I need new shocks, Koni or Bilsteins? Options

[aufaber]

Rusty,

I don't know how you can find ANYTHING on that web page...wow, someone needs to help them out...
If someone finds the link post it here.

thanks,
sean

http://www.columbiacoatings.com/chicago_electric.htm

-Aaron G>

[Lawrence]

Yeah, they probably need some help with their HTML, but I've read good review on other sites about their products and service.

Also, their powder is significantly less than Eastwood.

-Rusty

[DNHunt]

Need some suggestions. This is my driveway. Everyone seems to think the 914 was a fore runner of the Boxster. I think it preceeded the Cayenne. Seriously, its time for shocks (no surprise I'm sure). I'd like to get a little more performance than what's in it now. I've driven Geoff's car with stiffer torsion bars, front sway bar, 180s and I'm not sure what shocks. I think I could handle it on the street but I don't know about getting it up my hill.

Am I CRAZY?

Dave

[ChrisReale]

No, you are not crazy, just Autocross-ism-ized. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mueba.gif)

If you dont plan on AX, do 140 rears and the Koni's

[Aaron Cox]

pardon my ignorance, :gilloutine: , but i need to do my whole front susp.
i just did the rear w/ bilstein sports/140 ln welts, . what size t-bars should i go with? and how much of a price difference is there between the koni yellows and the bilsteins? do i really need adjustability? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[DNHunt]

If the Koni sports are on full soft how harsh will it be going slowly over a gravel road with places where big rocks stick up a couple inches. I know spring rates, torsion bars, sway bar and tires are going to be a big imput too. But can I have a suspension that will be nimble enough for AX and comfortable to get up my driveway.

Dave

[Lawrence]

Aaron,

Best prices I could find:

Full set of Koni Yellow Sports ~600, plus shipping. Paragon.

Bilstein set (HD or Sport) ~465, including shipping. Performance Motor Parts.

-Rusty

[Aaron Cox]

to me, that is a grip of money! i work as a lifegaurd during the summer, and helping my uncle restore cars. i already need some tbars, a sway bar (have access to a stock one) and shocls...i want to do a five lug conversion and all eventually. but my struts are shot! i think for the sake of cost ill go with the bilsteins....

also...i have 140 is in the rear, so what size Torsion BARs should i use up front? 19mm or 21mm? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mellow.gif)

[Lawrence]

Aaron, hold a sec.

If you plan on doing the upgrade to 5-lug, you might just want to look for a early 911 suspension complete, and save the money on front shocks and t-bars.

Why buy everything twice?

-Rusty

[Aaron Cox]

well, as of last summer...i did a complete 4 corner brake job. (new discs, and a new right rear caliper (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) ) so, i would hate to have to repack bearings and stuff again on perfectly good rotors. and a 911 fr. susp costs a lot of money. here are my costs to do a front susp and a 911 susp.

914 fr. susp
*new koni's or biltseins 480 - 600
*new tors. bars 289 - 300

911 fr. susp.
*complete bolt in unit 500? 600?
*need new shocks? ?
*need new Tors. bars? ?
* 5 lug fuchs 500 +/- trade of 4 lug fuchs
*re studding rear rotors ?
or new axles and stubs

[ChrisReale]

My Koni yellows were $165 each=$330
Torsion bars were $200.

[ChrisReale]

If the Koni sports are on full soft how harsh will it be going slowly over a gravel road with places where big rocks stick up a couple inches. I know spring rates, torsion bars, sway bar and tires are going to be a big imput too. But can I have a suspension that will be nimble enough for AX and comfortable to get up my driveway.

Dave

Drive my car at rhe next AX, I have Yellows, 22mm torsion bars, and 180lb springs and a 22mm Sway bar.

Still have street tires tho (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Lawrence]

Well.. the choice is yours, of course. But you can run 5 lugs on the front and 4s on the rear... do the project step by step.

I'm cheap. I hate buying parts twice. Recovering investment, on even almost-new parts, sucks.

Maybe you can pick up some shocks on the classifieds or eBay.

[DNHunt]

Chris,

Can an old guy put up with the ride (I know Geoff is almost as old as me and he can)? Please give me some suggestions. I certainly wouldn't trust my suspension on the AX track. Got to feel confident that the rubber will meet the road before I trust my driving.

