Which swaybar...?, 914 vs. 911 front suspension. Options

[Wanna9146]

(Couldn't find this in search...too many returns)...

I'm eventually converting my stock front suspension to 911 front suspension in order to run 5-lug wheels.

Question: Will a 914 front swaybar fit a 911 front suspension? Will a 911 front swaybar fit 914 front suspension? I don't want to purchase a 914 swaybar, only to find out I have to toss it with the old front end.

[PeeGreen 914]

(Couldn't find this in search...too many returns)...

I'm eventually converting my stock front suspension to 911 front suspension in order to run 5-lug wheels.

Question: Will a 914 front swaybar fit a 911 front suspension? Will a 911 front swaybar fit 914 front suspension? I don't want to purchase a 914 swaybar, only to find out I have to toss it with the old front end.

Yes, it will work. In fact that part looks just the the original part on you 914.

[drgchapman]

A 914 sway bar will fit a 911 suspension.....when you weld on the tabs or use a sway bar design like Smart racing Products uses. (they mount the spindles to the 45 degree(or so) round stiffening bar on the A arm). A 911 sway bar fits a 911 suspension. I have one of each, they both work great. The smart sway bar is adjustable, I adjust it between track days and autocross days. The 911 sway bar is stock and not adjustable, but you could certainly purchase an after market adjustable bar (Smart products, Coleman, and many others). More important are the front struts you choose. Try to find Bilstein struts if possible. They can have the spindles raised to add suspension travel to a lowered car. They also have an infinite selection of dampers right down to custom. Also, with the 911 suspension, you get larger discs and calipers, no small thing either.

all in all, prolly the best money you can spend on one of these cars. You will love how it drives!

PS: use the elephant polly-bronze bushings and turbo tie rods in the new front end, very tight.

[Wanna9146]

Still a little confused...I'm not going racing (and I'm lazy), so the adjustable swaybar is most likely "overkill" for my street car.

Can I (should I) purchase a 914 swaybar now, or wait and purchase a 911 swaybar when I have the conversion completed?

A 914 sway bar will fit a 911 suspension.....when you weld on the tabs or use a sway bar design like Smart racing Products uses. (they mount the spindles to the 45 degree(or so) round stiffening bar on the A arm). A 911 sway bar fits a 911 suspension. I have one of each, they both work great. The smart sway bar is adjustable, I adjust it between track days and autocross days. The 911 sway bar is stock and not adjustable, but you could certainly purchase an after market adjustable bar (Smart products, Coleman, and many others). More important are the front struts you choose. Try to find Bilstein struts if possible. They can have the spindles raised to add suspension travel to a lowered car. They also have an infinite selection of dampers right down to custom. Also, with the 911 suspension, you get larger discs and calipers, no small thing either.

all in all, prolly the best money you can spend on one of these cars. You will love how it drives!

PS: use the elephant polly-bronze bushings and turbo tie rods in the new front end, very tight.

[drgchapman]

I would say.....

Pick up a Carrera front end, '86 or so. It will have everything to start with. Then trick it out as you see fit.

[Wanna9146]

What will work? The 914 on the 911 suspension or the 911 on the 911 suspension (assuming both are installed in a 914)? I do not have swaybars now, so not sure what they look like.

(Couldn't find this in search...too many returns)...

I'm eventually converting my stock front suspension to 911 front suspension in order to run 5-lug wheels.

Question: Will a 914 front swaybar fit a 911 front suspension? Will a 911 front swaybar fit 914 front suspension? I don't want to purchase a 914 swaybar, only to find out I have to toss it with the old front end.

Yes, it will work. In fact that part looks just the the original part on you 914.

[Wanna9146]

I would say.....

Pick up a Carrera front end, '86 or so. It will have everything to start with. Then trick it out as you see fit.

The Carrera front end has the swaybar attached?

[PeeGreen 914]

You want to buy a 914 sway bar. It is about where they go through, and the 914 bar is designed to go through the car in the appropriate place. A 911 bar wouldn't work as far as I know. But then again, I don't know much (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

After looking at them on paragon I don't really know the difference, but the 914 sway is what you want to order. I like the setup that Tarret has the best if you are going to buy one.

[Wanna9146]

Thank you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

You want to buy a 914 sway bar. It is about where they go through, and the 914 bar is designed to go through the car in the appropriate place. A 911 bar wouldn't work as far as I know. But then again, I don;t know much (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[drgchapman]

Both work perfectly. The Carrera set up has the sway bar under the car, the 914 set up has it through the car, just under the gas tank. I run the 86 Carrera set up on my orange daily driver, the Smart set up in the "Red Racer" car. I t is fairly easy to aquire the carrera front end. I paid $150 for the parts, ~$600 setting it up properly.

[PeeGreen 914]

Hey Gary

Do you have any pics of that? I have never heard of anyone using a sway bar that went under the car. Where does it go?

