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

[SirAndy]

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

i haven't done this myself, but if your front is all 911 already anyways, any solution for older 911s should work just fine.

i know there are quite a few front coilover setups for earlier 911s ...

try to post a question on the 911 board over at pelican parts, i'm sure those guys will have some answers ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif) Andy

[DanT]

If you decide to use an actual coil over set up you will need to reinforce the top of the shock tower and the associated area. It was not originally designed for the additional up and down forces of a spring riding in that position.
You can use RSR style struts with torsion bars.
Going to a coil over set up always offers you more spring rate options than we have with torsion bars.
I believe that Chris Foley has a RSR style setup you can buy.
see here

http://www.tangerineracing.com/Suspension....%20Modification

[ConeDodger]

Another possible option is one of the pioneers of coilover setups... An active racer and neighbor just to my East, Jay Morris at Ground Control may have a set up or if you catch him in the right mood...

[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.

[stownsen914]

Hey Bob -- We used to attend NNJR PCA DE days together a few years ago when I was building my 914 track car. I believe you had a blue 914 2.2L? If your avatar is any clue, I see you've progressed from the car that you were driving back then.

The suggestions above are good ones. If you have any interest in fabricating (or having it done by someone like CFR fabrication, aka Tangerine Racing), it is possible to modify stock 911 or 914 struts to reinforce them, raises the spindles to correct suspension geometry due to lowering, and add a coilover kit like the one that Carrera offers. Such a modified strut can bolt right onto an otherwise stock front suspension, if that's what you plan to do. As for the front A-arms, you can add ERP's solution, custom fabbed A arms (probably are others too) later if desired.

Have fun!

Scott

[sww914]

This guy might have some options for you.
He lives near me, his dad's a 356 guru.
http://www.rebelracingproducts.com/Suspension/Steering.html

[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').

[Matt Romanowski]

The best option in my opinion: Call Joe Stimola and ask him about the guy that does Penske shocks in a standard strut housing. He can do full Penske rebuildable setups. Better than any of the others IMHO.

[naro914]

Hey guys,
Thanks for all the great suggestions. The guys over at Eurowerks are putting together a great RSR for a local guy - 911teo for those of you that browse the 911 forum on Pelican Parts. his set up would bolt on fine to a 914 in the stock points, just need to build camber boxes on the top of the shock towers. Here's a link to his epic saga of the car. Great reading if you have time, but go to page 28 for the suspension stuff...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread....p;pagenumber=28

Aaron at Zuffenhaus has a 914 himself and said this would work great. Not cheap, but as someone recently said to me: "which part did you think would be cheap? The Porsche part, or the Racing part?" Besides, this year I'm not building a full car for Targa Newfoundland, so I have a little money in the budget to work with..

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)