I have a subaru wrx setup and now i am ironing out the way it rides, etc.

From experienced suspension guys......whats the best most comfortable setup so its more like a modern sports car ride, but still handle nice too. I have a front sway bar and Yellow Bilsteins all the way around (who knows how old they are)

thanks guys

I'll let you know just as soon as my car gets back on the road. That is exactly what I wanted. Nice sporty ride, but comfortable. Eric picked Boge for me with elephant polybronze bushings. Kept botht he front and rear stock sway bars too

I actually discovered a surprise.

I took my suspension completely apart intending to sharpen it to autocross weapon levels. I had the trailing arms done up by Eric Shea in 5 lug trim with new wheel bearings and Elephant bushings. I pulled the front suspension and powdercoated everything and put the Elephant bushings up there too. I chose Koni adjustables for shocks. I used Monoballs at the tops in front and rear. I then had the car aligned and corner balanced. Settings are need to know and if you are asking this question on this forum, you don't need to know

I expected a rough suspension. I thought that by taking all of the rubber out of the suspension I was going to have to visit the massage therapist after each drive... I was wrong.

In the stock suspension, the rubber bushings twist. They don't rotate with the suspension movement. This creates resistance to movement. The Elephant Bushings and the FreeMotion Bushings both allow complete and free movement within the stops. Your suspension becomes completely compliant. It feels very supple. It sucks up every bump I encountered as if it wasn't there. Turns are instant and accurate. Almost as if you could think about it and turn without turning the wheel.

It's kind of like the difference between a dancer and a running back. Both will get across the room but one does it gracefully while the other leaves bruises...

Front

17mm OEM anti-sway bar (or is it 15mm....dunno)
Koni adjustable front struts.
Bronze bushings
New turbo tie rods.
Stock front torsion bars

Rear
Koni adjustable shocks
Adjustable spring perches
140 progressive springs
Rear bronze trailing arm bushings.
(I dont like rear bars...your choice...it makes the rear a bit to stiff and then it slides out on you...especially with your suby motor....)

With the rear 140 progressive springs you will enjoy a stiffer than stock ride, yet not to stiff.
The TTOD driver out here at the autox uses this exact setup...
Experience is more valid than opinion on this one...

With the stock anti sway bar setup up front, you get a quicker turn in, and the stock anti sway bar will keep the ride smoother...
The TTOD driver out here uses a 21mm front bar...


This suggested setup will give you a nice smooth ride, yet give you the option (using the koni adjustable shocks, and the rear adjustable spring perches) to lower your car and stiffen it up quite a bit for an autox.
Then you can put it all back to smooth for the street use.

Rich

I like my bilsteins, but if i change my springs to a progressive rate one will that soften my ride?

The suspension mods you guys listed sound very logical but I kinda wonder if the suspension mods listed here are good only for the 15 inch 7/8/9 wheels with the tires that go with them or if the mods might be close on 16 or 17 with those same wheel widths and weights. Or if the mods listed are only good for the narrower wheels and tires on the straight sided car?

The suggestions I made were for a 914 with a smooth suspension.
Unless you would like to redesign the suspension, or start maufacturing a larger range of products so that we have more choices for a reasonable price...there are few choices.

So, once again..the suggestions are for a 914 with a smooth ride.

Bilsteins will never be smooth.
At least until they break or wear out.

Rich

thanks Rich thats the answer i was looking for. So Bilsteins are rougher than Adjustable Konis.

Yeah I know the feeling, I also have some bilsteins I wanted to use. But I will also say I don't think I've ever had a smooth riding anything.

For a smooth riding/modern feel I would suggest new bushings/bearings, stock torsion bars, 120lb springs with big swaybars on both ends.

Charlie is right. Tire and wheel size are part of the suspension as well as part of the gearing. My set up uses 16X6 Fuchs wheels and 205.50X16 tires...

I have bilsteins....they are "sporty"
I would not say they are rough...but they are really made to beat on...

