968 M030 Option

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The 968 M030 option was a suspension & brake upgrade package available when purchasing a 968 new. It did not include a limited slip differential (LSD), which was option 220. However, most M030 equipped 968 cars also had the (220) LSD fitted as well. The M030 option was not available on the 968 Cabriolet as Porsche thought it lacked sufficient structural rigidity.

The 968 M030 brakes and some of the suspension components were also shared with the following cars:

• 1988 944 Turbo S (one-year only model)

• 1989–1991 944 Turbo (this model was not available in the US after 1989)

• 1989–1991 944 S2 fitted with the M030 option

The biggest differences between a 968 M030 setup and the cars listed above are:

• To increase the 968's rear spring rate, a coil spring was added to a special rear-shock (instead of using larger torsion bars).

• The 968 M030 sway bars were larger than those available for the cars above.

Since the 968 M030 parts are still available (in 2003) from Porsche, it is a popular upgrade to older 944, 944 Turbo (951) and base-suspension 968 cars.

Below is a list of the 968 M030 components. You should be able to bolt these on as a direct upgrade for the following cars:

• 1987–1988 944 Turbo (951) with base suspension

• 1989–1991 944 S2 with base suspension

• 1992–1995 968 with base suspension

Other 924, 944 and 944 Turbo models will need additional parts.

968 M030 Suspension Components

• Front Struts And Springs

• Front Sway Bar

• Front Castor Mounts (only for 944 and 951 running 17” wheels)

• Rear Shocks And Springs

• Rear Sway Bar

• Rear Torsion Bars (only for 944 and 951)

• Wheels

968 M030 Brake Components

• Front Steering Knuckles (Spindles) And Hubs

• Front Brakes

• Front Brake Lines

• Rear Brakes

• Rear Brake Lines

Please Note: There are many special one-time-use parts (e.g. rear axle-nut) that need to be replaced when installing any suspension or brake components. For the correct installation procedures, please consult with a trained mechanic with knowledge of the 944/951/968 series of cars. Serious injury or death may occur if the correct installation steps are not taken.

968 M030 Suspension Components

Front Struts And Springs

If you install M030 struts, you must also install M030 springs as non-M030 springs will not fit the M030 struts. This modification needs to be paired with updates to the rear shocks and springs at the same time.

Front Sway Bar

Installing just the front and rear 968 M030 sway bars alone is a very popular upgrade. For best balance, the 968 M030 front and rear sway bars should be paired together.

Front Castor Mounts

Only required for 944 and 951 cars as the base 968 already has these parts. These parts are required by Porsche when fitting 17” wheels to the 944/951 (see PCNA Technical Bulletin, Number 9303, 1993-September-28).

Rear Shocks And Springs

This modification needs to be paired with updates to the front struts and springs.

Rear Sway Bar

Installing just the front and rear 968 M030 sway bars alone is a very popular upgrade. For best balance, the 986 M030 front and rear sway bars should be paired together.

Rear Torsion Bars

A base 968 uses 25.5-mm rear torsion bars, which were also used on the '88-'89 944 Turbo S and the 944 S2 with M030 suspension. If you are upgrading any other version of a 944, you will need to update the torsion bars to the 25.5-mm size.

Wheels

The 968 M030 option had 17” wheels. In 1992-1993, the wheels were the Cup 1 style. In 1994, the wheels changed to Cup 2 style.

17” wheels could be fitted to a 968 independently of the M030 package – so having 17” wheels does not mean a 968 is equipped with the M030 package.

968 M030 Brake Components

Front Steering Knuckles (Spindles) And Hubs

Tom Pultz explains the reasons for updating the front knuckles (spindles) and hubs: “Different knuckles are required because the S4 caliper attaches using a radial mount as opposed to the axial mount for the standard caliper. Different hubs are used to accommodate the 4 mm increased thickness of the M030 rotor. The M030 parts also provide about 3 mm more clearance between the rotor and tie rod end when running the thicker (32 mm) rotors.”

You can install the M030 front brakes or even larger systems (e.g. 'Big-Reds' from the 911 Turbo or 'Big-Blacks' from the 928 GTS) without these knuckles and hubs by using adaptors available from many suppliers. However, there is very little clearance between the larger rotors and the tie-rod ends when you use the adaptors and some folks are concerned about heat stress on the tie-rod ends.

Front Brakes

The 968 M030 brakes come from the 928 S4 and are often called 'S4' brakes. They are not 'Big-Blacks' as those even larger brakes come from the 928 GTS.

Front Brake Lines

Rear Brakes

The 968 M030 brakes are the same size as the base 968 brakes. The difference is that the M030 rotors are cross-drilled and the pads are different.

Rear Brake Lines

There are no M030 specific parts in the 968's rear brake lines. However, some hoses should be replaced during an upgrade.