till_that_day

stamped #s on control arms...

DS: 951 341 149.01

PS: 951 341 150.01

logic would tell me that these are just left and right part #s from the same year.... but I hope not bec there was about 3/4 inch in length difference between sides and both appear straight. Drivers side was the shorter of the 2.

ideola

Those are the part numbers that are stamped onto the 1986 951 early offset alu a-arms. I have a pair on the shelf and I just checked them. Mine are equal length.

So. It sounds like the driver side unit could be bent. Or you have the wrong offset on one of the front wheels.

xsboost90

ive had a few 944's that had one wheel closer than the other to the fender. It is possible that the sub frame-cross brace is shifted over. You maybe able to loosen it and push it over as it holds the a-arms in place.

ideola

Ahhh, that's right! And the alu arms have adjustments at the rear as well...so it could just be an alignment issue with the rear adjustment and the alu cross member...

till_that_day

Could be it. I ran out of time last night so i just grabbed those part #s and a quick measure. Something has to be wrong with that DS cont arm/steering knuckle/strut tho because the lower strut mount is within millimeters of touching the top of the swaybar link, while on the other side there is a good 1/2 inch. Next I'm going to get a straight edge and micrometer and start checking every distance I can around that area.

After sleeping on it for the night ... Is it possible that a bent trailing arm or something slightly off in the rear end could be amplified by the length of the car and pulling the front end out?

till_that_day

I FOUND IT!!!(stoked)

after playing "the match game" for an hour and a half under the front of the car I saw something that probably should have been freaking obvious in the first place, but as I've said before this is my first Porsche and I'm still learning to speak german...

ideola and XB90 you both were correct in the last posts you left.

The rear DS cont arm eccentric is 180 deg out of wack, and I think the bushing may be shot too. Also the front bolt appears to be slightly bent, and knowing that, it also is possible that the crossbrace is shifted as well.

pics are DS followed by PS (upside down and backwards)

till_that_day

I am going to mark everything and attempt to get it straightened out tomorrow and just get a cheapy alignment. I know everything has to come loose so this may be interesting

JohnKoaWood

Car was in a DS front end collision at some point?

The front end was resprayed, the control arms are WAY wrong in their rear mounts, and DS appears to be bent (rear caster adjusting bolt)...

Let us know what you turn up during the re-alignment / alignment....

till_that_day

The more I see on this car the less that I want to know what actually happened.

I bought it because of low miles, great running engine and very easily talked down price.

Don't get me wrong, she still drives amazingly but I feel it can be better. And yes the whole car has had a terrible respray with bondo popping out on DS rear quarter. The body and frame on the front end are straight as an arrow with exception of a bend in the lower airdam and a crack in the lower front DS quarter plastic piece. From what I can figure it was crashed somewhere between 1995 and 2003 when the PO bought it, like I said I dont know the story and dont really want to.

I drive the **** out of it on a semi-daily basis, and if the front end is that bad now I can only imagine what it'll be like with it right