[drgchapman]

Your right, you don't know much.
From 1969-1989, most if not all front suspensions interchange. Porsche isn't the most profitable car maker in the world by accident.........

Motors too.

I'll send some pictures tomorrow night, it is late and I'm outa here.

[PeeGreen 914]

Thanks Gary. Have a great night.

[bigkensteele]

Both work perfectly. The Carrera set up has the sway bar under the car, the 914 set up has it through the car, just under the gas tank. I run the 86 Carrera set up on my orange daily driver, the Smart set up in the "Red Racer" car. I t is fairly easy to aquire the carrera front end. I paid $150 for the parts, ~$600 setting it up properly.

A Carrera suspension for $150! You got a great deal. I paid $400 for my tired 1970 911E setup with new Konis, and I found out later that it was missing parts.

The nice thing about the Carrera suspension is that the swaybar is mounted underneath, much like every other car produced since 1970. Thus, not drilling, welding, etc., but you will pay a premium for a Carerra suspension/brakes/etc. However, the earlier 911 uses the same through-the-body sway bar setup as (optional) on the 914. If your car does not currently have swaybars, you will need to remove the gas tank, drill holes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) , weld in reinforcments (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) , and maybe weld on tabs to the A-arms. Then, you can go with a stock 914 bar, a Weltmeister bar, or any of the custom bars listed above.

It all depends on how handy you are, how much you want to spend, and what you want from the car.

Hope that helps,
Ken

[rebelmdot]

Both work perfectly. The Carrera set up has the sway bar under the car, the 914 set up has it through the car, just under the gas tank. I run the 86 Carrera set up on my orange daily driver, the Smart set up in the "Red Racer" car. I t is fairly easy to aquire the carrera front end. I paid $150 for the parts, ~$600 setting it up properly.

Define easy to acquire, and please draw a map for the topographically impaired.

[Spoke]

Here is a pic of a 911 front end I put on my green 914 including underbody swaybar. The 914 through bars are preferred by some, a 911 bar with corresponding a-arms is a bolt-on item. Mounting a 914 bar requires gas tank removal, some cutting and welding although some aftermarket 914 bars allow adjustments that the DE/AX/racers like.

Also got a 911 bar on my red 914 too. Just added 911 a-arms, t-bars, swaybar, and aluminum crossmember while keeping 914 4-lug hubs & struts. Huge improvement in handling for about a 3-4 hour bolt-on job.

[jasons]

Theres two ways to install 911 struts on your 914. Just get the struts and bolt them in with your control arms and crossmember. Or, get the whole 911 front end, w/ crossmember, control arms and sway bar attached. Basically all 911 parts from hub to hub.

This gives you 2 ways to add a sway bar to your 914. If you just bolt the struts in, you will need the thru-body 914 sway bar. So, you could install this sway bar now, add struts later. This sway bar requires some metal work. you have to weld the mounts to the body where the sway bar passes thru under the tank. And, weld the tabs on the control arms where the sway bar links attach.

If you go with the 911 parts hub to hub, you don't have to do the welding work since the sway bar is part of the 911 setup. But, you have to buy the whole enchilada up front. Front suspension, rear hubs, and 5-lug wheels.

TOP pic is a Complete 911 hub to hub setup. You can see the 911 sway bar at the top of the pic. If you just do the struts, you would only need the strut housings, hubs, brake rotors and calipers. LOWER pic. And, you would need to do minor welding work to install a 914 sway bar.

EDIT: Upon further review.... One caveat could be the year of your car. If you have an early car (70,71,possibly 72), I don't think you can just bolt the front struts in. Or, at the very least you need early 911 struts. Because IIRC they were link pin and not ball joint until 72.5.

[Chuck]

Mild hijack . . . . I bought a complete Carrera front end: Bilstein struts, rotors, calipers, aluminum crossmember, steering rack, arms and underbody anti-sway (anti-roll) bar.

I was planning on installing the whole thing including the underbody antisway. But, I've never seen one on a teener, only the through body even on cars with Carrera front ends.

Which is better for our cars, underbody or through body and why?

[cobra94563]

I have a complete 911 suspension including the underbody swaybar. Rides pretty firm. Steering rack was good, so I left the original in place.

Mild hijack . . . . I bought a complete Carrera front end: Bilstein struts, rotors, calipers, aluminum crossmember, steering rack, arms and underbody anti-sway (anti-roll) bar.

I was planning on installing the whole thing including the underbody antisway. But, I've never seen one on a teener, only the through body even on cars with Carrera front ends.

Which is better for our cars, underbody or through body and why?

[andys]

With regard to the under car sway bar; Are different rate bars available, and do they make adjustable one's?
I have a complete '89 Carrera front end on mine.

Thanks,

Andys