What is the proper/preferred suspension height? (front/back) Options

[skaufmann]

I got my 72 on her feet again after 13 months on stands. My first observation is she's sagging a bit in the rear (yeah what should I expect for a 40-year old).

What I have is the rear tire sits about 1 inch into the well. In other words, looking at it broad-side about 1 inch of the top of the tire is covered by the wheel well. The front tire is opposite where there's about 1 inch of space above the tire to the wheel well. This definitely gives it a taildragger look.

How do I want it to be? Balanced so its even front and back or do I want the front a bit lower? Also, where is the best point to measure from? I haven't looked closely yet but in my head I'm thinking from the ground to somewhere on the suspension that stays with the body.

Thanks ahead of time for all your responses.

[Rand]

I like the front to be a smidge lower than the back. I usually get what I like by dropping the front adjustment until the arms are parallel with the ground.

[914_teener]

I am working on this one myself.

I am looking at Bilsteins right now, and haven't arrived as how the ride height should be. Since the shock length is critical on the Billy's I am concerned about the geometry since there is no adjust-ability.

No hijack intended. Right now my height is like the OP's. It is slightly lower in the back so I don't have an index of what the back should be.

So should you set the rear height first and then decide what the front should be?

Ooops.. edit-

I have been measuring it from the top or apex of the "wheel arch" on the fender.

[toolguy]

I've always tried to keep the rear axles with a very slight down level from the trans outward. . . I keep the front a arms about the same angle. .

[falconfp2001]

The front height depends on your tie rod linkage. When sitting, the tie rods should be level to the ground. This is the neutral position and can be adjusted at the A arms, if you can't adjust it properly then remove the adjusting bolt and re position it. After any adjustment you will need to get it re-aligned. I didn't right away and ended up wearing my tires just ever so slightly that I needed a new set to align properly.

The simplest and least expensive way to lower the front is to use Bump Steer spacers which will let you drop about a 1/2 inch. The best way is to get an adjustable bump steer kit so you can drop as you please but if you drop to much you may end up damaging your A arms as they will hit the weld just above them on the pan.The car should be slightly raked dropping about 3/4 of an inch. That's my opinion not stock specs. You can check this by using the top of the rocker panel at both ends as your guide. I left mine about a 1/4 inch higher on the drivers side as it evens out when I am the only one in the car usually.


There used to be a great web site that covered all this and explained it in detail but it is no longer up. It would have been great to archive that page in the tech article area but it is gone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[smj]

There used to be a great web site that covered all this and explained it in detail but it is no longer up. It would have been great to archive that page in the tech article area but it is gone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

If you remember the name of the site, try using Google to find the right URL. Plug that URL into the Wayback Machine and see if they have enough of the content to be worth harvesting.

[falconfp2001]

There used to be a great web site that covered all this and explained it in detail but it is no longer up. It would have been great to archive that page in the tech article area but it is gone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

If you remember the name of the site, try using Google to find the right URL. Plug that URL into the Wayback Machine and see if they have enough of the content to be worth harvesting.

The google information is this

A. Level and Rake Car - Alignment of Porsche 914
raystrax.com/ha/914/Align914_LevelAndRake.html

The site went down and I don't know if it is cached somehwhere

[nathansnathan]

It doesn't look like google cached it.
Here is a link to a ride height procedure at google books
http://books.google.com/books?id=yMJFvrORtzAC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=porsche+914+ride+height&source=bl&ots=Oe0qLSVTqo&sig=tinUcDlzMsCJY8EG2qYpNG1OmGg&hl=en&ei=fI8oTZ7fKYeasAOL_fD7Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFUQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=porsche%20914%20ride%20height&f=false ://http://books.google.com/books?id=yM...ht&f=false

[sean_v8_914]

the "rake" looks good but suspension set up is a dynamic thing. think braking, nose dive, too much weight transfer to the front, back wheels loose traction...
low is cool but too low is bad. suspension geometry goes bad. when the front arms are level to the ground what happens to camber under compression, it goes positive and bump steer gets very pronounced

so, a little "rake " if you must, but very little
low is cool but slightly higher than when teh arms are level and add spacers to your rack.
KONI owners MUST HAVE BUMP STOPS to avoid destroying the piston valve from bottoming out
stock sprung lowered cars WILL BOTTOM OUT

[skaufmann]

I'm not looking to get a lowered look therefor lowering it beyond it's design. I'm just wanting to get it looking *correct*. I guess that's what I was trying to figure out.

Sounds like I need to inspect my tie rods to see how level they are and go from there.

Would it be safe to say that it's correct to have both the front and back tires slightly in the wheel well where there's about and inch or so of the top of tire hidden?

[r_towle]

If you have a haynes manual it shows how to figure out the proper ride height for the front.
From there, I typically will measure the bottom of the rocker in the front and rear, then make the rear of the rocker about 1/4 inch higher than the front of the rocker.

I have adjustable rear perches, so in reality I set the back first, then use a tape measure and measure the rear of the rocker to ground.
I then cut a block of wood that is 1/4 inch shorter and set that under the front of the rocker.
I can then see the block while turning the front adjuster.

After I get it where I want, I align it and if required, corner balance it.

I move my ride height at least twice per year...winter and summer settings...winter is higher due to the tires and snow.

I dont corner balance it anymore...I just align it each time.

Anytime you raise or lower the car, you need to redo the alignment.

rich

[Rand]

Would it be safe to say that it's correct to have both the front and back tires slightly in the wheel well where there's about and inch or so of the top of tire hidden?

No because the front fenders have a higher arch. It would make more sense to measure from the ground to the bottom of the pan nearest the wheel. But I know that still doesn't answer your question about what that distance that should be.

Just want it to be stock? (I wouldn't go by that as I've seen differences in them, some with the front end up higher). It depends on how you use your car.

[toolguy]

Thinking back about what is really stock as far as front height, I seem to remember that when the cars came into the country, the front end was way up in the air. . It was to meet the Federal Headlight level requirement. . Almost all the dealers then lowered the front, and usually added on a 'Performance Lower and Align" charge to their dealer Invoice price. .

I had a big 'disagreement' with a well know Porsche dealership over that charge on a new '79 911 I bought. They insisted they had done the actual work, but I showed them the 'Black Factory Tar' on the front strut tops that was undisturbed from the factory as evidence no alignment had been done. . . . . . they then insisted that when the dealership lowered the front, it was still withing alignment specs and didn't require adjustment. . another of the ploys to extract every available dollar from a customer back then. .