Litespeeds

I want to know what is the best upgrades to my suspension without changing the torsion bars in the rear. I have decided I am not going to be racing but will occassionally take it to the track maybe 3-4 times a year. I will definitely be purchasing the Koni yellow adjustable shocks from Paragon as well as their adjustable spring perch for the front with either a 200lb front spring or maybe 225lbs if they have that. I figure if I lower my car about 1" all around, that would be fine.

What sway bars should I go with? I am leaning towards a set of used 944 Turbo front and rear bars as those are 25.5mm for the front and 18mm for the rear if I am not mistaken. What is a good price for the set? Partshaven has them for $175 each and I think that is way too expensive for used bars.

Is there anything else that I should do other than maybe get some nylon bushings for the swaybars?

Techno Duck

I bought a set of used Turbo sway bars off a member here, i think it was about $150 for both with all the bushing needed to mount them. They reduced the amount of body roll a fair amount.

The setup i have right now is close to what you are looking at...

-KLA strutbrace
-’86 951 24mm front and 18mm rear sway bars
-Paragon's adjustable ride height sleeves
-Hypercoil 200lb springs
-Koni Yellow adjustable front struts
-Koni Yellow adjustable rear shocks
-KLA aluminum monoball strut mounts

I didnt choose the 24mm sway bar for any reason, it was just what was available at the time. I have the front lowered only about 1/2 inch from stock with the rear ride height still stock. I would like to drop maybe an inch all around, but need to buy Rennbay's balljoints to prevent any damage to my control arms from lowering to far. After i get those balljoints done i plan to get a good allignment done with possibly corner balancing.

The car is mostly used for autocross and street driving. 200lb springs are adequete for my usage..stiffening the front struts all the way with the springs feels like its going to crack my windshield hitting potholes and cracks in the road. Its a very well balanced car, however took me a few events to get it all dialed in to my liking. The front struts are set at about 1/2 of there total stiffness with the rear shocks about 3/4 stiff. I run my tire pressures at 34 front and 36 rear and it feels great on the street and autocross. Very neutral feeling at the limit of traction.

I think a good basic way to tell how balanced your car is at the limit is to do a mock skidpad test. Drive in a constant radius tight circle with increasing speed. As the car begins to slide, that should give you a very basic idea of how the car will react at the limit.

Im curious, what are the advantages of running with derlin or nylon bushings as opposed to rubber? Worth the money?

EDIT - Also check to see if your car has a rear factory bar. I honestly cannot remember, but i dont think my car came with a factory rear bar. If it doesnt, you will need 2x droplinks, 2x bushing straps and assorted nuts and bolts.

Campeck

serges droplinks.

ljibis

The previous owner of my '86 944 installed Bilstein struts/shocks and Weltmeister 28 mm front/22 mm rear swaybars. He actually bought these brand new from Pelican - I have the reciepts, very expensive! The springs are factory Porsche items.

I can't attest to track performance, but my car handles like it's on rails on the street. There is NO body roll to speak of in any of the situations I've thrown at it. I think the stock springs and "upgraded" but not extreme dampers help with keeping the ride civil and not at all twitchy or nervous. As I said, I've never really tested the limits on a controlled track, but in aggressive street driving you can can feel the rears losing adhesion very gently and predictably. In one word I'd sum it up as "balance."

Looking at Techno's settings and seeing his description of the ride and handling, I'd guess that the non-adjustable Bilsteins fall right around the midline settings on his adjustable Koni's. I really love the ride the Bilsteins give...if your heart is not set on having the adjustability for rare (or ultrarare) track days, I heartily recommend saving some $$ and going with Bilsteins instead.

It also has the nylon bushings, and not having driven a 944 with rubber ones I really can't compare. Also, yes, if your car didn't come equipped with a factory rear bar you'll need to buy the droplinks, bushing straps, etc. I think that some of the vendors might sell all this required hardware as a kit.

xsboost90

should be able to find them used for that price for both. I got both for 150 w/ all links etc included.

shiners780

I've got a set for sale, front and rear, off my 1988 951. They are the stock bars, not sure what the sizes are. Bushings included, but I think you would need an install kit for the rear bar if your car didn't come with a rear bar. PM me with your email address and I'll send you a picture if you would like. $175 shipped for both.
Jim

Serge944

If youre not going to touch the torsion bars or add a low spring rate coilover in the rear, why would you stiffen up the front? You can get away with it if you get some camber plates and run the appropriate amount of neg. camber. Unfortunately, you will also sacrifice braking ability. Also, dont bother with a strut brace - on a relatively stock suspension it will hardly make a difference.

If you're on a budget, get a set of 26.8/18mm swaybars. I sold my set for less than $100 a while back. If you dont mind spending a bit more, throw on a 19mm or a 22mm weltmeister in the rear and keep the 26.8 up front.

Finally, change the shocks and worn bushings and you're set.

There really isn't a point into going any further if you're keeping stock springrate in the rear.

GlenL

I did basicly this with 200# lowering springs on the front. A 944 expert who drove the car said it handled well and was balanced. Does handle great.