, give some basic instructions on how to actually go about lowering your ride height. And, for your sake, we have also included a cost breakdown to help you decide whether or not a lowered Porsche 944 is on the cards for you in the first place. Let’s dive right into it together.
Highlights
- The benefits of a lowered Porsche 944 include improved handling, reduced tail happiness, better aerodynamics, and enhanced traction.
- Drawbacks include reduced ground clearance, a firmer suspension leading to a less comfortable ride, potential insurance cost increases, and potentially lower resale value.
- Lowering is achieved by changing the suspension, by either using springs or coilovers to allow for easier ride height adjustment.
- Costs for lowering a Porsche 944 vary but can range from a few hundred dollars for springs to several thousand dollars for a complete coilover suspension kit.
What Do We Mean By Lowering A Porsche 944?
When we talk about lowering a Porsche 944, or any car for that matter, we are generally talking about lowering the car’s suspension. Which, ultimately, lowers the ride height.
While it is true that lowering your ride height is mostly for aesthetic reasons, there are a few mechanical benefits that can be gained by slightly reducing your ride height.
Generally, the lower your Porsche 944 is, the less pronounced the benefits will likely be. The next two sections will cover the benefits and drawbacks of lowering your Porsche 944.
What Are The Benefits Of A Lowered Porsche 944?
There are a few benefits (other than looking cool) to lowering your Porsche 944. Firstly, lowering your Porsche 944’s height will also lower its center of gravity. This can improve handling, especially around corners, and reduces any tail happiness your car might enjoy.
When done right, lowering your Porsche 944 will also improve its aerodynamics. A “smaller” car should have less wind resistance, right? It’s actually because the smaller the gap between the bottom of the car and the ground, the less undercar-air flow there will be.
Simply put, there will be less drag. To a lesser degree, a lowered Porsche will also handle better because traction improves due to a slightly reduced weight transfer (this is very similar to the first point about a lowered center of gravity).
Lastly, a lowered Porsche 944 done with coilovers, will generally be an upgrade to the springs and dampers within the coilover. This will reduce body roll and improve how well the suspension will react to the road.
What Are The Drawbacks Of A Lowered Porsche 944?
We always give the pros and cons of just about anything we write about. And lowering your ride height is no different. Firstly, the lower your ride, the less ground clearance you have. Speed bumps? Watch out. Needing to mount (or dismount) a curb? Good luck with that.
Of course, lowering your ride height doesn’t need to be a dramatic difference in height. But you should be aware that the greater you deviate from the “normal” ride height, the less likely you are to have suitable ground clearance.
You will also find that by lowering your suspension, your suspension can feel much harder, and therefore, your ride will be a little less comfortable. This of course, depends on the spring/coilover option you go with, the more expensive and well-regarded brands like KW or Bilstien will usually have stiffness settings, allowing you to choose how hard the suspension is, meaning you can set it to a softer, more comfortable setting than stock, while making it more compliant with the road.
You might also find that your insurance costs will increase with modifications and sometimes, as you’re varying from stock, even if it is an improvement, potential buyers may not see this as a good thing.
Benefits & Drawbacks Of A Lowered Porsche 944
Below is a table that quickly summarizes all of the benefits and drawbacks that we’ve talked about so far.
| Aspect | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Handling | – Improved handling, especially in corners | – Reduced ground clearance |
| – Lowered center of gravity | – Difficulty with speed bumps and curbs | |
| – Reduced tail happiness | – Potential for a harder suspension feel | |
| – Reduced body roll | – Limited ride comfort with some setups | |
| Aerodynamics | – Improved aerodynamics | |
| – Reduced wind resistance | ||
| – Less undercar-air flow | ||
| Traction | – Better traction due to reduced weight transfer | |
| – Improved traction as underbody will suction to road at higher speeds | ||
| Other | – Upgraded suspension components (coilovers) | – Potential decreased resale value |
| – Increased insurance costs |
How To Lower My Porsche 944
If you want a lowered Porsche 944, the first thing you will want to do is change your suspension. While it is sometimes possible to lower your suspension as is, that is rarely the case with stock springs. We’d never recommend skimping on costs and cutting your springs, this is completely unsafe.
You can rarely lower the ride height enough with stock suspension to achieve the looks and handling that most people desire. On the other hand, if you already have (or choose to upgrade to) coilovers, you can actually adjust the ride height more easily by changing how compact the springs are within the coilover.
While it is certainly possible to do this yourself, it’s a bit of a difficult DIY job and takes some knowledge to get it done right.
It can be very dangerous because if you release the tension in the springs in your hands, you could let the spring loose and cause some damage if it hits you in the face. Contacting a professional to do the job for you is often better. And they’ll do it more quickly too.
Can I Hire Someone Else To Lower My Porsche 944?
You certainly can, and if you have the funds to do so, we would strongly encourage it. Professionals have access to a spring compressor, which allows them to safely and easily separate the suspension springs from the spring cap or coilover.
If you try to do it without one, you either will fail completely to release it (best case scenario), or the springs will “spring” out at an insane velocity. Imagine those prank cans of peanut brittle that would spring paper/plastic snakes out.
But imagine the snakes were made of sharp metal and propelled by gunpowder. More dangerous, right?
That’s what we are talking about with springs, spring caps, and coilovers. Again, we can’t tell you what to do. But if you don’t know how to change suspension coils, it is better to let a pro handle it.
How Much Does It Cost To Lower A Porsche 944?
It is going to vary depending on where you are in the world and what you want to do. As well as which new suspension kit you decide to go for. If all you need is a new set of springs, then you can probably get away with spending just a few hundred bucks in parts and a half again in labor.
If you decide to spring for a new coilover kit that’s capable of being lowered to the level you want while giving you the best performance, you could expect to spend up to $5,000 in parts and labor combined. You might also need struts and mounts that can cost another few hundred bucks.
This can be a little more complex, and the cost can start to run away from you. But you do get more flexibility.
Verdict On Lowering A 944
So, regardless whether you’re lowering a left or right hand drive 944, now you know what it takes to lower your Porsche 944, as well as all of the benefits of having a lowered Porsche 944 and the drawbacks.
It really is a matter of personal preference. There is certainly no one reason that is so overwhelmingly beneficial to your driving experience that makes lowering a must. You can swap to a coilover kit and retain the same ride height but see a massive improvement in handling performance.
However, if you like the look of it and would enjoy improved handling (especially on track days), then why not go for it? It’s a bit of fun, and your lowered Porsche 944 will definitely turn some heads.