If you go with Koni...YOU can adjust it so that YOU (not some other persons opinion) can determine what you believe is a "smooth ride"

Stick with the stock 15 inch rubber...its the tallest sidewall.
If you go to 16 or 17 you will only reduce the sidewall height and make the ride rougher...its just physics.

Rich

Ride comfort is centered around shocks. Period.

Get good shocks and the smooth controlled ride will follow.

I would agree with you Joe if I hadn't had this experience; I put Koni Yellow Adjustables on the car almost within weeks of buying it. Then, I rode around on the stock suspension for a couple years. It was stiff, loud over bumps, annoying enough so my wife would only ride along during autocross runs and refered to it as the race car. Then, I did the 5 lug conversion and redid the suspension "as long as I am in there". The result is a much more civilized, almost modern suspension.

My conclusion is that the bearings, and I don't care which you choose EBushings or Freemotion make it much easier for the shocks to do their work and intensifies the satisfaction that good shocks will give you. You can just replace the shocks but you might be more satisfied with the whole package...

Joe is right on and essentially where I was going to start.

If you REALLY want a dual purpose car, get our your $$. Or just pick one thing and then you can save. IMHO if I were to build a car that rides like a Caddy and still wanted to hit the track, you need a set of double adjustable Ohlins front and rear (or JRZ, similar), then now that you are adjustable coil-over you can run a large main rate spring and a tender progressive above it. The tenders will absorb the daily driving and when you AX/TT/DE the main rates can come into play. Go full roller bearing setup everywhere in the suspension joints as well, no bushings, as another mentioned the stock bushings tend to bind up and transmit stuff (essentially another shock inline with your main shock).

Also, use large sway bars so in corners you get the benefit and in a straight line you are on the main and tenders (typical street driving condition) and you can run a softer main rate.

So assuming your original question still applies (which said nothing about money) then the real answer is the one above. You are in for around $7K I would guess on a 914, as for a Scooby I am not sure of pricing. I think the Ohlins are around $5K front and rear, springs around $800 for four mains and two sets of tenders, roller bearing susp I dunno these days. Don't forget mono-ball upper mounts front and rear, etc.

Once everything is solid and not flexing on stock bushings, run a slight toe-in on the rear and slight toe-out on the front. I run 145mph with 1/8" toe-out on my race car and it is stable so don't fall for the "toe out is unstable at speed" lie. NASCAR runs 200mph with toe out. Bumpsteer the car and make sure to set the front you so you don't transition to toe-in (pass thru zero) during compression (or rebound for that matter but especially compression) as that is a very unstable car.

Elephant looks to have a new division called podium shocks.

Really terrific looking setups with adjustable bumpsteer, double adjustable shocks(much like the Ohlins) and progressive springs.

Probably gonna get something from them in the spring along with smart racing 930 front suspension.

The technology is there to have a dual purpose car so why not use it.

i am still confused on elephant bushing total price to complete a 914.

http://www.pmbperformance.com/catalog/item...565/1975352.htm

http://www.pmbperformance.com/catalog/item...565/1975605.htm

is it $315 x 2 for rear

and

$260 x2 for front

jim

Here is a picture of the Podium shock for the front. Doesn't look like they do the double adjustable on the front or at least don't list it on their site.

Those prices are for both sides of the front and rear. The rear includes new pivot rods as well. Get out your torch!

I did it... very nice they are! ~Ron

Where did you get the monoball for the rear?????

those are not progressive tender springs on there either - they are only tender springs that are there to keep the spring preloaded during droop (they instantly collapse with the car sitting on the ground and provide no spring rate during driving). A tender progressive spring is much different - it has many more coils and much thicker, so add in about $225 IIRC for the tender progressive spring set.

That also looks a lot like a Bilstein RSR strut to me with an added tab to support the bottom side of their bumpsteer setup. What does the race valved coilover strut sell for? I googled their website but couldn't find pricing...