Ok I brought the 914 home on friday. It now has the cage in ... TC Design does great work... I would recommend them to anyone ...

Now I have to figure out what to do with the suspension. I am planning on a 5 lug conversion. I just dont know what sway bars, spring rates tec to run. I tried the elephant racing web site but it seemed to me that their package for the 914 was not quite a 'race' suspension.

It spec'd stock sway bars, 23 mm front torsion bars. 180 pound rear springs...

I want to get this thing track worth in the next 60 days so all input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

my personal preference is to not go too stiff on the torsion bars in the front and make up for it with a bigger sway-bar.

here's my setup, which i'm very happy with:

front:
- complete '84 carrera frontend, stock 911 torsion bars
- tarett (http://www.tarett.com/) hollow 22mm adjustable swaybar
- yellow koni adjustable shocks
- mueller roller bearings

rear:
- yellow koni adjustable shocks
- 250lbs eibach springs on adjustable (threaded collar) perches
- stock rear sway bar
- mueller roller bearings


the car is very predictable, very little body roll and the suspension feels surprisingly "comfortable".
due to the roller bearings, the ride is much less harsh than you'd expect with those heavy springs in the back ...
Andy

A Few musts from Andy's list above.

Adjustable Spring perches for the rear, or you cannot balance the car.

Adjustable struts for the front.
A good bearing solution, Either Elephant racing, or bearings, but something solid, not rubber.

I am not a big far of the stock torsion bar school...I have 23 mm torsion bars and 21mm sway bar...
Its certainly comes in two schools..one prefers stock torsion bars, because it allows faster turn in, and that is good in an autocross situation, but might make it settle to fast in a track situation on really fast decel into a corner.

The good quality adjustable koni's or fox shox will enable you to dial a certain amount of the nose dive out of the car, but the bilstiens do not adjust.

I have
23mm from t bars
180lb rear springs
21 mm fronts sway
srs roller bearings for all a-arms/trailing arms.

Determine what you will do, if track only, you will need stiffer suspension, and it will depend on which tracks you run also.
The adjustable perches allow you to run 2.5 inch diameter springs, and those are cheap enough to have several different sets to bring with you of different wieghts...

If the track is hilly, a stiff front end is key.
If its autocross, and supple front end is key, or you get to much push at slow speed turn in (again applicable to track, but it depends on the track)

Ask the racers in your area, on the tracks you are planning to run on, how they setup for each track, and be prepared to have several setups on hand for different tracks.

You can build up those parts over time.

Rich

What kind of wheels and tire sizes are you planning to run?
It's almost impossible to overwhelm stock torsion bars with 175/75 tires, they'll roll under and slide before you can compress the suspension, but with Hoosier 205/50's
you can bottom out the suspension pretty easily.

It will be a dedicated race car... I have been all over the place with my ideas for this car but the roll cage really dictated everything... I am to old and to fat to play the contorsionist game getting over the side impact bars on any commuting basis.

I will drive it to the track for lack of a trailer at the moment.

The primary tracks I will be running it at are as follows:
Laguna seca
Sears Point
Thunderhill

On occasion I might make it out to Az. and run PIR

I will be running 205 50 15 race rubber on 6" wheels this year. Next year will be a whole new world as that is when part b kicks in and I will put on the sheridan motorsports flares and running 245's and 275's on 8's and 10's. I suspect that should just be considered when it happens and just plan the suspension around the 205 race rubber for now.

Andy,

Based on the info that came after yours I was wondering if you hit the auto X or if you regularly run your car at laguna and sears.... I am just curious to hear how your car handles at those tracks.

We are practically neighbors since I live in Moraga ...

How simular are the 914's to the 911's for suspension set up. My 67 that I just sold was pretty descent at the aforementioned tracks with 23mm fronts, 28mm rears a stock S sway bar and no sway bar in the rear...

It could have used more on the sway bars... The new owner of my 67 is tuning the suspension to its next level now...

My 74 911 has Racers group sway bars front and rear... with coil over front and rear but I dont want to go coil over front with the 914 for financial reasons for this season...

I just want to get something that performs well at reasonable costs and get it on the track for now... My friend with his 912 showed me that you dont need huge HP to turn great times at laguna so I will run a pretty descent 2.0 ... Mikes 912 with a 165 hp (1.7 litre ) 912 engine was turning high 1.48's at laguna during the SCCA vintage this year ... in comparison full blown RSR's with 3.6's were turning 1.46's ... It is my take that for the 90K price difference I could be very happy with my 914 if I could match the times mike was turning with his 912. Considering that the 914 is a better handling car to start with and 165 hp with 300 more CC's should not be to hard to achieve I should be able to get there... but getting the suspension right is the key.. thanks to everyone who has responded.

right now, it's set up for AX. but that's mostly sway-bar settings and alignment.
i don't think i have to change the springs or torsion bars for the big track. we'll see ...

i was in moraga just yesterday! one of my biz-partners lives out there.
Andy