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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ will this front suspension work?

Posted by: xsboost90 Jan 25 2005, 06:04 AM

ok so a friend of mine has a 78 911 and recently switched the front end over to bigger spindles, torsion bars, brakes. He said he would sell me...

-torsion bars
-steel calipers
-spindles
shocks
-new rotors-hopefully w/ bearings
also has a set of aluminum calipers fairly cheap for same car....

all for under $300. BUT will this all fit on my 76 914/4 and what else do i need. I know there may be some kind of deal w/ the ball joint-anything else.

OH and im planning on doing the 930 tie rod ends, is this something i immediatly have to do if i switch front ends? Just for sake of getting it back together-ill switch them before i race or anything.

Attached image(s)

Posted by: ArtechnikA Jan 25 2005, 06:34 AM

you will need 911 A-Arms if you are using 911 torsion bars; the splines are different... you need the rear adjuster part too.

by "spindles" i am assuming you mean struts. rotors don't have bearings, but hubs do. you will need 911 struts and hubs (complete with bearings).

you'll need 5-lug wheels, at least two.

a '76 914 should have the newer style ball joints, but check for compatibility just in case.

Posted by: xsboost90 Jan 25 2005, 06:55 AM

oh right, i was thinking the rotors were one piece, so i need hubs/bearings. Ill prob keep the stock torsions till i find some arms or just put some heavier stock torsion bars in-makes sense. Does anyone know about ball joint compatibility?

Posted by: Jeroen Jan 25 2005, 08:15 AM

Like Rich mentioned, you need 911 A-arms to use 911 t-bars
IIRC, the stock 911 t-bars are 19mm, just like the 914, so that won't be an upgrade...

All said and done, I think if you need to go shopping for the missing parts (a-arms, hubs, bearings, calipers) you'll be out more expesive than if you just buy a complete 911 front end some place else...

Posted by: skline Jan 25 2005, 08:23 AM

IPB Image I got the complete front suspension from a 911 for mine and it was around $250 for everything. Then I wound up buying all new bearings, rotors, rebuilt calipers, ball joints and the turbo tie rods and put it all in. Kind of a while you are in there thing. It's not cheap but worth it in the end. Like I said before, if it is worth doing, its worth doing right and the first time.

Posted by: xsboost90 Jan 25 2005, 08:58 AM

ok, good advise. Ill have to check out what all he has, havent seen any of it yet. Im kinda hoping he has the hubs with it but...doubt it. To be continued.

Posted by: anthony Jan 25 2005, 10:23 AM

If you install 911 torsion bars then you will want to increase the spring rate at the rear as well.

Posted by: ArtechnikA Jan 25 2005, 10:43 AM

QUOTE (Jeroen @ Jan 25 2005, 09:15 AM)
IIRC, the stock 911 t-bars are 19mm, just like the 914, so that won't be an upgrade...

the part numbers are different...

a '78 911 shows 2 901.343.101.12 (L + R) diameter is not shown, it'd take a bit of research to see what size those are, and i have no references with me today.

914.6 used 914.343.101.00 (L) and 914.343.102.00 ® and were 17.9mm.
(914/4 were the same size, but different part numbers, different splines...)

as for ball joints - if your '76 914 uses a wedge-pin retainer, you're in good shape. if it for some reason uses a pinch/clamp bolt ball joint, you will be upgrading - but i think that unlikely.

oh - if you uprate to 911-size front calipers you will probably find your master cylinder inadequate if it is still the stock 17mm one -- 911's (and 914.6) used 19mm MC's - except for aluminum-caliper 911's, which used the NLA 20,5mm MC.

Posted by: Root_Werks Jan 25 2005, 11:23 AM

$300 seems like a great deal, grab it. IPB Image

Posted by: xsboost90 Jan 25 2005, 11:36 AM

good advise...

i was planning on doing the 19mm mc if i did do the 911 calipers and besides who knows what shape mine is in.

ill check out the ball joints and see what kind i have

im currently running 160lb front springs so im gonna need a 22mm front welt bar-my est- and perhaps some bigger torsions.

ANyone have any 911 front hubs fs if these dont come with them?