First 911sc 1979 Help!!!! SUSPENSION
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Mexico City
First 911sc 1979 Help!!!! SUSPENSION
Hi guys, I all ready bought a 911sc 1979, from a friend that have a very serious family problem, I cant find my friend because he is solving his problem out of the country.
The car is in very good shape, the engine, runs strong, the paint is original but in almost perfect condition, BUT the suspension (front one) is extremelly stiff almost undrivable in roads with a smoothless surface the most little bump afects very very hard, my question is: is it normal in a Porsche? (this is my first one) I think that the car is lowered because the tires are very very near from the fender less than an inch, the car have a very serious oversteer.
The car bounce very hard and as i write above is almost undrivable, help guys i dont know what to do with that, any sugestions?
B. regards
Mandrayu
(sorry about my english im not a native spoken)
The car is in very good shape, the engine, runs strong, the paint is original but in almost perfect condition, BUT the suspension (front one) is extremelly stiff almost undrivable in roads with a smoothless surface the most little bump afects very very hard, my question is: is it normal in a Porsche? (this is my first one) I think that the car is lowered because the tires are very very near from the fender less than an inch, the car have a very serious oversteer.
The car bounce very hard and as i write above is almost undrivable, help guys i dont know what to do with that, any sugestions?
B. regards
Mandrayu
(sorry about my english im not a native spoken)
RL Technical Advisor
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 11,870
Likes: 75
From: Portland Oregon
Hi:
Your description is a bit general and since you do not have a great deal of experience driving 911's, its going to be tough to say what might be wrong. You did not mention how many miles are on the car or if it might possibly have been modified.
That said, I'd suggest a few things that can be useful to you:
1) If the car is too low and has been bottoming, you will need new shocks. None of them will take that kind of pounding. I would suggest a set of Bilstein HD front inserts and rear shocks.
2) Have the car set up at the proper ride height, set the corner weights and then aligned to spec.
I'd venture that your shocks are bad and you have some bump steer problems all from being too low. Have a qualified shop check the ball joints, the bushings, and tie rod ends for wear.
These cars drive quite well when everything is in good shape and the suspension is properly setup & aligned.
Please let me know how things turn out.
Your description is a bit general and since you do not have a great deal of experience driving 911's, its going to be tough to say what might be wrong. You did not mention how many miles are on the car or if it might possibly have been modified.
That said, I'd suggest a few things that can be useful to you:
1) If the car is too low and has been bottoming, you will need new shocks. None of them will take that kind of pounding. I would suggest a set of Bilstein HD front inserts and rear shocks.
2) Have the car set up at the proper ride height, set the corner weights and then aligned to spec.
I'd venture that your shocks are bad and you have some bump steer problems all from being too low. Have a qualified shop check the ball joints, the bushings, and tie rod ends for wear.
These cars drive quite well when everything is in good shape and the suspension is properly setup & aligned.
Please let me know how things turn out.
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Mexico City
Steve,
Firstable thanks for your advice Ill check and Ill let you know
The car have 130,000 miles, as far as i know the car doesent have any modification in the engine or the transmission, but I presume that the suspension could be, but my first tought was that the car was to low and the struts wasnt doing their job or maybe there were useless. But if I push the car from the fender the struts feel quite hard and firm, the car doesent rebound, so if this were a VW Golf i could say that the mcpherson system is quite hard and could work ok, but the Porsche suspension is quite different from a regular car.
I have a little expeirence with race cars and my feeling about this is (in the case of formula race car)like the setting for the bound and rebound is totally wrong, push to hard the tire against the track and the strut push the chassis on to the air , then with a irregular road the car lose control bauncing like a rubber ball.
Is it possible to lower the car with the original suspension?
Thanks
Mandrayu
Firstable thanks for your advice Ill check and Ill let you know
The car have 130,000 miles, as far as i know the car doesent have any modification in the engine or the transmission, but I presume that the suspension could be, but my first tought was that the car was to low and the struts wasnt doing their job or maybe there were useless. But if I push the car from the fender the struts feel quite hard and firm, the car doesent rebound, so if this were a VW Golf i could say that the mcpherson system is quite hard and could work ok, but the Porsche suspension is quite different from a regular car.
I have a little expeirence with race cars and my feeling about this is (in the case of formula race car)like the setting for the bound and rebound is totally wrong, push to hard the tire against the track and the strut push the chassis on to the air , then with a irregular road the car lose control bauncing like a rubber ball.
Is it possible to lower the car with the original suspension?
Thanks
Mandrayu
RL Technical Advisor
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 11,870
Likes: 75
From: Portland Oregon
Mandrayu:
I would hope that at 130K, the shocks have been replaced however, that might be wishful thinking on my part,.......
The bushings are usually sagging at that mileage and you'll have to deal with that. There are several choices depending on how you use the car.
Doing the "bounce" test to assess shock absorber condition is just like kicking tires to see if they are OK or not,.... Its totally inconclusive and frankly, invalid.
Porsche's use McPherson struts just like VW's only the spindle assemblies are different.
Lowering the car with the standard torsion bars is OK as long as its modestly done. Suspension travel is dictated by shock travel and one be very careful not to go too low. The other limitation is bump steer and this is a very big issue when the car is too low. As long as your ride height is within bounds, you can correct bump steer with a simple spacer kit.
Track or race cars uses different struts (raised spindles), shocks (shorter) and bump steer correction (ERP), of course,...
If you arer going to stick with the stock torsion bars, a set of Bilstein HD shocks will work very well.
I would hope that at 130K, the shocks have been replaced however, that might be wishful thinking on my part,.......
The bushings are usually sagging at that mileage and you'll have to deal with that. There are several choices depending on how you use the car.
Doing the "bounce" test to assess shock absorber condition is just like kicking tires to see if they are OK or not,....
Its totally inconclusive and frankly, invalid.Porsche's use McPherson struts just like VW's only the spindle assemblies are different.
Lowering the car with the standard torsion bars is OK as long as its modestly done. Suspension travel is dictated by shock travel and one be very careful not to go too low. The other limitation is bump steer and this is a very big issue when the car is too low. As long as your ride height is within bounds, you can correct bump steer with a simple spacer kit.
Track or race cars uses different struts (raised spindles), shocks (shorter) and bump steer correction (ERP), of course,...
If you arer going to stick with the stock torsion bars, a set of Bilstein HD shocks will work very well.
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Mexico City
Steve,
Thank you very much
about the bouncing tes you are right I just one to put very clare that I have no idea with porsche suspension jaja, but ill check all the suggestion .
Thanks again
Thank you very much
about the bouncing tes you are right I just one to put very clare that I have no idea with porsche suspension jaja, but ill check all the suggestion .
Thanks again
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 882
Likes: 0
From: SW Ontario canada
just a thought, but I wonder if someone put the wrong front sway bar on? These cars just don't oversteer like their reputation would have us believe. your description of the handling makes me wonder....
