Front Suspension, Do or Delay Options

[DennisV]

How critical is it to replace the bushings and related from suspension components on a car that has sat indoors for 20 years? Is the worst case the handling a little sloppy? Or am I looking at high risk for being stranded or in an accident?

I have been working to get our 1970 914-6 back on the road. Safely and reliably of course.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

I have very limited windows to work on the car. It is in another state. So to avoid this becoming a never ending project, I have tried not to slide into a full restoration. I have focused on:

• Engine rebuild
• Transmission rebuild
• Brake system replacement
• Fuel system replacement

I have access to a lift where the car currently is, and the brakes are off. So I'm real tempted to do the front suspension now. That said, if everything went great that will add another few months before the car would hit the road due to the distance and how frequently I get access to the car.

[technicalninja]

If I was some distance from the car I'd take it all home with me and restore the individual pieces before taking it back to the car. This will leave it stuck on the lift (or jack stands).

20-year storage will not normally waste suspension bushings.
30-year-old worn out bushings will still be worn out after 20 years of storage...

If the bushings were really only 20 years old, I'd probably try to use them (at least to get the car through the first couple of thousand miles of de-bugging).

If they were 50 I'd change them before returning to service.

Bad bushings will not create an accident. All of the 914 bushings are trapped.
They might make the car undriveable at speed but you could drive it around the neighborhood to test other parts of the car.

I'm resurrecting a 74 that has sat for 3 decades. It's showing 31K and that number is believable on this car.

Doing all the bushings in the rear before driving car. Fronts will wait till it has some mileage on it. My rear bushings looked like they would have worked fine for a bit.

Ancient rubber will deteriorate rapidly once returned to service. It will get the fronts done over this winter.

You are a 914/6 cars more valuable and your parts are older than mine (if they haven't been changed already).

I'd be more worried about wheel bearings, ball joints and tie rod ends. Those can ruin your day in a big hurry...

The rear wheel bearings on my car were wiped out. It got all new bearings, brakes. and hydraulics all the way around. Anything rubber based has been replaced regarding the brake system.

Fuel system should be completely re-built/inspected.
Take a big fire extinguisher on all of your initial test drives.
If you have the extinguisher "ready to go" you will never have a fire...

Tires are another thing that I don't trust at all over 7-8 years old.

Hope this helps.

Rick

[DennisV]

I'd be more worried about wheel bearings, ball joints and tie rod ends. Those can ruin your day in a big hurry...

Thanks for the suggestions and background.

I've already addressed front wheel bearings. New rear wheel bearings will go in as soon as my trailing arms are back from powder coat.

Anyone have experience with URO ball joints, or URO in general? They are 1/3 of the Genuine Porsche part. I'm assuming you get what you pay for.

Anyone know who is really the OEM of tie rod ends? One place says Lemfoerder. Another Febi. I guess it's possible they both are. They are less than half Genuine Porsche.