When I ordered my '18 Cayman back in 2017 I went with the standard/non-PASM suspension for a few reasons. First, the car is my daily driver and in southeastern PA we have fairly lousy roads, and also the potential for snow in the winter months so I figured I could use all the ground clearance I could get. Second, I was going with a fairly low-spec build and PASM is fairly pricey. Finally, I plan on keeping the car for a while, and wasn't sure of the added complication/longevity of electronically adjustable shocks over time.
However, I didn't have a full appreciation of how high the standard suspension is, probably since all of the images online or in auto publications feature PASM or SPASM cars. I wasn't looking to slam the car to the ground, but was looking to reduce the "trail rated" appearance somewhat. That got me looking for a set of stock PASM springs to swap on. I came across a set of take offs from a '18 Cayman GTS for really cheap. In researching lowering springs I found that the aftermarket options lowered the car far more than what I was looking for. I also saw that the aftermarket springs make no delineation between standard/PASM/SPASM, so I figured the PASM springs should swap over without any difficulty.
I typically do these sorts of things myself, but the rear strut removal didn't look like like something that would be too much fun - if you're not familiar, to get the rear struts out requires near complete disassembly of the rear suspension including removal of the axles. I decided to use a local shop that had done springs in 718s previously and quoted me a very reasonable price for the swap. They said the swap went as usual with the exception of the fact that the PASM rear springs are slightly too short for the standard rear strut pistons. (I suppose that means the aftermarket lowering springs must use some very progressive and/or dead coils to make up the length.) Out of the car, with the strut assembled the springs are unloaded. However, once installed and with the lower arms torqued under the weight of the car, the springs are still unloaded, but just barely. To be safe, I threw some cable ties around the springs to hold them to the lower spring perches and keep them in place should I somehow manage to get both rear wheels in the air for an extended period of time. With any amount of load on either rear wheel both rear springs remain firmly seated. The front PASM springs are long enough to be under load when the strut is assembled.
In terms of driving impressions, I wasn't expecting anything drastic. The difference in ride & handling is only marginally different. Sharp initial impacts feel the same as they did with the stock springs but over larger bumps you can feel the marginal increase in stiffness. The shocks seem to have no difficulty handling the stiffer/lower springs, which isn't surprising given what is a very slight degree of lowering and likely a marginal increase in stiffness. Overall it feels slightly stiffer, but nothing drastic.
I didn't take any before/after pictures since it looks exactly like a PASM suspended car now, losing the "too-tall" look that I felt the car had previously. For a relatively low outlay (I paid less than $800 all in, including having the car re-aligned after the spring install) swapping to PASM springs does seem to be a viable option for folks with standard suspension cars looking to get to PASM height. I realize most folks looking to lower their cars will want something more substantial than -10mm, but for my daily driver that sees four season use the PASM springs seem like a good compromise in terms of usability, performance, and appearance.
However, I didn't have a full appreciation of how high the standard suspension is, probably since all of the images online or in auto publications feature PASM or SPASM cars. I wasn't looking to slam the car to the ground, but was looking to reduce the "trail rated" appearance somewhat. That got me looking for a set of stock PASM springs to swap on. I came across a set of take offs from a '18 Cayman GTS for really cheap. In researching lowering springs I found that the aftermarket options lowered the car far more than what I was looking for. I also saw that the aftermarket springs make no delineation between standard/PASM/SPASM, so I figured the PASM springs should swap over without any difficulty.
I typically do these sorts of things myself, but the rear strut removal didn't look like like something that would be too much fun - if you're not familiar, to get the rear struts out requires near complete disassembly of the rear suspension including removal of the axles. I decided to use a local shop that had done springs in 718s previously and quoted me a very reasonable price for the swap. They said the swap went as usual with the exception of the fact that the PASM rear springs are slightly too short for the standard rear strut pistons. (I suppose that means the aftermarket lowering springs must use some very progressive and/or dead coils to make up the length.) Out of the car, with the strut assembled the springs are unloaded. However, once installed and with the lower arms torqued under the weight of the car, the springs are still unloaded, but just barely. To be safe, I threw some cable ties around the springs to hold them to the lower spring perches and keep them in place should I somehow manage to get both rear wheels in the air for an extended period of time. With any amount of load on either rear wheel both rear springs remain firmly seated. The front PASM springs are long enough to be under load when the strut is assembled.
In terms of driving impressions, I wasn't expecting anything drastic. The difference in ride & handling is only marginally different. Sharp initial impacts feel the same as they did with the stock springs but over larger bumps you can feel the marginal increase in stiffness. The shocks seem to have no difficulty handling the stiffer/lower springs, which isn't surprising given what is a very slight degree of lowering and likely a marginal increase in stiffness. Overall it feels slightly stiffer, but nothing drastic.
I didn't take any before/after pictures since it looks exactly like a PASM suspended car now, losing the "too-tall" look that I felt the car had previously. For a relatively low outlay (I paid less than $800 all in, including having the car re-aligned after the spring install) swapping to PASM springs does seem to be a viable option for folks with standard suspension cars looking to get to PASM height. I realize most folks looking to lower their cars will want something more substantial than -10mm, but for my daily driver that sees four season use the PASM springs seem like a good compromise in terms of usability, performance, and appearance.
