RKD in OKC

When you go stiffer on your springs, your sway bars are less effective, just like your dampers. I agree that stiffer bars on stock springs is not a good handling setup, but I also feel stiffer springs without stiffer dampers AND stiffer bars is also not good. And I just hate to hear people using dampers to make up for soft springs. The progression of suspension performance upgrade should be springs, sway bars, then dampers.

I personally like progressive springs. There is an advantage to them besides a softer town ride. What you call wallowing is the rate that progressive springs load the tires. That rate gives better acceleration and deceleration grip from the tires over non-progressive springs of similar max spring rate. Or so Eibach, the seller of progressive springs will tell you.

Ispeed

Why don't you try some bigger front wheels? You could probably get some 10" wheels under there, you have rolled fenders that my S4 doesn't have (and I have 9.5" fronts).
Exactly what suspension is in your GTS?

Chuck Schreiber

928andRC51,

Im getting a bit closer to new suspension. (Next few months???)

Now that you have more time in the car any new feedback on the 600/400 setup with the revalved Bilsteins? Still looking for as much info as I can before I pull the trigger.

Thanks!

Ispeed

I have no regrets, but no doubt it is a pretty stiff set-up. I just drove a low mile S4 with 474 sport suspension and it feels so bad to me. Like a regular car, not a sports car at all.
I put it this way:

Soft, mushy, comfortable: stock 928 set-up.

Stage 1: add new Bilsteins to stock springs= controlled ride, more confidence inspiring, but still lots of body roll and brake dive.

Stage 2: Bilstein/Eibach combo= feels pretty good, until you start pushing the car and find you still have body roll, brake dive, and newfound harshness and bounciness that will eventually irritate the @#$% out of you. Don't forget that the Bilsteins are valved for stock springs (285/185 or so) and not the stiffer eibachs that in the front start at 400# and end stiffer at 560#. The valving can seem to keep up until you dip into the heavier spring rate and you get bounce.

Stage 3: Hypercoil 600/400 (or 500/350) with revalved Bilsteins= flat cornering, tight feel, modern sports car feel. I think it rides like a 996/997 GT3 which I have driven and been passenger in. Also, you will have the least chance of grounding out and damaging your car when you combine speed with road irregularities.
But: car feels awesome when driven hard, or medium hard; feels rather stiff if you go the speed limit and do a lot of leisurely paced driving.
So: it is what you want and what you want the car to be tuned for.

worf928

I just did an install of the 500/350 with Carl Leguia Bilsteins (CLBs). While I cannot comment on how much softer it is than the 600/400, I can say that it is a serious step-up from the more-common combinations of Eibach/Bilstein and Eibach/Koni. There's a ton more weight transfer communication and the car gives you the feeling that it wants to be tossed hard into corners.

Chuck Schreiber

Worf,
I just got off the phone with Carl and he gave me a lot of good info. No doubt the setup is going to be good in the corners, how bout straight line?? Lots of long straight roads here in Texas, don't want to get beat up on those.

Thanks!

Bill Ball

Hi Dave:

Who/where and what does Carl Leguia do with the Bilsteins? I have spare set I was going to send off to Bilstein for revalving.

worf928

BB, read the OP. When you call Bilstein for the re-valving you ask for "Carl Leguia Valving." (Carl is 928andRC51 btw.)

worf928

Bah! You ain't got straight roads 'round Dahlas parhdnar. You want straight then you gotta head t'wards Amarillo where I grew up. Or El Paso.

I haven't driven a CLB/Hypercoil setup for long distances. You'd best ask Carl "Iron-Butt" Leguia himself. But, my guess is that you will not get beaten up on Texas roads. However, I do suspect that the setup will be slightly more tiring on long distances due to the vastly-more amount of road feel. Your butt shouldn't suffer on the 500/350 setup, but your hands may get tired more-quickly from the high-fidelity feedback to the wheel.

The guy who just picked up his '87 with the 500/350/CLB setup stopped after turning around in my driveway and commented "Wow. I felt that!" I asked "what? The pebbles in the driveway?" and he said "yeah!"

I drove that car around a bit and I didn't think it was so harsh that I couldn't live with it even on Yankee roads if I was careful about potholes. On the other hand, you need to consider that this setup will move the 928 farther away from the GT side of the sports car scale and closer towards the "911 GT3" side of the scale. If that's what you want then it's all good. If you prefer the GT personality of the 928 over its "sports car" personality then you may not like it. Or, in other words, if you prefer eating up miles in comfort more than sticking like glue in twisty corners then it may not be for you as the setup detracts slightly from the former while greatly enhancing the latter.

Jim M.

I think it has more to do with the shocks than the springs. My car, 93 GTS, has Eibach/Bilsteins and handles well on the turns but sometimes jarring on straights with rough pavement. Been driving Roger's 93 GTS with Eibach/Boges and it is much softer in the straights, even with the same rough pavement, yet handles the curves just fine.

Chuck, yours is 100% stock. Why not drive Roger's then mine to compare the differences to help your decision process?

Mixtus

928andRC51: is that a real BMW M540 you have there? If so, please contact me at mixtus@telia.com. I am looking for one of those. Thanks //