Question on front suspension changes Options

[914 Ranch]

I'm about to take the front suspension apart to replace it from the cross bar forward. While doing that I would like to change the front brakes. I'm interested in reducing the unsprung weight and the reciprocating mass. I have on hand Brembo calipers but they are for vented rotors. They do have a spacer but my question is can I remove the spacer to make fit early rotors. Also, do I have to change out the hubs to get early type rotors. I have had the calipers on the car before but they over powered the rears. This is an A/X only car and I believe that the brakes will never get hot.
I currently have everything but the rotors and shocks and I believe that my friends at PMB or Tangerine Racing have the knowledge.



All of these changes should bring the car weight down to under 1600 pounds.

[bdstone914]

I'm about to take the front suspension apart to replace it from the cross bar forward. While doing that I would like to change the front brakes. I'm interested in reducing the unsprung weight and the reciprocating mass. I have on hand Brembo calipers but they are for vented rotors. They do have a spacer but my question is can I remove the spacer to make fit early rotors. Also, do I have to change out the hubs to get early type rotors. I have had the calipers on the car before but they over powered the rears. This is an A/X only car and I believe that the brakes will never get hot.
I currently have everything but the rotors and shocks and I believe that my friends at PMB or Tangerine Racing have the knowledge.




All of these changes should bring the car weight down to under 1600 pounds.

Hi Joe,

Yes you can remove the spacers on the calipers to yse them with solid rotors. You may need shorter bolts as the original bolts are partial thread and may bottom out.
Are you running 911 struts and hubs? If so i think the 67 911 T used solid rotors.

@914 Ranch

[914werke]

So Ive always been curious about the such stated goals. The late link suspension is trick & certainly has potential for greater adjustability but overall lighter? Are the torsion bars & A-arms lighter than the coil-overs that replace them ? Their application moves the weight from the lowest point possible to above the axle center-line? The Brembo's & non vented rotor will certainly save you some weight.

[914werke]

If so i think the 67 911 T used solid rotors.

or 76 912E

[Dave_Darling]

Are the torsion bars & A-arms lighter than the coil-overs that replace them ?

Coil springs, unless you have fancy inboard ones, are half sprung weight and half unsprung. The torsion bar setup is basically all sprung weight.

The torsion bar setup also places its weight lower down than coil springs, reducing the CG.

And the shock towers in the 914 were not really designed to carry the full weight of the car all the time, just transient loads transmitted by the shocks. They apparently will start to fail after a while running coil springs, unless the are reinforced. Which adds more weight higher in the car.

In general: Stick with torsion bars unless you need bars that are too large to physically fit in the chassis.

This may be one of the exceptions, though, as these parts may be a lot lighter than stock. But the weight getting removed is almost all very very low in the car, so it may not prove as large a difference as just the weight savings might indicate.

--DD

[mepstein]

Can’t use torsion bars with that 935 style suspension.
Coil springs allow quicker, easier changes.
The strut tower reinforcements only weighs a couple ounces.
I’m certainly not a torsion bar hater but I wouldn’t hesitate to use the 935 style suspension on a car. It’s much more advanced than out rubber baby buggy suspension

[CCE]

I'm about to take the front suspension apart to replace it from the cross bar forward. While doing that I would like to change the front brakes. I'm interested in reducing the unsprung weight and the reciprocating mass. I have on hand Brembo calipers but they are for vented rotors. They do have a spacer but my question is can I remove the spacer to make fit early rotors. Also, do I have to change out the hubs to get early type rotors. I have had the calipers on the car before but they over powered the rears. This is an A/X only car and I believe that the brakes will never get hot.
I currently have everything but the rotors and shocks and I believe that my friends at PMB or Tangerine Racing have the knowledge.




All of these changes should bring the car weight down to under 1600 pounds.

Hi Joe,

Yes you can remove the spacers on the calipers to yse them with solid rotors. You may need shorter bolts as the original bolts are partial thread and may bottom out.
Are you running 911 struts and hubs? If so i think the 67 911 T used solid rotors.

@914 Ranch

Please share a picture when you install it! It will look awesome!

[914 Ranch]

@bdstone914 , Hi and Thanks Bruce. Yes I am running 911 front suspension, with -4 torsion bars and A-arms as the 911 torsion bars were to strong for a 1600 pound car. So just for basic knowledge you can run the lighter bars on 911 suspension. They work fine but it is still too much spring for 1600 pound car. So I want even less spring.
Bruce, I am looking for 3 plastic velocity stacks. I have 3 and want to run the carbs with them. Not because they are lighter (they are by 3 grams each) but because I can put a cross hatch inside them and I believe that will flow more air. Trying to get a cross hatch pattern on the metal ones doesn't work.

@914werke , Hey Rich, the only reason I'm able to do this is that Pelican is selling the parts in the picture for $3,750.00. So I jumped on it. I've always wanted it but when I bought the car back in '05 Elephant Racing wanted $9,000 for the cross bar. At that time I knew I would never be able to afford it. Keep up the good work buddy. Oh and thanks for the tip on the 912E.

@mepstein , Thanks Buddy, I have always wanted to meet you but now that we're on the same coast it might happen. Hershey is on my bucket list. Before I assemble the car I will weigh All the parts and we'll know how much weight is going in and out of the front suspension.

@CCE If you are curious my build thread is here in The Paddock.



One of the greatest pleasures I have today is working on this car...