eyeball kid

First off, yes I did search this. The search left me more confused than a blind man watching a porno--it all sounds good, but what does it mean!

I'm looking for pragmatic advice (read frugal is good.)

I have an 88 951 with 75k. Mostly stock right now, but am planning, working towards, the modifications LR has featured under their 300whp kit.

I plan mostly street driving with occassional forrays into DE and autoX. When the kids are older and the wife and I a bit richer, maybe turn it into a track car.

The stock suspension is the base 951. I bought a nice M030 suspension from JLturpin (thanks--great seller btw) which include struts, 250lb springs, rear shocks and sway bars and bushings.

I have 17" cups to place on the car and will be doing the 968 caster blocks. I have no real desire to lower the car.

I'm planning on installing the M030 in April, but I'm confused about how to proceed.

Should I have the struts rebuilt? They seem to have sub 100k on them but are surely used. If so where? What are my options for upgrading these struts?

Does the Koni conversion which has you hacking up a sealed strut and putting in an adjustable insert have any pertinence here?

For the rears, I'm planning on new shocks and .... what?

Helper springs and a softened torsion bar?

Coilovers and no torsion bar?

New shocks and a thicker torsion bar?

Am I missing anything blatant in this calculation?

Which sources for parts do you all recommend (the number of choices stagger me)?

Thanks in advance for taking your time with this neophyte question.

George D

Koni will rebuild your struts for about $500 and will be as new. Just call Koni and get a price quote.

If you want a good handling car, and not have to spend much money, get new Koni Sport shocks for the rear, replace all bushings, purchase some 968 castor blocks and install 968 club sport rear torsion bars, or 29mm torsion bars. Helper springs should be integraged into the strut like the KW V3 or other high quality components. These are designed to run with the factory sway bar set to zero. Our torsion bars work very well with a good set of shocks. Replacing the stock torsion bars are not as important as having new bushings and good shocks. Replacing the torsion bars are a pain in the ***, and indexing them is not for the faint or inexperienced. Some shops just won't do it, or do it incorrectly.

Try the new suspension with the factory t bars and see what you think.

You will be amazed at how well the factory M030 stuff workes on our cars with moderate hp.

eyeball kid

Thanks for that response. Do you mean the Koni rebuild would probably run 500 for both or each?

Jason @ Paragon Products

If you're on a budget I would:

Keep your stock strut on the car and use:

http://www.paragon-products.com/prod...-1414s-xdo.htm

on sale BTW. Set the M030 struts a side until you can afford to convert them to something like:

http://www.paragon-products.com/Sear...sp?Search=8742

you could install the Koni 8641-1414 Sport inserts in the M030 struts but once you cut them open to install those inserts you can't go back and do a double adjustable conversion on them.

On the back, just bolt on:

http://www.paragon-products.com/prod...8040-1035s.htm

That's the regular maintenance stuff that will make a large difference. After you get your next stimulus check you may want to consider doing the 968 M030 sway bars. When you get ready to put it on the track there will be a host of other items that will help make you go fast.

jlturpin

You really should put them on the car and drive it before you send them off to be rebuilt, and I don't think there is any need to replace the rear shocks either, trust me, spend the 30 minutes and change out the rears and there will be a big difference if you are running the original shocks.

Seriously, don't even consider rebuilding the struts until you have put them on and have reason to. The rebound and compression on them are great, and the spring setup really stiffens up the front of the car, as will the M030 951 bars you bought from me.

I went with the KW's that George mentioned, had them on the car for less than a week before I threw a rod. They are a great setup, but so is what you have. Save your money for now and give the M030 setup a try.

500 should get the set rebuilt from Koni, when it is time.

ehall

^^^^^^^^Listen to the man.

APKhaos

^^^ +1
And ask Jason about his 968 CS Turbo :-)

eyeball kid

I'm gonna listen to the man. No sermon needed...I've seen the light---call me Saul.

ehall

okay Saul.