Alright, I am aware of the consequences of lowering a car. Fucked up geometry, rubbing issues, bump steer...yada yada. I don't care. I like the look and for me, form beats function.

What options do I have for the front:

Raised spindles (somewhat expensive 2-300 hundred)

Cut shock tube with short stroke shock (what I am leaning toward)

Modifying torsion bar adjusters to make it go lower

Coilovers ( I am poor, so it ain't gonna happen right now, unless I modify MR2 coilovers to work on a 914 front)

What options for the rear:

Regular shocks with adj. sleeves (loss of travel when low though)

Raised pick-up and raised towers (expensive from CFR)

Short stroke shock with coilover sleeve (I like this idea)

Custom Rear Coilover (easy if I go to my old work and sort through all the old prototypes and find a shock/pillowball combo that works) lotta time and R&D though...



SO, these are my thoughts, what do you guys think??? I have heard of some guys shortening the shock tubes before....Any idea what shock they used?? How have you lowered your car, whether a street car or super low track car?

-Jared

Just crank the front adjusters until you hit the bump stops. It'll ride like crap, but "form beats function".

In the back, just cut some coils from your springs.

BTW, I don't actually recommend any of that, but it'll work.

What mark said.

Then do a 5 bolt conversion, add 14" fuchs and a 50 series tire (they do exist...).

Thank you for the asshat comment Mark. Obviously I am looking to retain "suspension travel".

geez how low do you want it?! these things can be adjusted pretty dam low without cutting shock tubes etc., i just got 205/50's put on mine and have the front adjusted down, bilsteins on the back (i think second to the last notch) and if it gets much lower i doubt it will be streetable (IMO of course)Dave

You said you didn't care about travel. I didn't realize this was one of those, "I want it low, but still ride nice, oh and really cheap" threads.

Now THAT is how I do asshat!

Front,
Lower the a-arms till they hit the "frame" and mark that spot on the "frame"
Cut it out and box it to provide clearance.

You can lower it pretty darn low (btdt) and it will tap the frame on big bumps, its not that harsh of a ride...I had it like that for two years.

You learn to live with the bump steering...its not aweful.

In the rear you can lower it as far as the adustable spring perches will allow...
The worst part of that is that you are losing the travel of the shock.
I have seen a few of the old timers race cars that have welded a lower shock mount (piece of tubing) onto the bottom of the trailing arm.
This lowers the bottom mount about 1-2 inches.
You can take it down pretty low if you do that...and like I said...guys have paved the way 30 years ago with this mod...just weld it right.

Rich

The 2 piece black 914 that sww914 has is lowered really well. Maybe he can post a pic.

how low is low?

here is my old car
front adjusters lowered and reindexed.
rear 180# springs with Bils on the 2nd or 3rd groove from the bottom....so there was room to go lower without doing any cutting.

Cant you raise the spindles in the front yourself?

The rear, I'd personally go with some threaded perches (What are your current shocks?) and lower it that way (You could also get some shorter aftermarket coil springs).

Camber could be the big issue though.

Thank you Rich and Dan, good food for though. Explain reindexing the torsion bars, it makes sense, but at the same time it does not. I have not pulled one out or tore apart a 914 suspension since 2005, so I am a bit fuzzy. Also, I like the idea of welding a lower bracket on the rear trailing arm. Right now, the car is a stock 73 2ltr with Koni special D shocks.

Don't forget the ball joints can only go "so low" before they bind...

They will go (ball joints comment) all the way down till the a-arm taps the frame with no binding....at least in my personal experience.

Re-indexing only really makes sense when you try to lower the car really low....then as you look at the adjuster that cant go any further, a light will go off in your head and all will make sense.

Rich

I say sell it, buy an early nineties civic and a torch. Use the torch to heat the springs to the desired level. Then go buy every known accesory from pep boys and your all set.















Just teasing.

can i take a stab at it? the re indexing: instead of installing the torsion bar with the wheel at it longest point of travel (wheel off the ground) you install it with some of the travel already taken up? (wheel on the ground ) just a guess...guru's please enlighten

no but how do you really feel about it?....

Well he did say cheap.

if you adjust the torsion bar adjuster as low as it will allow the A arm to go and it still isn't far enough, you remove the adjuster from the end of the torsion bar and reindex it by rotating it in such a way as to allow more adjustment when you put the car back on the ground...if you get under the car and look at it, it will make sense.
Easier to look at it and do it, than it is to describe it without pics...

There was a member not too long ago selling shortened struts with IIRC vw rabbit inserts , this along with the torsion bars reindexed should do the fronts . Unless you have Bilstein struts , I don't believe you can raise the spindles , Boge has a shoulder on them that stops the spindle from going up any further , Konis I'm not that familar with. Welding a strut mount lower on the trailing arm will get you a lot lower depending on how far down you fab the mount, use to do it on motorcycles to lower the rear . Good luck as there should be some sort of realignment done afterwards, even if it's a tape measure and string setup.

Jack / Jaxdream

that makes perfect sense now that you describe it thanks Dan..