All versions of the Porsche Cayman are a joy to drive on back roads and trackdays. However, there is always room for improvement with any performance car, and Porsche’s 981/718 chassis is no exception. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the Cayman handle like a true sports car.
We’ve had great success with our 718 GT4 development car. Thanks to a catalogue of Suspension Secrets upgrades, it’s now setting comparable lap times to a 991 GT3 RS. As our head-to-head proved on a closed Donington Park circuit and with a professional racing driver at the wheel, the 981/718 platform has huge potential.
The great news is, we now offer suspension upgrades for the base Cayman, Cayman S, Cayman GTS and Cayman GTS 4.0. These parts (inspired by our best-selling GT4, GT4 RS and Spyder RS upgrades) address flaws in the 981/718 chassis setup and dramatically improve handling performance on the road and track.
In this blog, we’ll explain the weaknesses of Porsche’s 981/718 platform. We’ll also cover the best Cayman suspension upgrades for generating more cornering grip and stability, increasing steering response, and enhancing driver feedback.
Why the Porsche Cayman Needs Suspension Upgrades
We have set up countless Porsche cars over the years and the vast majority have relatively conservative suspension settings from the factory.
This means they’re prone to understeer – albeit at greater cornering speeds than your average hatchback. They also respond less urgently to steering inputs than expected. Braking stability could also be much improved.
As we found on our GT4, this situation is a major contributor to high and uneven tyre wear on track. It also creates a feeling that the 981 and 718 Porsche Cayman models – from the base version right up to the 500hp GT4 RS – are being held back in terms of handling performance.
Compounding this problem is the stock suspension’s lack of camber adjustment. This means it’s not possible to dial in settings that unlock the Cayman’s full potential without installing new hardware.
Thankfully, the 981/718 suspension responds incredibly well to bolt-on upgrades and geometry adjustments. Equipped with the Suspension Secrets parts described below, your Cayman will steer, grip and communicate on a completely new level to the standard car.
Front Camber Plates for Porsche Cayman 981/718
Hardcore Porsche models such as the GT4, GT4 RS, GT3 and GT3 RS offer some suspension adjustment for fine-tuning camber and toe settings, and even ride height. However, even those cars are still quite limited in terms of adjustment, and so greater handling performance is left untapped without installing upgrade parts.
As standard, the Cayman GTS/GTS 4.0 only offers up to -1.0 degrees of negative camber adjustment on the front axle, which isn’t enough to achieve effective fast road and track settings.
Camber Caster Plate Top Mounts from Suspension Secrets (pictured above) provide a much more useful -2.3 degrees of negative camber on stock road springs, and up to -3.1 degrees of negative camber when the GTS/GTS 4.0 is equipped with lowering springs.
More negative camber means more cornering grip. This is because more of the tyre surface is in contact with the road as the Cayman drives through a corner. Increased negative camber evens tyre wear during hard driving, too.
Suspension Secrets top mounts for the Cayman GTS also provide up to +2.0 degrees of positive caster angle (ride height dependent) thanks to their fixed offset design, which further improves steering feel and cornering performance.
Adjustable Rear Toe Arms for Porsche Cayman
Similar to the front axle, the Cayman’s rear axle also lacks sufficient adjustment range for dialling in more aggressive road and track settings.
Suspension Secrets Adjustable Rear Toe Arms (shown above) are the perfect partner to our front camber plates and offer much greater adjustment range than the stock parts. This means no compromises in setup are required when setting rear camber and toe angle, allowing you to achieve your ideal chassis balance.
With more negative camber applied at the rear axle, more of the tyre surface is in contact with the tarmac as the Cayman takes a corner. This translates to more grip, improved stability, and greater cornering speeds. The additional toe angle adjustment provided by our adjustable rear toe arms also enhances corner-exit traction and further boosts stability.
As well as their outboard adjusters, which make changing settings easier, our rear toe arms feature solid rose joints. Unlike the standard arms and their rubber bushings, these rose joints do not flex during fast driving. This creates a crisper sense of connection between driver and rear axle under acceleration.
Rear Camber Plates for More Cayman Rear Grip
The upgrades described above are an extremely effective first step in unlocking more handling performance from the Cayman GTS and GTS 4.0, as well as the base Cayman and Cayman S.
Should you wish to further enhance your Cayman’s chassis, we recommend keeping your focus on the rear axle. This is where even more grip, handling precision and tyre performance can be realised.
To do this, you’re going to need more rear negative camber – more than the stock -1.6 degrees of adjustment available – and that’s where our Suspension Secrets Rear Camber Plate Top Mounts come in.