Dave

[ChrisReale]

I guess it depends what you want to do with the car. "I" think my ride is stiff, but it is not jarring. I dont have a sore back from driving it. I had originally planned on 140's for the rear, but I went for a ride in Geoffs car, and decided I liked 180's. Everyone makes them out to be harsh as hell, and it really isnt. If you want a sporty car that is fun, Id probably get 21mm front bars and 140 rears and a 19mm sway bar. Street Weltmeister bushings. Koni Yellows. That way, its competitive in AX suspension-wise, but more streetable for taking the wife to dinner without hearing an earful of complaints on how hard the car rides (so far, my girlfriend has said nothing about my ride quality, so that might be something to consider)

The Koni Yellows I got by chance also. Paragon was out of the reds, so I got the yellows. Im glad I did. Again, they are stiffer, but they are nice shocks, and I usually just leave them on full soft. It is nice to be able to adjust them by twisting the knob rather than doing it by taking the wheel off, unbolting the shock, turning it, then putting everything back together.

My ride is exactly the same as Geoffs, with the exception of my Yellows.

[ChrisReale]

Chris,

Can an old guy put up with the ride (I know Geoff is almost as old as me and he can)? Please give me some suggestions. I certainly wouldn't trust my suspension on the AX track. Got to feel confident that the rubber will meet the road before I trust my driving.

Dave

Yes you can! Might be grounds to get one of those Renegade seats....!

[Mueller]

This is for comparing Koni Reds to Koni Yellows (I think the Reds are no longer made for 914's)

Koni- Red vs Yellow

Has anyone run any of the off the shelf 914 shocks (Bilstien or Konis or KYB's or???) on a Shock Dynamometer to measure compression and rebound rates?

[Bleyseng]

Chris,

Can an old guy put up with the ride (I know Geoff is almost as old as me and he can)? Please give me some suggestions. I certainly wouldn't trust my suspension on the AX track. Got to feel confident that the rubber will meet the road before I trust my driving.

Dave

When these cars were new the suspensions were pretty tight. The rubber was new etc...
Change the 30 year old crap out to bring the car back to firm. If you are going for a more spirited type feel the 21mm tbars, and sway plus 180's in the rear are really the way to modernize the way the car handles. Remember, tires have come a loong way from the old 165 x 15 radials they came with. Is it too stiff,hmm only on the really beat parts of the Seattle roads, once out on the highway its very smooth and the control you feel is incredible.
Ok, Dave, I am almost 51 so how old are you? I don't think you are too old to really step up and enjoy what the car can really do including AXing it.
My girlfriend likes the way the car handles except on the really bad roads and she does drive pretty fast too.
If you want you can drive my car at the fun runs at the next AX. Just to get the feel.

Geoff

[DNHunt]

(so far, my girlfriend has said nothing about my ride quality, so that might be something to consider)

Hate to tell ya gilfiends don't complain much. Wives?

Still she doesn't ride in it much. the kids do and they love it. In fact thats my salvation, it's a nice kid dad thing so she has to put up with it within reason. When it looks like its a dad for dad thing I get some heat but as long as the kids are interested I'm on safe ground. It helps that the people I have met have been very encouraging to my son. So, thanks

I'm kind of hoping that Gerry might get interested in AX then I might be able to justify some new parts. In seriousness, I would spend money and time to build a car that is safe and at least somewhat competitive if Gerry is willing to race on the track and not on the street. I know that when I was young I did some really dumb things and I was just lucky I didn't hurt anyone. I haven't looked at it very close yet but I'm hoping PCA has some sort of driver's ed that encourages kid's to race like hell on the track but keep it under control on the street. If that's the case I'm all for new suspension, engine mods and whatever, mores the better if we can do it together.

Dave

[Bleyseng]

That was my reasoning with Blair also, to do the dad/son thing. I try to keep him from racing/driving crazy on the street and save it for the track. When we started AXing, David Said spent lots of time talking and riding along with Blair, teaching him the lines, how to be smooth. I never did get a ride along instructors and it shows since Blair drives pretty damn good now.
The girlfriend loves the top off drives as its are special thing to go for a drive.
My ex would have never accepted the car, so she's gone. But Monique recognizes that this is my hobby and passion, just like Brad's, or Mueller wife so I get time to do it.
Doing something like this with your son it well worth it, maybe Dad Roberts can chime in here!!! Blair has learned to take care of a car, pull engines, trannies, install turbos, and drive safely. He was in a serious car accident in January where a friend was driving and hit a stopped car. Blair swears he could have avoided the stopped car because of his experience AXing and NOT PANICING when something goes wrong. Driving skills are learned with lots of practice not out of a book.

Go with the Konis and the set up like Chris R says, you love it.
Geoff

G