Explain the 300 dollar shock to me, What the... Options

[emerygt350]

An insert for 275? What and why? Is it just rarity? Some strange one off design that no other car uses?

[mepstein]

It looks like the strut uses an early pinch bolt (large nut securing the bolt, split between the ends that secure the ball joint). If that’s correct, they are probably early 911T struts and probably Boge. Boge struts will have an embossed area halfway up the body with Boge name and part number. So long story short, if they are Boge 3” struts, Boge replacement inserts will drop right in. Easy to do at home. Jack up the side of the car, remove top nut on strut, drop the strut under the fender lip, pipe wrench to remove gland nut. Install is reverse but use a jack under the ball joint to raise the strut back into the strut retaining area on the car. Takes 15-20 minutes per side. No need to remove the entire strut from the suspension. Just be carrot the paint on the fender.

Personally, I would do the fronts and take it for a drive. You might not need the rears done. The front controls 75% of the feel of the car.

I could be wrong but the 914-4 rear sway bars were 15mm and 914-6 were 16mm. Not a significant difference in feel but if it’s a bar for a six, it’s pretty valuable compared to one for a four. At least to an owner of a real six. You can also disengage the rear bar and see if you like the ride. Using a rear bar isn’t mandatory on a 914. Some guys control the roll with just springs. Maybe a bit more understeer but it’s a common setup to just use a front. Easy enough to try it and see if it works for you.

[chmillman]

I could be wrong but the 914-4 rear sway bars were 15mm and 914-6 were 16mm. Not a significant difference in feel but if it’s a bar for a six, it’s pretty valuable compared to one for a four. At least to an owner of a real six. You can also disengage the rear bar and see if you like the ride. Using a rear bar isn’t mandatory on a 914. Some guys control the roll with just springs. Maybe a bit more understeer but it’s a common setup to just use a front. Easy enough to try it and see if it works for you.

As far as I can tel from what I have read and from the parts manual, 15 front / 16 rear was what was offered as the standard (optional) accessories for the '74's. Mine are in any case aftermarkets - my car didn't have either front or rear when I got it, so I had them put on.

You may be right about the fronts only - back in the late '70s when I had my first one in CA (also a '74) it had a front stabilizer, but no rear one.

And, OT - I wanted to add an aftermarket sway bar kit to my '57 T-Bird. The car was standard with a front ~5/8" sway bar and no rear (on a rigid rear axle), the aftermarket kit replaced the front with a 7/8" bar plus added a rear. But I could not for the life of me get the rear one mounted - it interfered with the exhaust. Someone suggested I just replace the front bar, that I wouldn't really miss the rear. They were right - the stiffer front bar really improves the handling and it doesn't really feel like it needs a rear one. OK, it handles like a boat anyway, but that's the nature of the beast.

[Superhawk996]

Someone suggested I just replace the front bar, that I wouldn't really miss the rear. They were right - the stiffer front bar really improves the handling and it doesn't really feel like it needs a rear one. OK, it handles like a boat anyway, but that's the nature of the beast.

While adding front bar stiffness will help control body roll, it will make the inherent understeer of the T-bird even worse.

Highly recommended reading if you’re going to be undertaking suspension changes.