Hello, all. Now that I have my motor running right I'm gonna start tackling some ride and handling issues. I'm in the process of gathering advice. I have 3 issues.
1. Power steering is a bit tight. As in hard to steer at all speeds.
2. Transmission shifts too hard.
3. The car rides rough. I can feel every bump and pot hole.

What I know.
1. My front end is low. I don't know why. The PO didn't lower it and he doesn't know if his PO did either. I intend on raising it but is this just gonna be compensating for a problem that exists with the suspension?
2. I can adjust the transmission for a softer shift but again is the hard shift being caused by a problem?

Any input would be greatly appreciated

 

Problems 1 and 3 can definitely be caused by low ride height.

What I would do is perform a general inspection of all suspension components and replace any that are worn.......shocks, springs, etc.
Then set the car at the correct ride height along with having a proper alignment done by a mechanic that knows 928s.

As far as the tranny goes, check out Greg Nichols site for insight...

http://www.nichols.nu/cat09.htm

 

Are you running not stock wheels?

I've run 17" wheels, and 15" wheels on my car. The 17"s are harder to steer, and you feel every single grain of sand on the roadway. The sidewalls don't flex, and you can feel it.

The 15"s are ultra smooth, and I'm guessing because the side walls have a bit of give in them, seems to be easyer to steer, this was expecaly noticeable when I was running w/o power steering. I can't really explain why, as the withs withs are not radicaly diffrent. 215 vs 225.

However, if your also running 17", or 18" wheels, I would expect switching to a set of 16" or 15" would smooth things out alought. However, 15" wheels induce a bit of body roll. When you first get them, don't try to conor so hard, as it's very easy to overcorrect when they don't respond at the same time as the 17" wheels, and end up on a wall. (Almost did that!)

 

you may consider changing the pump over to the 91 revision for the power steering to make it easier, you will also need to change the rack as well,
as per the tranny shifting, make sure you dont have any vacuum leaks and you can adjust the t handle actuator on the side of the tranny, look at nichols site and also check the e-mail keeps though
as per the ride, what shocks/spring combo do you have, if you have bilstein keep them, the ride will be harsher though, also inspection of the busings for the swaybar and A arms and rear suspension is a must as well

 

old or over-inflated tires can cause ride issues: I like 32-34# range.

Mark

 

I am running 16 inch wheels and am yet to get my shark on dry dock to take a look under. Guess that'll be a must. How do I determine if shocks and springs are bad?

 

You want the quick simple, and cheap test for the shocks?

Bounce of the fender a couple times till you get a good ossiliation, and then see how long it takes the strut to dampen it out. More than one, or one and a half, cycle, and they're no good. When your driveing you can really notice this easily, as the car will almost constaly bob up and down. On some roads the bumps in the road will match the peroid of the bounceing, so that each bump builds on the energy of the last. There is a streach of highway that I use to test that in Houston, because depending on how fast your going, you can set up that bounceing I described above.

If you can't get the car up to ride height with the various adjustments, includeing the shims, then the springs are no longer suitable. Eighter they're trying to sag, or you car has put on some weight.

 

How many miles on the car/shocks? I have read many times that if you are over 90 to 100k you shocks need replaced, period.

 

I have 115K.

 

I have alittle over 274,000 km on my clock, and my shocks are still in perfect condition. are they the origonal? who knows

 

My first 928 came to me with 111k on the clock.......original shocks, and while there was not much "wallowing" with them, the ride was pretty crappy.......more on the hard side then the soft side. Replaced them and everything from ride to handling improved many times over.

If you have 115K on the original ones, they are most likely toast.

 

No shark here, but my 944S2 was almost impossible to steer when the alignment was way off. Got it done by the local PCA-recommended guy, loads better. Tire wear can help you diagnose, if you have driven it enough to wear them.

 

Alignment seems good. Tire wear is even and I hold straight on the road. I do need new tires but they are fairly evenly worn. I'm thinking that maybe the front end being low is a sign of bad springs. What say? porsche2_copy2.jpg

 

I'll try this again
http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/porsche2_copy3.jpg

 

On the transmission issue:

I can tell you that if the transmission is healthy,
it can still be adjusted to be very hard shifting,
to very smooth shifting.

When I had mine rebuilt, it was adjusted to shift hard and fast.
It was cool to have the faster acceleration, and chirp the tires,
but I use my car in LA, and I prefer less RPMs, and smoother
shifts, unless I hit the kickdown switch... It now shifts how I like
it to, so I just want to say that it *can* be adjusted, both with the
valve body, and the cable adjustment...