a4944

I had my 1986 944 Turbo on jack stands to fix a PS leak. There is a groaning noice coming from the upper strut mounts when I turn the steering wheel. It's very noticable. What should I check for? Is it possible to take off and check the upper mounts? If I do have to replace them, can I replace them with camber plates? I'm not sure if camber plates totally replace all of the upper strut mount assembly.

Thanks,
Mark

89951S

I also have that groan as well...grrr..

Matt Sheppard

You might have a bad strut bearing. Take it off and see if the bearing turns without much effort. If not, the strut is binding there when you turn you wheel.

Consider yourself lucky, you have an '86, the '87 and up bearing is like 5x as expensive. I dont see that much difference and I back-dated my '87 because of this. Pretty cheap fix for you, cheap enough to replace both.

Yes, camber plates replace the entire bearing assembly, but it makes your ride considerably harsher - not intollerable, just transmits more jolt, more road "feel" if you prefer. . .

a4944

What is a strut bearing? Is it in the upper strut mount assembly? I don't notice the noise when driving the car. Could it be caused by the suspension being unloaded when on jack stands? Where can I look for information and prices on a strut bearing?

Thanks,
Mark

Matt Sheppard

This is what the strut bearing looks like:

<img src="http://64.226.197.185/Paragon/Tech/Tech_images/944_strut_002.jpg" alt=" - " />

And <a href="http://www.paragon-products.com/" target="_blank">Paragon Products</a> is the place to get them - not the only place, just the best place.

Removal (well really only reassembly) requires a set of spring compressors which are rather inexpense, but quite the pain to do, especially the first time. Doing this job w/out them it is not adviseable.

Matt Sheppard

Oh, and Mark, There is a proceedure on strut removal <a href="http://64.226.197.185/Paragon/Tech/944_spring_strut_replacement.htm#Illustrations" target="_blank">here</a> , but only go as far as getting the strut out of the bearing, then go ahead and reassemble. It wil not affect any of your allignment adjustments.

a4944

Ahhh, the upper strut mounts. I'm a bit new to this. I have a strut tower bar that I need to remove to see in there. I need to get it aligned anyway. I have some abnormal inner tire wear on the passenger front. It's getting there. Thanks so much for taking the time to clarify with the pics and all.

BTW, do you notice much difference with the chips? My 951 is stock also. I'm not worried about power yet but I heard they reduce turbo lag some. I'm coming from an A4 with smooth power delivery. I plan on tracking the car and would like to minimize the turbo lag. I'll just go stock if there isn't much improvement in turbo lag.

Thanks,
Mark

Matt Sheppard

It really rather depends on what class you want to race in and what sanctioning body (oh, big words) you want to compete with. You basically dont want mods that make you illegal or make you run with full race-prepped GT2's. One wrong mod can put you in GT class, ask me how I know. NASA has a sportscar series w/ races for our cars. PCA has rules on what you can do to the car before moving into too competitive a class and the rules are different depending upon which zone you live in. It also requires at least 4 autoX events or drivers- ed events before you even eligible to be licenced. SCCA has races too, dont know their deal.

If you just want better turbo response and damn the rules, I'd buy a test-pipe exhaust (disclaimer, only for off-road vehicles, ya know. . .). Bursch makes a good one. Do chips make a BIG difference? It's like a different car! <a href="http://www.gururacing.net" target="_blank">Guru Racing</a> makes a great chip package.

Those 2 things will run you about $500 for the best stuff, you installing.