Suspension Re-do
 

Re-doing the suspension is at the top of the project list, and after a couple days of reading threads on the PP BBS, I'm at an information overload stage right now :shock: . Basically, I'm going to rip everything out and replace what I can - bushings, ball joints, torsion bars, shocks, etc. The big question is the torsion bar and strut replacement. The only thing the PP guys seem to agree on is that no one agrees on the same set up! Options are:

21/27 TBs
22/28 TBs
21/28 TBs
22/31 TBs

Bilstien HDs all around
Bilstien Sports all around
Bilstein HD front/sport rear
Konis all around

So far, 16 different combinations!

What I want to know is this - what have you guys that actually did suspension updates use? How do you like it? How is it on the road? On the track? What would you do differently? For reference, my car is a heavy a** 85 Carrera used mainly for "agressive street" and hopefully the occasional DE. It is not my daily driver, but I'd rather not loose every filling in my head while driving. Plans are to stick with the stock sway bars for now.

Chris, I just replaced all the suspension bushings, shocks, and t-bars in Lu's car. My choices were based on 95% street, 5% DE usage. I went with hollow 21mm t-bars up front, 26mm (Turbo) t-bars in back. For shocks, I have new HDs up front and Sports in back. I have stock 15mm sway bars front and back. Finally, the bushings are rubber (rear t-bars) or street hardness poly (elsewhere). I'm not quite back on the street with this car, but will be shortly, at which time I'll let you know how it turned out.

I have 23mm torsion bars up front, 29mm in the rear, Bilstein Sports all around, Sway Away adj. spring plates with Neatrix bushings, Weltmeister poly trailing arm bushings. You are gonna just love doing this job. :?

sample the lot
 

Chris,
I think everybody in this group has a different set-up. I have 22 and 28mm t-bars, Weltmiester Neatrix bushings, Bilstien HD's, turbo tie rods, Weltmiester strut brace and lowered al to hell. I would see if you could drive as many different set-ups as you can before making any decisions. You are welcome to take mine out for a spin (oops wrong word) I mean drive, when I get back into town.

Ted

Chris:

Give Mackpipes car a try as he has an '85 Carrera and he just redid his suspension. I'm sure he'll chime in here at some point. :D

Having "ridden" in and driven many a modified 911 it "seems" to me that the 22 / 28 TB and HDs front, Sports rear with 22mm adj Front / Back looks to be the setup that most people are happy with for Street / track. The biggest mistake I have seen (felt) is going to stiff with the front TB and not stiff enough in the rear TB (e.g. 23+ and 27- respectivley).

Having said all that, I've only changed bushings, springplates and shocks (Koni adjustables) on my '76 Targa. Car is to soft for serious track "anything" but nice and compliant on the street. [read: wife will still ride in it and can handle the potholes, crappy Arlington roads :) ] Mind you, I am also running a 60 series profile tire.

Jason

Looks like he did "chime in." :D

Jason

Chris,

I have 22/28's hollow T-bars. Bilstein HD's in the front, Sports in the rear. This setup was suggested by Steve Weiner as a good 80/20 street/track combo. Remember, the shock valving needs to be matched to the springs (t-bars) and Steve said that the HD and Sports in this combo are pretty much a perfect match for their respective t-bars. Still need to source some 86 Carrera rear sway bars as they are a little bigger and will fit around my 915.

Other items:

Front:

TT Rod Kit w/ the cheap bump steer kit
New Street hardness poly A-arm bushings (fitted grease nipple)
New Ball Joints
New sway bar bushings
Clean and regrease the steering rack

Rear:

New Neatrix spring plate bushings
New rear Banana arm bushings
New sway bar bushings

If I were to do it again, I'd probably look a little bit harder at the adjustable Koni's, as you can 'dial' them in softer/street, stiffer/track.

Don't ask how I like this setup though...... :oops:

Speaking of koni's has anyone refurbished their own or had theirs sent out for rebuilding? I'm pretty sure I've got koni adjustables but they're really worn. I'd like to keep the koni's but also keep my costs down since my engine rebuild is killing me already. I know Jamie looked into it but I never heard anything definite on it. Idea's for a inexpensive suspension rebuild?

Tim from down south.

Tim,

I know Steve @ Rennsport will re-valve Bilsteins, don't know about Koni's though. Might try giving him a call.

You could also try calling Koni and see if they offer this service in house or could recommend someone.

Tim:

Koni will rebuild same as Bilstein, Boge, Sachs, FK, T.C. Klein, JRZ, etc... As Charlie mentioned, finding the contact is the problem / challenge. Work with a tuner shop and doors will "magically" open.

On the other hand, my experience with Bilsteins versus Konis is that the Bilsteins need to be rebuilt before the Konis do. I have Koni Adjustables on two cars and had Bilsteins on a third before switching back to Boge / Sachs the OEM supplier. (one of the Bilsteins blew out and Bilstein didn't offer a shorter piston shock in HD or Sport for my vehicle which was lowered = not enough travel).

Ran Bilstein custom valved in RSR struts on one car before converting to JRZ (holland). Even these triple adjustable remotes (JRZ) need to get revalved for track purposes to accomodate spring rate, corner weight, driver preference, etc... Still sorting out after 7 months (should say experimenting)

Look for an article in either Excellence or Grassroots Motorsports in the past few months with the ERP guys developing a fully adjutable shock in the $750 per corner range. (Pretty sure they were using Fox shocks: who make one hell of a competitive shock for the motorcycle racing community). The article describes either an SC or Carerra running 3 or 4 setups at Willow Springs track and one of the drivers being a professional (Johannes VanOverbeek I think).

Good luck,

Jason