The Stage 1 ‘Fast Road’ version makes up to -2.1 degrees of negative camber possible on the rear axle with stock springs, or -3.0 degrees with lowering springs (ride height dependent). Our Stage 2 ‘Track’ rear top mounts (see picture above) provide up to -2.6 degrees of negative camber using factory springs, and up to -3.5 degrees of negative camber with lowering springs (ride height dependent).
The Stage 2 camber plates are designed for serious track cars and provide a great foundation for more extreme tyre options including slicks. And thanks to their sophisticated design, our Suspension Secrets front and rear camber plates are compatible with aftermarket coilovers that use the OEM top mounts. Learn more about our Cayman camber plates here.
Porsche Cayman Lowering Springs
Purchase Cayman lowering springs
So you’ve upgraded your Cayman’s top mounts and rear toe arms. Now it’s time to perfect the ride height and lower the car’s centre of gravity.
The 981 and 718 series of Porsche Cayman, especially the lower level models, sit quite high on their stock suspension with a significant arch gap above their wheels. Not only do lowering springs reduce your Cayman’s ride height and increase kerb appeal, they improve dynamic handling performance too.
Lowering springs achieve this by moving the car’s centre of gravity closer to the ground. This change allows the Cayman to switch direction with less hesitation. Lowering springs also help to reduce body roll, which means the car pitches less under heavy braking and acceleration. This makes for an altogether more stable and confidence-inspiring driving experience.
Expect ride height drops of between 5mm and 35mm using Eibach springs, and 30mm with H&R springs. These kits are suitable for Caymans equipped with and without PASM.
Porsche Cayman Coilovers for Track Use
Aftermarket coilovers from manufacturers such as KW and Nitron have many benefits if you regularly attend trackdays and push your Cayman to the limit.
Porsche Cayman coilovers can significantly improve body control and sharpen handling response thanks to their stiffer springs. They also allow the Porsche Cayman to deal with thumps from track kerbs, dissipating impacts more effectively than stock hardware and ensuring greater tyre contact with the track surface. This means only good things for grip levels and handling consistency.
Two-way coilovers allow fine-tuning of bump and rebound settings, while three-way coilovers allow adjustment of rebound, low-speed compression and high-speed compression independently of each other. Both systems also incorporate ride height adjustment.
Porsche Cayman Bump-Steer Correction
Order Cayman Bump-Steer Tie Rod Ends
Lowering your Porsche 981/718 Cayman with aftermarket springs or coilovers is a great way to improve handling performance and reduce body roll. However, this modification can introduce bump-steer.
Bump steer occurs when the wheel’s toe angle changes as the suspension moves through its travel over bumps, kerbs and other track surface imperfections. These unintended toe changes can create unwanted steering inputs that make the car feel nervous or unsettled, particularly at high speeds.
When you lower your Cayman, the relationship between the steering tie rod and suspension arms changes. This alters the tie rod’s operating angle and can increase the amount of toe change that occurs during suspension movement, making bump steer more pronounced.
Our Suspension Secrets Adjustable Bump-Steer Tie Rod Ends eliminate this issue by allowing the tie rod angle to be corrected. Using the supplied shims, the tie rod can be repositioned to more closely match the geometry of the suspension arms, restoring proper steering kinematics.
Once installed on the front axle of your lowered Cayman, you’ll instantly notice a calmer, more predictable steering response and improved feedback through the wheel. The result is greater confidence on track, allowing you to push harder and achieve more consistent lap times.
Solid Bushes and Monoballs for Porsche Cayman
Despite appealing to driving purists, the base Cayman, Cayman S, GTS and GTS 4.0 still use soft rubber bushes in their factory suspension arms.
These factory parts prioritise comfort over handling performance and flex during fast driving, resulting in steering that feels vague as well as chassis instability during heavy braking. This problem is particularly noticeable on upgraded track cars that are generating much higher loads.
The answer to this problem is our Solid Control Arm Bushes and Lower Control Arm Inner Monoballs. Designed for use on circuits, these parts are a straight swap for the factory rubber bushes and stop all issues with flexing. They also bring yet more steering feel to the 981/718 Cayman platform.
The Last Word
As we have proven with our GT4 and many customer cars, it’s possible to unlock significantly more handling performance from the Cayman with aftermarket suspension upgrades that don’t break the bank. Teamed with a professional geometry alignment to ensure the new parts work effectively, the handling of every model – from the entry-level Cayman right up to the 4RS – will be completely transformed if you follow this step-by-step upgrade guide.
The best news is, all parts detailed above are a straight swap for the standard hardware and do not require any bodywork modifications.
Who Are These Upgrades For?
Upgrades for road use:
Front camber plates, rear toe arms & lowering springs.
Fast road and occasional trackdays:
Front camber plates, rear toe arms, rear camber plates & bump-steer correction if lowered.
Best setup for serious track use:
Camber plates, rear toe arms, coilovers, bump-steer correction, monoballs & solid bushes.
