Hi guys,

I just purchased a 1986 944 Turbo and one of my front shocks is leaking. I purchased the car for autocross and small track use, but it will be driven on the street, but not much. Just on the way to the track.

There is a lot of stuff out there, and I am confused. I want to do this once and do it right the first time.

To replace the front shocks, it looks like I have to do the strut conversion in order to get good shocks. Is this correct? Also, should I lower the car with new springs as long as I am at it?

For the rear, can I just replace the shocks, or can you do a coil over system? Also, is the cam bolt the only way to lower the rear.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. These are great cars!!

 

If your going to track the car. The billstein setup can't be beat for the price. the installation is easy because it uses the stock rear torsion bars. I think if you go past 100lb springs in the rear you may have to reindex the torsion bars(PITA). Another good idea would be to use the m030 sway bars to complement the shocks. This is one of the best setups for the track without breaking the bank. Welcome aboard.

 

I did a Koni conversion on my '86, and it is fairly easy. Basically you pull the old struts, cut the tube, drill a hole, and install the new inserts.

Paragon Shocks

Paragon has everything you need and they're service is the best out there. I heard they evacuated for Rita, so they may be "off-line" for a while.

 

Bilstein Cup set up is first class, cost is all relative, but the entry fee is a bit hefty, IMO. Paragon is absolutely a source of very good advice as well as being very Koni-experienced and Koni-connected. Worth a call to Jason. Their web site no longer has the evacuation message, so maybe these good folks dodged the bullet in Corpus Christi!

I'm running a 968 factory M030 Koni upgrade on my Turbo S with 80# rear helpers, adjustable front perches and 30mm front /19 mm rear adjustable M030 bar package, including OE 968 caster blocks and control arms with mounts for plastic front brake air diverters. Lacks a bit of the ride height adjustability of some other choices but works fine.

My bud here in town opted for the Paragon front kit with double valved Koni strut rebuild and his car is really coming into its own at speed events.

Rear ride height can be problematic unless you have the patience and skills to reindex the rear torsion bars. The factory trailing arm adjustment cam is limited to something around an inch (or a little less) of drop from the factory US setting.

FWIW, I think a mild drop may be all you want to tackle at first. Super low looks "bad" but also can work badly in the older sense of the word. Dropping your car to factory Euro ride levels can be accomplished with the rear trailing arm cam and an adjustable front strut perch. Cars down on the bump stops are evil. Why do you think they call it "bump steer?" Add oversized wheels and extremely wide rubber and the voo-doo can multiply. If you car is headed toward blended street/track use, a conservative project may be more satisfying.

One other thought. Tires are perhaps the most important part of the whole equation. A "great" suspension on cheap or ill suited size tires will still feel like junk and scrub around at speed events. If you have to settle for one set to cover all uses, I'm impressed with my bud's 16" Toyo RA-1's.

 

I had the rear lowered using the trailing arm adjustments, and at least on my car it's more than enough lowering. I'm actually thinking of some helper srings because it's actually a little too low and I'd like to be able to fine tune the height adjustment. My front was already lowered by one of the previous owners (using H&R springs) and that combined with the rear lowering has made the car so low that I've had to remove the side skirts because they were constantly scraping.

 

My car has the Mo30 aswell, but how do I know if I have the 968 caster blocks, and control arms. Is it all part of the kit?

Thanks

 

the way i remember it, 951's have their own aluminum arms separate from the 968. i know my 86 has the 968 sway bars and such, but the control arms are still the 86-only ones. caster blocks i dont know, since the PO changed to ground control.

 

OE 968 Caster Blocks are easy to ID and readily available through parts houses like Paragon. The earlier blocks have a U-shaped bracket and the rubber block is shaped like a loaf of bread...round to the bottom and flat and open at the top, resting against the chassis. The later M030 968 unit totally encloses the rubber block in the stamping and rubber part is a round doughhut. Less total rubber more securely mounted.

The 968 M030 arms are not available as a kit that I know of, but I think they are the now the standard 944 factory replacement/upgrade, much like motor mounts. They can be ID'd by the two "extra" holes on the leading edge of the arm to mount the trick plastic brake cooling diverters. Interestingly (0r not) when I got my Turbo S, the right arm was as described and the left arm was not. Got a first class deal from Oklahoma Forgeign on a driver side M030 take off from a 968.

 

FYI, here is a link to a very good explanation of 968 M030 specs, including PET diagrams. Check out the link about the caster blocks, it shows the entire control arm layout.

http://www.weissach.net/968_M030-Option.html

 

There are a few ways to go, at rational prices. (meaning Ohlins, Racing Koni's etc are not included because of about 4k plus pricing)
You can go Koni yellow coil overs from Paragon. Total Fr/Rear will run you about 2 K
They will be a very good combo for street and occasional DE. No one is better than Paragon when it comes to Koni's. Though they are adjkustable for ride height, the other adjustmenst can be somewhat limited.
There is the Bilstein Escort cup set up, also from Paragon. (Though others sell them Paragon can't be beat for service/price/knowledge) They are'nt terribly adjustable. They are valved awfully stiff, though you may be able to get that taken care of, and they go for roughly 2k once you add in things that need to be taken care of.
Lastly Leda's. You can get them from fellow Rennlister Chris White, @944enhancement. They are 24 way adjustable, with a **** that is easy to get to. They will work with you to find the best spring rate for your needs, and valve them accordingly. You'll have a choice of spring rates etc. They run roughly 2k as well.
You might want to add in MO30 sway bars fr/rr. You need to decide whether you want to delete the t-bars. If you do, you may well want to get the Racers Edge lower shock mounts for the rear. Pick up some 968 castor blocks from Paragon. While you're in there, check the condition of your ball joints and tie rods/tie rod boots etc. May as well do it at once.
You might want to decide about some solid bushings, though for the street it's overkill, and noisy, and people bitch ALOT about solid bushings.
There ya go. Good luck.

 

As this thread pretty well indicates, the 944 platform is well supported with suspension mod options, both factory upgrades, quasi-OE applications and pure aftermarket. Price for doing the whole car is also fairly well pegged at around 2K, plus labor.

The question, of course is how far you want to go. Interesting to me that, when introduced in 88/89, the 951S was as close to a track set up as any non-supercar available to the public. To this day, it is fair to say that it is a rough rider on anything less than perfect surfaces.

The bar has gone up on the expectations, performance capabilities and harshness of suspension set ups since then. You can certainly put a suspension under a 951 these days that will outperform the factory Turbo Cup cars, but I doubt if you would want to drive that car anywhere off the track other than back and forth to the trailer.