superloaf

finally got my racing dynamics strut bar installed and here's my rundown:

1) first thing i noticed within the first block of driving it is that it rode better. the front end seemed better controlled and stiffer i guess so that the shocks could do the dampening better, almost like the car was better dampened thru the shocks. not as rattly feeling. i was really surprised that it would do anything about the ride but i guess a stiffer car will benefit all aspects.

2) so drove the car for a few days and couldn't really feel much other the increased rigidity, even when taking city corners at higher speeds but then i got out on mulholland and was amazed! it is so much more precise, allowing me to place the car right where i want to even once into the curve, letting me make tiny course corrections throughout the entire curve. and a little disclaimer here: my car has two newer 17" PS2's on the rear but in front i'm temporarily on one pilot sport (first version) and one yokohama AVS sport so the front end grip is fair at best especially when the yoko is on the outside. but without changing anything else, not even tire pressures, the car is beginning to oversteer because the front end just bites and stays stuck thru the turn. completely different than what i'm used to in this car with these tires. but i love the way it feels now so when i finally get some PS2's on the front, i'll be in heaven, although then i might need something wider in back.

anyways, i was impressed how front and lower strut bars improved the feel and handling of my scirocco but i figured the porsche was much stiffer and wouldn't benefit as much but i think with the front end just steering, you feel so much more through the porsche's steering wheel and when something improves, you really feel it.

so anyone out there thinking of getting one, i say definitely and any track car should absolutely have this addition.

now i'm curious about the brey krause lower bar, the one that connects the caster mounts underneath the car....anyone have any experience with that part?

oh, and about racing dynamics...who the hell designed that part? awful fit, sure looks pretty but the fit is horrible. the mounting plate is too thick so the studs on the upper strut bearings aren't long enough to fully thread the nuts. i'll probably put in longer studs at some point. and then the left side mount didn't really fit. i had to file out part of it to even be able to thread the nuts, and then the whole time i was tightening it was pulling the mount closer to the body as if only by tightening the bolts would it even be forced to fit. and my bar is used and it looks like someone drilled the holes out much bigger to make it fit. and then the welded piece which connects the bar to the mount is tight against the rubber part of the strut bearing....really? in a $250 part? i'd be pissed if i bought one of these new and had to go through all that.

oh, but it sure is pretty and it sure does work well....

Darud35

Thanks for the review! What kind of suspension are you running?

ausgeflippt951

Pictures?

lart951

You could always buy the KLA strut bar not as pretty as the racing dynamics but it does the same job

http://www.klaindustries.net/944strut/944strut.htm

JohnKoaWood

OR you could PM OddJob and ask if he has any of his left...

Yes it has to be welded in, but it doesn't touch the strut top mount hardware, is a true bolt in member, and DOES make a huge difference (not to mention it is a replica of what the factory used...)!

ausgeflippt951

John -- BTW meant to ask you last weekend when you mentioned the weld-in bar you have: how does one remove the engine from the top? Or is the assumption that you'd drop it from the bottom anyway?

pontifex4

There are two blocks that weld to the strut towers, then a cross-bar that bolts to them. It's removable.

I may have missed something, but why are we recommending strut bars to the OP who already has one? Isn't he asking about lower bars?

JohnKoaWood

Because Racecar?

superloaf

Fairly stock with koni sports and 26.8 front sway bar and then bilstein on the rear. Rear is lowered on the eccentrics and have 17" wheels so nothing crazy. Gotta get rid of the bilsteins; too soft for my tastes and can't even fully dampen the stock torsion bars. And just need to stiffen everything up....

I'll get some pics when I can so everyone can marvel my filthy engine....

And I originally got the RD bar for about $75 without the right side mount which I thought I could get with a quick email to racing dynamics but they were no help (surprise, surprise) but a set of NA mounts came up on pelican which I thought were the same but not quite, hence the drilling. Anyways it's done now so it's good enough for a beat up old porsche.....but I do love it!

jc in rb

Def get rid of the bilsteins . I had them on the back and my ride hight went up .and the car would snap into oversteer.Ihad my new paragon koni setup installed and the car is completley transformed.other then that i am running the 19mm lindsey rear bar in rubber center bushings with solid bush droplinks. in the fronti still have the 25.5 mm sway in delrin centers with ruber on the drop links. front springs are 200 and rear are stock (small ) torsion bars.

Zeff

I have a KLA and I noticed a similar change in front end dynamics. I'm still running on the stock 87 474 stuff but that is being sorted out soon.

jc in rb

@Zeff . how many miles on your 474's. mine went about 180000 before the right front finally puked its guts out.

PEvans

No one has it in their sigs. Are the observed improvements in pre-S 951's without the frame braces and M030?

jc in rb

Mine is a non s that was equipt with option m474. also ,i forgot to list 968 m030 caster blocks and welt front control arm bushings and the kla sway bar mount brace.I got the car with 140000 miles ,so it musta been pretty tired but i still was impressed with it at the time......Now with the new struts and shocks its like a whole new ( to me) car.

Zeff

I've got about 108k on them right now. The car gets a little floaty on long sweeping turns, the rears start bouncing.