Need you opinion guys. The car has a stock suspension with Konis and crappy tires. I am thinking about going to the Elephant Racing Street/Race I setup, with swaybars, and Yokos on the existing Fuchs. I would then have the car aligned and corner balanced. Looks like a lot of bucks.

My question - will those changes make a SIGNIFICANT improvement for the twisties, or are there some more cost effective setups/kits without needing a kidney belt?

TIA

Yes those should make a big improvement.

However, I feel that the biggest improvement would be tires and driver education. Sign up for a DE event with your local PCA or other car group.


just my $0.02

If your car does not have a front sway bar, then get one. But a full suspension package?? Are you going to race the car? Autox? If not, I'd save the money for now.

How are your bushings? Are they shot? Or are they fine? If they're good, save the money.

You already have some Konis, that's a big step. Get some modestly decent tires, get a sway bar and an alignment. Then get thee to an autox! Save the big bucks for when you _know_ what you want from the car.

-Josh2

Thanks for the replies. The phased approach makes the most sense.

One crucial piece of info I left out, is that I don't intend to AX (btdt with the other car) but enjoy 'spirited' drives on the backroads. I like it when a car responds crisply, settles solidly in the corner, and is predictable.

To show my absolute ignorance - no sway bar needed in the back? And what size is recommended in front for agressive street?

You don't need much for what you want to do. I found a stock one (15MM I think) and installed it. Definitely a difference, how "BIG" I'm not sure, but definitley better.

On the rear, I'm not runnign a sway bar. I've got 100 lb springs and am thinking about mounting some bilsteins with (i think) 140 lb springs I have. Not sure what the springs are really rated, but they are gold colored. I'll make that decision after the SEC 2006 event.

For tires, I'm running BFGoodrich G-force Sports (205/65/15) and really like them on my Fuchs 2.0 wheels.

Persoanlly, I'd save the cash and invest it somewhere else on the car, eventually you will need it I'm sure.

I highly suggest replacing the bushings as well. Those stock one's (or god forbid the weltmeister one's) are horrid..

You will LOVE the way the car handles.. MUCH smoother over bumps, or making changes in steering...

good luck!

Needle bearings or poly bronze elephant bushings are something i wish all street 914's had.. suspension changes are so unbelivably smooth.. like riding on air.. but without bouncing..

yeah just get some fun r compund tires, adjustable front bar and if the bushing are gone replace em. If you got koni reds you might switch to yellows.

Not sure corner weighing the car is nessesary. If you are toying with the suspension alot you are gonna mess it up and it's kinda expesive to get done. Doing this then say next week moving the battery would make it all a waste.

Not sure what camber you would want to run but you would probably be happiest with the tires toed in a bit. Think I am running -1.5 up front and -2 in back for camber.


probably gonna get a ton of opinions on this but this seems to be a safe and predictable setup.

The suspension mods I made to mine made an incredible difference, I run

canyons for fun and my car after the suspension work has never been so fun.

The handling is incredable which made it that much safer. I don't know why

they are trying to talk you out of doing it but I think you should I think you will

like it alot. I am not trying to talk you into something, just giving you a different

perspective. Have fun.

Atleast front poly bronze bushings, 19mm front sway bar, turbo tierods, balljoints, 140lbs rear springs to get a agressive street suspension.

I recommend stock bushings for that type of car and that type of driving and I sell Elephant Bushings. A car with good stock bushings is an excellent ride. If they're good, save your money... if not, give me a call and I can hook you up with some Poly-bronzes.

Josh nailed it.

I would get some awesome tires then get stock sway-bars front and rear. W/O sways that car is like an old Chris-Craft. The flat hood only helps accentuate the problem. I wouldn't go anything over 18-19mm in the front. There's a nice 930 bar available from the factory that I use on both my 911 and my 914. One year only, 1976, through body, 18mm. Someone with a PET handy can get you a number and they are fairly inexpensive ordered new from Porsche.

I like keeping the stock spring rate out back and adding the bar there too. Or... dont' go over 140 and leave the bar off for your 'spirited' drives on the backroads purposes.

I recommend stock bushings for that type of car and that type of driving and I sell Elephant Bushings. A car with good stock bushings is an excellent ride. If they're good, save your money... if not, give me a call and I can hook you up with some Poly-bronzes.

Or... dont' go over 140 and leave the bar off for your 'spirited' drives on the backroads purposes.
[/quote]


Unless they are new the 35 yr old rubber bushings are gonna be shot
and get polybronze ones to get rid of the "shudder" going over bumps and better tracking.
can't beat the 19mm swaybar and rear 140lb setup but I like my 22mm SB and 200lb rear springs for the street.

Tires make up a huge part of the handling package so get some Falkens 205x50's

Ut Uuuuuuuuh...

Now granted, about 70% of the ones I see are but, I've seen quite a few arms with good bushings. And since they don't make these cars new... uuuuuuuh mileage would probably be the gauge.

You're probably right though. Best bet is to measure them and see (I'm talking about the rears here). Measure top and bottom of the shaft. If there's more than 1+mm difference then it would probably be advantageous to look into another bushing/bearing solution. Again, I have seen a lot of factory bushings that are in great condition. If they're OK... I really like stock bushings. Even for spirited canyon cruising.



Indeed, indeed...

The comment about handling like a Chris Craft cracked me up, because that is exactly what it feels like - or a 65 Impala. I am sure the bushings are originals and are shot. Right now I would call the handling, scary.

the 19mm bar up front and 140 lb springs sound like the ticket along with the bushings.

Haven't heard much talk about front stut braces - not really needed if I go with the above?

Yeah a 19mm bar and 140 lb springs (no rear bar) are a very nice combo. Adding the rear bar may (or may not) induce wheel spin.

The 914 has a built in strut brace, the gas tank bulkhead. There is no real need for a front strut brace in a 914 unless you have a burning desire to spend money...

-Josh2

I put a-arms, torsion bars, and under-carriage sway bar from a 911 on my 71. What a difference from stock 914 w/o sway bar to this. Body roll in corners was reduced dramatically and the car just handled and felt better. Rear sway bars added later helped lock down the backend but didn't make as much of a difference as the 911 front end parts.

Spoke

Regular 911 torsion bars are really only marginally stiffer than the 914 bars. The difference was that sway bar.

-Josh2

I agree 19mm bar in front and 140 lb springs in back. Consider turbo tie rods and new ball joints. Throw a set of 205/50/15 Falken Azenis Sport RT 615's on the car and your set.

Agree again. Anything under carriage is going to be 18mm min. and probably 20mm (most common). A 20mm bar will make a big diff.