S4 or GT Springs
06-02-2006, 06:01 AM
#1
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S4 or GT Springs
Ok Banzaiis,
I will be doing some work on the car, and since it will be in the air, i was thinking i should get new front springs as mine are sagging (i could max raise my car to 160mm front!!! blows). I want the car to ride at 170mm all around before i take it to alignment. I already have Boge Red shocks all around making my car similarly spec'd to the M474 option code which was the Sports Suspension through 89. Now i am considering the S4 springs or the GT spring (M637 option at this point). I am looking for feedback about the ride stiffness of the stock GT Spring/Shock combo. The magazines always refered to it as a jaw jarring ride, and it has been 15 years since i last rode a new 928GT, so i do not recall well. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated before i drop the loot
Sincerely,
I will be doing some work on the car, and since it will be in the air, i was thinking i should get new front springs as mine are sagging (i could max raise my car to 160mm front!!! blows). I want the car to ride at 170mm all around before i take it to alignment. I already have Boge Red shocks all around making my car similarly spec'd to the M474 option code which was the Sports Suspension through 89. Now i am considering the S4 springs or the GT spring (M637 option at this point). I am looking for feedback about the ride stiffness of the stock GT Spring/Shock combo. The magazines always refered to it as a jaw jarring ride, and it has been 15 years since i last rode a new 928GT, so i do not recall well. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated before i drop the loot
Sincerely,
06-02-2006, 06:51 AM
#2
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I don't know, the whole stiffness thing is totally subjective. The reviewers are the same guys that test Buicks. Some of the luxo-suspensions make me nauseous with the floating sensation. I have put a lot of goodies in my 911 that should make it a stiff ride, but I don't see what the fuss is all about, it feels connected IMO. My guess is anything you talk about here, short of race setup, would be fine. IMO.
06-02-2006, 09:37 AM
#3
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I like the GT Sport suspension for the street. For me, it's a nice compromise between to hard and to soft.
Now the front 900lbs hypercoil on solid mounted bilsteins in the track car is a bit stiff
Now the front 900lbs hypercoil on solid mounted bilsteins in the track car is a bit stiff
Last edited by John Veninger; 06-02-2006 at 09:56 AM.
06-02-2006, 09:52 AM
#4
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I'm with Ed, I've never been in a car that I felt had too stiff a suspension. I just put low profile 18" tires on my GT last night and it improved the ride immensely for me.
I wonder if the jaw jarring descriptions from the initial reviews when the GT was introduced need to be put into the context of when they were written. What seemed overly stiff 15 years ago seems to be more common today. With the performance levels reached by so many cars today, it seems spring rates have increased to deal with it. Low profile tires are also common today, making things harsher than in the past but comsumers are eating it up. Maybe Porsche was ahead of its time and we've all gotten used to it?
The reviews also described the 225 / 245 x 16 tires "massive".
I wonder if the jaw jarring descriptions from the initial reviews when the GT was introduced need to be put into the context of when they were written. What seemed overly stiff 15 years ago seems to be more common today. With the performance levels reached by so many cars today, it seems spring rates have increased to deal with it. Low profile tires are also common today, making things harsher than in the past but comsumers are eating it up. Maybe Porsche was ahead of its time and we've all gotten used to it?
The reviews also described the 225 / 245 x 16 tires "massive".
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06-02-2006, 01:25 PM
#8
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The 928GT had the same springs as the 928CS. I personally like stiff suspension without it hammering down the tarmac. The new 300ZX had a pretty stiff ride and eventually it got annoying - like it how the 928 can be agressive yet comfortable.
06-02-2006, 03:10 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by khalloudy
....... I already have Boge Red shocks all around making my car similarly spec'd to the M474 option code which was the Sports Suspension through 89. Now i am considering the S4 springs or the GT spring (M637 option at this point). ...............Sincerely,
M474 is the sports suspension which comes standard with M639 which is the GT option
M637 is the CS/SE '88/'89 option & NOT part of the GT option
As far as I can see the S4 & GT both use the same springs front & rear, its only the shocks/dampers that are different.
So the choice would be between stock S4/GT or CS M637 springs, Front only , rear are all the same
06-03-2006, 02:26 AM
#10
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Khaled,
You were asking today at the shop if I prefferred the S4 or GT suspesion on my 91's. I mentioned that the GT seemed to be as smooth or smoother that the S4. Later, after you left and Dan put the GT up on the lift I found out why. Apparently my GT has S4 shocks from the factory, they still have all of the original cosmolene so it's not a retrofit.
Chuck
You were asking today at the shop if I prefferred the S4 or GT suspesion on my 91's. I mentioned that the GT seemed to be as smooth or smoother that the S4. Later, after you left and Dan put the GT up on the lift I found out why. Apparently my GT has S4 shocks from the factory, they still have all of the original cosmolene so it's not a retrofit.
