Lowering 911susp.
 

While the weather may be decent now, it will soon not be the greatest for any vehicle to be on the road. When that happens I am planning on doing some basic maintenance/upgrades to my car. One of the things I am doing is installing some turbo tie rods that Shelly got me for Christmas and I thought @ the same time I would drop down the front and rear suspension on my car. Nothing drastic, but I really like the aggressive look of a slightly lowered 911. So I thought that would be the most appropriate time to perform that mod. It looks like it is fairly simple procedure to perform according to 101 Projects for 911. My question is: Since I am already going to be doing this, what kind of things can I do that may make this a little simpler, and should I follow the advise of the 101 Project for 911 and install a Bump Steer Kit to raise the steering rack and keep it @ the proper elevation?

Mike

Michael:

If you are only slighty lowering the car you won't need a bump steer kit. My car measures 24 3/4 in the rear and 25 1/4 in the front, and I don't have any problems.

Lowering the car changes the steering geometry so install the tie rods, do your lowering and then get the alignment.

Not sure what you mean "make it simpler" You have factory adjustable spring plates so you can lower the rear about 1/4" to 1/2" depending on where the adjuster is. Breaking the adjuster nut and the set nut loose is a chore. If you can't get the rear as low as you want then the spring plates will have to come off and re-indexed. I think I posted something in the reference materials about lowering the car if you aren't going to change torsion bars.

If you need some help let me know, or have a car lowering party and you'll get lots of donut eating beer drinkers to help out. :wink:

Marc,

You did but it was referencing a 930 and I thoroughly read it. I wasn't sure if the 911 and 930 had different factory set-ups, that's why I posted. Maybe after the New Year kick off @ the dealership, I'll talk with my service manager to let me use one of the lifts for a few hours and we can do a little experimentation (no my car is not a guniea pig) on my 911 suspension set-up. Thanks!!

Mike

I had forgotten that I was helping Roberto, but the 930 is the same as the 911.

None of our cars are guina pigs in the begining . . . . . just kinda turns out that way.

Let me know. You can always call me if you want. I'll shoot you a PM with the number.

Marc

Marc,

You are the man!! Thanks for your offer of help.

I'm sure it won't be a problem getting a lift to use, plus the techs that work for me already told me I can use there tools (nice when they know where their bread is buttered). I'll call you tomorrow and let you.

Mike

Mike, there is some useful information in these threads on lowering the 911. Let me know if you need a hand.
http://www.dorkiphus.com/porsche/viewtopic.php?t=1618
http://www.dorkiphus.com/porsche/viewtopic.php?t=1118

Mike, careful with your footing on that slope, there...

The whole process is really quite easy, esp if you've done it or seen it done before. If you're going to have to reindex your rear torsion bars (I have no idea what your height is now or what you'd like it to be), you might consider replacing the spring plate bushings if they are shot. Let me know when you're doing it, I'd be glad to stop by help.

Marc mentioned the beer, right? :wink:

Pari

Thanks for sending me that, the pictures will come in handy when I do this. As I told Marc, I think I'm going to do this in 2 phases. I'm pretty
confident that I can do the tie rod upgrade without troubling anyone. The lowering project on the other hand I may have to have a get together for simply because I have never seen it done so I'm not comfortable with doing without having help.

Chris

The answer to your question for my car's ride height is as follows:

From the floor to the top center of each wheel well the measurements are:

L/F 26 1/4" R/F 26 1/2"

L/R 25 1/4" R/R 25 1/2"


From the middle of each center cap to the top center of each wheel well the measurements are:

L/F 14 1/2" R/F 14 1/2"

L/R 14" R/R 14"

The gap between the top of each tire and the top center of each wheel well is 2 1/2" in front on both sides and 1 3/4" in the rear on both sides.

Ideally I would like to decrease the front by 1-1 1/2" and the rear by 1/2-3/4" in ride height.
I don't know if this matters but cold tire pressure readings were @ 30 psi on all 4 tires so I know my side wall heights should be equal. I'm not sure what to think about the 1/4" difference in the left & right side. The steering does not pull or even drift for that matter.

Yes, someone did mention something about beer!!

Mike

Mike:

What size are the wheels and tires on the car?

Also, how much fuel was in the tank? This affects the front ride height a good bit, esp with a stock suspension. Commonly accepted 911 lore is that 25.5 front/25 rear is "Euro" height (slightly less, actually). Some on this board (Mackpipes) run considerably lower, but do so with stiffer suspensions. I run 25.25 front/24.74 rear and like it a lot. At Euro height or slightly below you won't have an issue with rubbing if you are running OEM wheels (6s and 8s for your year).

Having someone around who's done it beofre is a good idea, mainly for the rears. With the amount of lowering you want, you'll have to reindex the rears. Its not the most obvious process, so having guidance helps. Hey - Charlie didn't win "Dorki of the Year" for nothing, you know :wink:.