In the continuing journey to learn about these I took your coaching from an earlier thread on rear suspensions.

1) I measured my ride height from the doughnuts

Driver front 5.25
Driver rear 5.60

Passenger front 5.25
Passenger rear 5.60

I quite like how she sits so I’m inclined to call this good but am curious how this compares to yours?

2) I tried the fender bounce test and was surprised by what I found. My front shocks have almost zero movement. There is basically zero movement when I try to bounce the driver side front and only a little on the passenger side front. The driver side feels like a rock. Not sure what normal should feel like here...

3) The rear shocks move as I would expect then to, evenly on both sides but look to be the white Monroe (?) ones.

4) the car is a go cart on smooth pavement but is too harsh over bumps and not compliant enough for comfortable road use.

5) is the tie rod angle shown in the picture, basically level, considered correct?

Can you guys take me to school on this all please?
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

The problem is with the bushings...

I’m assuming by the look of those pictures that your suspension was last installed by the factory? The rubber in the original suspensions adheres itself to both the inner and outer surface with a steely grip. It becomes in a sense a spring of sorts. Even if you installed the plushest of shocks it will be harsh because there isn’t any suspension travel.

We have a couple of real innovators here. I believe it was Mueller and McMark who combined to create roller bearing bushing replacements. Elephant Racing also came up with their poly bronze bushings. Both of these solutions allow complete suspension travel.

Try this: lift a wheel and unbolt the shock. Now try to move the suspension up and down through its full travel. I’d bet you can’t budge it more than an inch or two. Both the roller bearing and the poly bronze bushings allow you to move it through full travel with one finger. This allows your shocks to do their job. Go cart handling with a supple ride.

My car has zero rubber in its suspension and it rides much better and less harsh than it did on the factory bushings.

I should add, delrin and polyurethane, properly installed will yield a similar result.

Rob! Good morning, hope you are all doing well up there.

I don’t have much history on this one but it’s seems likely it’s all original bushings.

Thanks for education on the importance of bushings - didn’t realize how critical they are to ride compliance (compared to my other cars).

I sense a slippery slope coming up here....

Just did some checking, it appears that while replacing the struts inserts is not that difficult it may not make, to robs point above, any difference. So, presumably but keep me honest here, does that mean that job number one is the a-arm bushings? In other words, do the a-arm bushings and put it back together and then see if the struts need to be replaced?

You should have some movement when leaning on the front fender even if the bushings are old. My 914 was the same way when I bought it. Almost no movement of the front shocks. New inserts helped out dramatically. If you don't know the age/use of the existing inserts, it might be a good time to put new ones on.

If the car is worth keeping and developing, I would start with new Bilsteins/Konis. It may depend on your budget too. If you are going to go five lug, on the front find later 911 3 1/2" Bilstein struts and be done with it.

If you are staying four lug, the same holds true. New shocks.

You are most likely going to want to rebuild with:

new A arm bushings - I'd go with Elephant Rubber or 914 Rubber
Turbo tie rods
Lemfoerder ball joints
Bilstein HD or Koni shocks all around
new swing arm bushings
Clean, Powdercoat and plate before assembly


While you are in there; brakes, bearings, etc.

It really depends on your budget and how far you want to take this car. Slippery slope.

Good coaching, thanks.

I don’t profess to managing navigating the slippery slope well.

Having a plan for this car seems rather critical now, just not sure what t is.

That accounts for the difference from side to side.

Maybe just throw some decent used front shocks on and see where that gets me in the interim...

A-arm bushing removal and replacement vids in my signature... hope they help!

Saw those, good stuff Ian. Thanks for documenting that.

Hard as a rock equals bad bushings.

I thought my bilsteins, that I pulled off of a parts car, were shot. I replaced my bushings with Mcmarks full motion bearings and found there was absolutely nothing wrong with the struts.
When I pulled (cut off) the bushings they were deformed and the rubber had turned to cement.

Thanks Mark

The suspension on our cars is quite simple. It's like a puzzle too. If you want it right, tear it all off and re-do everything.

Or, do as I did; I collected everything on the side, and kept my car running/driving. I assembled everything to be ready for a complete take-off and re-assembly of new/refurbished suspension parts.

Kind of anal, but we did the whole swap in a little more than a day.