Suspension help, putting the parts together... Options

[VaccaRabite]

I have tried to search to find this info, but a search for "suspension" returns just about every thread in the garage.

At the moment, I am too the point where I am ready to put my suspension back on the car.

Currently, the stuff I have are KYBs for shocks/struts. Stock springs on the back. Stock front and rear sway bars.

I have, but not installed:
I have a new turbo tie rod kit to install.

Things that won't change.

motor is a 2056
wheels are 2.0 fuchs
I don't want to go 5 lug
I want to use the stock front sway bar.

Goals:
I'd like to lower the car a little, about an inch at most.
Car will be a weekend warrior. Occational AX, possibly very occational DE's, but mainly just blasting around the rural roads where I live.

Questions:
[list]
[*]I hear some people say not to run the rear sway, to go with big springs instead. Why?
[*]My shocks/struts are not popular, but also not worn out. Do I need to replace them, or is it just a "nice" thing to do.
[*]What springs should I buy?

I'm a little scattered today, so I hope this makes sence. 3 months to get the car on the road....

Zach

[EdwardBlume]

For a street car with some AX, I'd go with 140 lb springs, the sway bars you have, and yellow Bilsteins. You can keep your KYBs, but I haven't had good things to say about KYBs long term personally.

The 140 lb springs will lower your car. I plan to lower my 914 fronts to match.

Some are OK with the rear sway bar, others aren't. Again, personally, I like the rear sway bar for street and AX because it "boxed" the car in and made it very predictable.

What about torsion bars?

[Chris Pincetich]

For rear springs 140s are perfect, gotta have that front sway bar and a bigger adjustable one is worth the $$$. I had KYBs and now new KONI sports are more comfortable. Those KYBs are pretty stiff - Bilsteins are a great choice. I'd slap those turbo tie rods on, get new rear springs and rear shocks, and be done for now. 914s with lots of power can loose forward traction on the inside wheel out of corners if it is tied to the AR bar and the rear springs are too soft = wheel lift. A $1500 LSD can also help that problem (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

If you are committed to running the stock front swaybar, then I would go with the 100 lb/in springs in the rear. Unless you upgrade the front torsion bars, in which case you can go up on the rear spring.

There are two potential problems with the stock-type rear sway bar. The first is that it can "bottom" in a corner when the car is lowered and cornering very hard. Actually, it will hit the underside of the trunk floor, making a noise and changing the rear roll resistance--usually leading to a spin. The second is the possibility of lifting the inboard rear wheel in a corner, leading to all the power going to the lifted wheel. Not so good for handling when you have a regular open differential.

Those are the reasons that many people will use stiffer rear springs instead of a rear sway bar to add roll resistance to the back of the car.

Swapping out the KYBs is in the "nice to have" arena, not the "must do". But the ride will probably get better once you do, and you may gain a little traction.

--DD

[VaccaRabite]

How do you change the torsion bars? I have not seen them for sale anywhere. You are all talking about the stuff inside the A Arm up front, right?

Zach

[DanT]

Yep. Paragon Products has them here

http://www.paragon-products.com/product_p/saw_911fronttb.htm

that is where I got mine. good folks and easy to deal with....

[Dave_Darling]

Just about everyone carries them. Just make sure you get 914 ones if you have 914-4 A arms. (If you don't have a five-lug swap, it's pretty certain.)

You remove them by removing the eccentric that sets the front ride height, then pulling them out. When that fails (and it usually does), you drill a hole in the front cover and use a punch to push the bar out.

--DD

[rhodyguy]

first, find someone to do the alignment. a shop that "knows 914s".

think about the rack spacers (bump steer kit) if you're going to lower the front end. i would plan on renewing the bushings for the anti-sway bar drop links. are the balljoints serviceable?

going to 21mm torsion bars turned out to be a pretty dramatic increase in front end stiffness for me and i didn't care for it. my car had ext adj koni yellows, the 21mm bars, f&r stock anti-sways, and 100#coils on adj perches. everything was just too much for long distance drives, 600 mile+ days. i softened things up with ext adj koni reds, back to stock torsion bars, and retained the 100# coils. my car is much more pleasureable on long distance runs. i don't ax it and it actually feels more balanced on the road with the current setup.