Installing Bilstein's DampTronic Suspension Kit On Our 981 Cayman

With the 981 Cayman and Boxster still being relatively new, there are scant options as far as replacement suspension kits go, especially for vehicles equipped with Porsche’s PASM system (Porsche Active Suspension Management), which gives the car electronically controlled, continuously adjusting shock damping.

Bilstein answered the call with the recent US release of their PSS line for the 981 Cayman and Boxster in the form of their popular PSS10 and DampTronic (for vehicles with PASM) coilover systems.

As it turns out, the removal of stock suspension and subsequent installation of an aftermarket suspension setup on the 981 is a bit more difficult and time consuming compared to a “traditional” coilover installation process, where you usually have to just take off a few bolts, take out the old suspension, put in the new suspension, and then bolt it all back together.

This write-up is intended to merely be our observations and thoughts of the installation process of Bilstein’s 981 DampTronic system into our 2014 Cayman S, and not a be-all end-all installation guide. We won’t be giving any specific bolt sizes or torque specs, on the off chance that something is different on your vehicle. At the time of this writing, the 981 DampTronic kit did not come with "proper" English installation instructions (it amounted to essentially "installation is opposite of removal"), nor did Bilstein USA have English installation instructions available. Hopefully we can give you enough information to help you successfully installing Bilstein’s into your 981.

Interested in ordering a Bilstein PSS10 or DampTronic kit for your 981? You can order them here, or contact us at 1-888-978-9899 for more information.

So with that said, here’s the usual disclaimer:

This article is being provided for general educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for any manufacturer’s operation or installation manual.