Chuck
06-03-2006, 03:07 AM
#11
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Didn't think the sport suspension refers mainly to springs... 
My 90 GT has original suspension with Boge shocks (not sports?) and I thought GT specific springs. I thought the difference was in the shocks available and that the GT came with stiffer springs than the S4...
This seems to go along with what Chuck just saw on his 91 GT.
Khaled, since my suspension is original, and I am going to be replacing it soon with either Koni/Eibachs or Koni/Hypercoils, I'll sell you my "GT" springs... only slightly used...
Rick Redpath
90 GT, Guards Red, Black/Grey
My 90 GT has original suspension with Boge shocks (not sports?) and I thought GT specific springs. I thought the difference was in the shocks available and that the GT came with stiffer springs than the S4...
This seems to go along with what Chuck just saw on his 91 GT.
Khaled, since my suspension is original, and I am going to be replacing it soon with either Koni/Eibachs or Koni/Hypercoils, I'll sell you my "GT" springs... only slightly used...
Rick Redpath
90 GT, Guards Red, Black/Grey
06-03-2006, 03:08 AM
#12
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Of the 4 GT's I have owned 2 had S4 shocks from the factory. I guess people were worried about the ride being too stiff. None of the rides were harsh in any way.
Chuck, I want your GT.
Chuck, I want your GT.
Originally Posted by 928Quest
Khaled,
You were asking today at the shop if I prefferred the S4 or GT suspesion on my 91's. I mentioned that the GT seemed to be as smooth or smoother that the S4. Later, after you left and Dan put the GT up on the lift I found out why. Apparently my GT has S4 shocks from the factory, they still have all of the original cosmolene so it's not a retrofit.
Chuck
You were asking today at the shop if I prefferred the S4 or GT suspesion on my 91's. I mentioned that the GT seemed to be as smooth or smoother that the S4. Later, after you left and Dan put the GT up on the lift I found out why. Apparently my GT has S4 shocks from the factory, they still have all of the original cosmolene so it's not a retrofit.
Chuck
06-03-2006, 03:51 AM
#13
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Thread Starter
This is pretty interesting, from reviewing the specs, it looks like the S4s had the optional sport suspension (M474) which used the Boge Red shocks with the regular springs (this is my current setup and the car's ride is very comfy). My issue is a little bit of a bounce when the road goes up and down. I do not like that at all. Looking at the GT setup, it had option M474 for the shocks only. The euro cars which carried from the CS (which was the original GT in disguise minus the leather) had M637 and those were the stiffer front springs.
It is interesting that Chuck's car came stock with the Boge blues! that is very interesting (oh by the way, it is a beautiful car inside and out - congrats Chuck, you got a nice one there).
So I guess this takes me back to thinking if i should get the 637 or regular springs? umm confused now
really really confused.
Rick, I would buy your springs, but you have 140k on your car, so i bet yours are just as good as mine at this point, so i want to get new ones that would keep the car at the correct ride height for another 20 years but thanks for the offer
Sincerely,
It is interesting that Chuck's car came stock with the Boge blues! that is very interesting (oh by the way, it is a beautiful car inside and out - congrats Chuck, you got a nice one there).
So I guess this takes me back to thinking if i should get the 637 or regular springs? umm confused now
really really confused.Rick, I would buy your springs, but you have 140k on your car, so i bet yours are just as good as mine at this point, so i want to get new ones that would keep the car at the correct ride height for another 20 years
but thanks for the offer Sincerely,
06-03-2006, 09:58 AM
#14
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I changed my stock GT shocks/springs to Bilstein/Eibachs because I felt that the ride was a bit too soft. Standing next to the car, I was able to push the front or rear down a few inches without much effort.
I haven't heard anybody complainining about the GT stock suspension being too soft, so maybe I had some tired shocks.
Anyway, the Eibach/Bilstein combo. makes for a very firm ride (some might say stiff). I'm guessing that it's both the shocks & springs that provide the ride characteristics.
If you get annoyed by a firm ride that borders on stiff, I wouldn't opt for the Eibachs. I would also make sure that Bilsteins or Konis won't stiffen your ride before I installed those.
I haven't heard anybody complainining about the GT stock suspension being too soft, so maybe I had some tired shocks.
Anyway, the Eibach/Bilstein combo. makes for a very firm ride (some might say stiff). I'm guessing that it's both the shocks & springs that provide the ride characteristics.
If you get annoyed by a firm ride that borders on stiff, I wouldn't opt for the Eibachs. I would also make sure that Bilsteins or Konis won't stiffen your ride before I installed those.
