OK
here goes, I am sure this has been discussed at length before, but I am a glutton for punishment.
Car will be running 21 mm torsion bars, sway bar and koni adjustables on the front
rear is 180# springs on Bilstein Sports.
4 bolt Fuchs with 205 Yoko A032Rs
.25 inch spacers front and rear.

measuring from the fender lips (stock fenders)
What is the lowest I can run without messing up the front suspension geometry?

Other points to measure to?

I would, of course, like to get the car as low as feasible without causing other problems.


So lets have you best and worst.

Ah - the lowering problem.

The real problem is how low to go and not have the front shocks bottom out. Most will say you can lower the car until the steering arms are almost parallel with the ground with a slight upwared tilt back to the steering rack.

At this point there maybe only 2 to2-1/2" of shock travel in the compression direction.

With the rubber stops reqired by Koni to protect the shocks form bottoming out, you will have only a small amount of shock compession left. This may not be a problem till you start using the berms as part of the track.

Then there is the "practical limit". Can you get on the trailer?? can you get a jack under it??

Ken

I went 5½" in the front, 6½" in the back, rockers to the ground nearest the wheel wells. Could go an inch lower all around... but i had it at 3" in the front and 3" in the rear... rear shocks were still good but the fronts... they did not want to work well.

Trailer...no problem. Flat towing behing the 'Burb.
Floor jack...no problem. Low profile racing style jack.


the tracks we drive have berms?

Where do you have yours set Ken?

My concern is steering geometry and bottoming out the shocks.
Planned on using shorter snubbers.

My front is set with the steering arms just slightly rising toward the steering rack. Back is set for 1-2 degree rake to the front measured at the door sill - car on leveling pads.

On my car I do not trust the body or chassis measurment from one side to the other referenced to the ground.

I have 2.25" of front bump shock travel.

Ken

How is your car coming Ken?
did you get your repairs completed after your little excursion?

I hope we have lots of 914s out next season. Gary Dorighi is building a new trick motor. I will be interested to see what he comes up with. He is doing a coil over suspension also.

Car should be ready for Tech on the 21st.

Do not forget - need Snell 2000 helment.

About lowering - once you get the car about where you want it, the measurments will change when it is corner balanced - and without the driver in the car may not be symetrical.

Ken

you sure you can fit 205's on fuchs AND a .25" spacer??????



BTW - i had my car really low...like 3.5" to the donuts low....... to low....
im up to like 4 or 4.5 now

Can go 1/2" on all four but you have to "roll" and pull the back fenders out a bit.

Ken

Rear fenders are rolled and pulled a bit. Should fit with no problems. Fenders are done the way my 914-6 fenders were done. Ran 225s on Fuch 7s on the rear of that car.
Yes they are all different so we will see. Had fenders pulled enough that hopefully I will be able to run 7s with 205 eventually. When I find the 7s(4 bolters).
Just got a new SA2005 helmet from Ioport. Now I am set for another 10 years.
Just need a car to put all my stuff on. Would be nice to empty my garage and side yard of parts.

Dan, you've seen my set-up.

Very low, pulled fenders, 205's on 7's.

I am using steering rack spacers along with the turbo tie rods as well.

I'm finding Koni's on soft for track and on firm for a/x is good.


KT

Hi Dan,

If we are going to be running in the same class this year, I recommend you lower your car to these specs:

Thanks alot Greg
I doubt we will be in the same class this year. I am running basically a BP set up. Yes I know there is no BP this year. But that is the mods I am going for at least with suspension, exhaust etc.
Next year, or when ever the 2.0L goes bang, I will do a nice little rebuild, buildup.

I am just trying to get this thing done so I can get out and have some cheap fun. whatever that is

Like racing any car is cheap!
I really like the ride height of that rally car. Maybe we should start a special rally car class for TT.

What?! Just trying to help with the shock travel mentioned above...

But seriously, I really lucked out with my suspension setup. If you've read the 'How to Make your Car Handle' book by Fred Puhn, you'll find Guy Ober mentioned in some of the sections. It turns out, Guy own's "Guy's Independent Porsche" in San Luis Obispo CA, about 20 minutes from my house! He redid my corner balance, ride height and alignment settings when I went from 6"s to 7"s. I know dimensions aren't exact car to car but for the ride height, I could send you the fender lip heights if that would help at all.

I'm not running as low as some, here is a shot from the 05 SCCA Vintage at Laguna

Greg

That is a great pic of your car and the other 914s at laguna.
Reminds me of the picture that was taken at thunderhill years ago of about 20+ 914s that were at that TT weekend. All track cars
Too bad there aren't near as many at the TTs these days. Maybe that will start to turn around this year. I know I will be out with a new car and BillD is building a new one as well. Although he claims it will be for AX only this year.
If you could send my those measurements that would be great. I am just trying to get some base line numbers. Of course I had measurements from my 914-6 and my other two tracked 914s but I threw them out years ago.

It brings back some great memories knowing where your car started from and where it is today. My neighbors that you bought it from ask about it occassionally. I will have to show them a pic one of these days.

Hi Dan,

I have a copy of that ThunderHill 914 photo! Didn't we have close to 40 914s in that picture? If I can find it, I'll post it.

I agree with you that any racing isn't "cheap" but I aways remind my Brother-in-law, John Beck, that his set of Fikse 17" FM-10s for his 911 cost more that I paid for my 914 when I got if from our neighbor!

Here are my current settings as a datapoint:

1985 lbs

Corner Balance with driver:

Left Front: 480 Right Front: 480
Left Rear: 604 Right Rear: 596

Alignment:

Left Front: -2.2 Right Front: -2.2
Toe .12 .12
Fender Height 23" 22" (with AVON 205-50x15's on 7"s)

Left Rear: -2.8 Right Rear: -2.0
(turns out car was hit on right rear. found body work and this is all the neg camber we can get)
Toe .23 .23


Hope this helps.

Greg

QUOTE (race914 @ Jan 8 2006, 11:46 AM)

If you've read the 'How to Make your Car Handle' book by Fred Puhn, you'll find Guy Ober mentioned in some of the sections. It turns out, Guy own's "Guy's Independent Porsche" in San Luis Obispo CA, about 20 minutes from my house!

Sweet! I have that book, and I live in Los Osos! How much does he charge for a basic alignment? I'm going to need one eventually.

You're closer to Guy than I am!

It's been a couple years but I think the corner balance and alignment was around $200. That probably included some time spent trying to get more neg camber into my right rear...

Greg

Greg,

Are the "toes" in inches or degrees, if inches what rim size.

Ken

Hi Ken,

The toe settings are in degrees.

The rear is more toe than I used to run, but I noticed an improvement after I went to these settings that Guy recommended.

Greg