914 race car front suspension, What can you use other than stock 3.2 Carrera? Options

[naro914]

Hi all,
I posted this on another thread I hijacked, but thought I would start a thread of it's own.

I currently run a 3.2 Carrera front and rear set up on my 914-6 race car. I'd like to get it lower, stiffer, and have better adjustability on the camber and height set ups. A few guys have suggested an RSR set up that I'd have to tear apart and rebuild. Not ideal, but an option.

the newer 911 guys have it easy and can get PSS9, JRZ, Moton, etc. and it makes a dramatic difference. What options do we have?

Anybody put coilovers on the front? If so, what and how?

thanks

[Aaron Cox]

check out smart racing products.
they can sell you either:
A ) bilstien RSR struts that support coil overs
B ) fox RSR front struts with external reservoirs.

they also offer a fox remote resevoir inverted shock for the rear.

JRZ was around for also, not sure where to buy those.

[byndbad914]

check out smart racing products.
they can sell you either:
A ) bilstien RSR struts that support coil overs
B ) fox RSR front struts with external reservoirs.

they also offer a fox remote resevoir inverted shock for the rear.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) I have the RSR fronts (yellow race version with lowered spindle from Bilstein) and checked into the Fox setup after that came out. If I didn't already have the RSRs I would use the Foxes - from the dims I got from Smart the housing is about an inch shorter (meaning you can lower an inch further than I can for the same travel) and their spindle height is adjustable. You won't gain much more than 19mm drop with your 16" wheels, but you also use the 23" diam tires on your car (I think from seeing the tires in a pics) so that keeps you lower too. In other words, put 17s or higher on with 25" tires and you can lower the spindle more inside the wheel but the car will sit higher overall due to tire diam.

Hence why I asked about your 16s before (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) I was sure those were 16x10 and 16x11 and I want the smaller diam tires for my car to lose more ride height.

Also, I would suggest making an adapter plate at the top and either making or buying some camber/caster plates for a 911 and adapt them (that is what I did). Then make the plates taller than factory height to lower the car more - put the strut nut right against the hood. I cut the factory brace off the hood in that area to squeeze it all in, but that gained over an inch of drop right there. I am condering modifying it and popping out the hood and fiberglassing some smooth bumps in the hood to cover it to get more travel back in the struts - my new local track (just moved first of the year) has a seriously rough surface coming onto the big straight and it will bottom that strut out if I fly through it.

BTW you will find that Ohlins and JRZ are big $$ so I dunno how deep your pockets are, but that was a limiting factor for me on choices - this car is supposed to be fun, not a mortgage (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Here is what I have right now - you could build similar "towers" above your stock wheelwell.



Lastly I didn't ask but it might be possible to have the Fox body cut down - I dunno if they use an insert (hence cut it down and use a shorter insert shock) or if they thread the body. I know my rear shocks are Fox and they are threaded body, so that may be a problem... but ask Smart, maybe they could order a shorter shock setup since everything else is mostly bolt on items (the ball joint pin interface is welded on tho').