Mrspencer

So started my brake upgrade today all from an 89 s4, here's the issue everything fits perfectly except my lower ball joint, my car is an 85s3, so do I replace the lower ball joints or the lower arms, or am I going in the wrong direction. Everything bolts up,seems like the ball joint is hitting the backing plate not allowing the ball joint to pass through the lower spindle😭😭😭😭😨 many thanks in advance.

Speedtoys

yup, needs the later LBJs.

Mrspencer

so I need to purchase the 89 lower ball joints also, got it thanks for the reply.

The Forgotten On

You need more than that. You need the whole front suspension.

Or you can swap on some 81- front spindles and use some adapter brackets to fit the calipers. You will need 993 front rotors if you go this route.

hlee96

Check out ed's website (guardian pump) perfexmfg.com and he has machined adapters for S4 calipers to directly bolt onto S3 spindles. I would ask him about the correct rotors to use.

Good luck. I'm doing the easier route of using s4 calipers in OB (only need to change rotors to 993 in the front and adapters are available through Mark Anderson).

Hoi

Landseer

Moving the to the later spindles indeed means moving the later control arms too. Technically, the antisway bar is also different, along with different lower ball joints as you've seen. The upper ball joints embedded in the later upper control arms, in addition, are not rebuildable at home, so to execute the swap you might need to buy refurbished replacements from 928 International as I had to.

86.5 S and 87-on S4 are same suspension, same brakes.

To move those brakes to an 86.0 or earlier 928 means moving the whole suspension. Moving the suspension is a big job. It also means work to the ABS if ( and only if ) your 85 has the ABS option.

Hoi's answer may work for you instead.

James Bailey

The A-arms are NOT the same length..... so not a simple bolt on the spindle project.

85euro928

Do this, that's how I did it. Easy-peasy.

Landseer

Funny, Ed owns my 84 Euro.... to which I first fitted the full S4 suspension and brakes.

Mrspencer

so just got off the phone will Carl 928mororsport, explained what I have and all I need are the ball joints for the same year as the spindles.

Mrspencer

[QUOTE=85euro928;14337030]I all ready have the spindles and hubs and rotors so the only the missing is the ball joints from the same year as the spindles, as per Carl's advice, thanks for the reply.

Mrspencer

so I called Carl at 928 Motorsport this am, explained everything I had and what the issue was he states that I need the later ball joints and i should be good to go, so ordered those thanks for the reply.

Landseer

Well, if you have the S4 (or, equally, the 86.5) suspension parts, its good.

If only swapping spindles and lower ball joint, then you are on uncharted territory from my perspective.

Let us know how it progresses. Will try to find my pics to share with you.


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Mrspencer

yes, I believe I have anything,only thing I didn't take with the swap were the lower ball joints and arm, the ball joints are in bad shape.so everything is new car was totaled before the brake upgrade could be installed, so I now have the parts, ball joints have been ordered, don't believe I need his lower a arms.Thanks again to all will post pics when I get home if it's not too dark.

Landseer

OK, cool.

The a-arms of course are different lengths on the S4 to accomodate the different hub length.

I'll post a link, but it rambles, so its best used for the pictures scattered throughout.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...read-blog.html