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Suspension Questions.... Help........ and Recommendations......
As it sits right now, I really like the ride height and some of the handling traits of my C2 964. It's a pretty tight ride that hates rough surfaces. I'm constantly trying to avoid manhole covers and similar. It is as if there is basically zero compression. Or a super fast rebound. The car has Bilstein's and H&R's on it now. I suspect the Bilstein's are shot.
My shop is suggesting KW Variant 1 set up. I'm not too much for tinkering, so maybe a "set and forget" is best.
What are you running? Why? Use? Happy?
I'd like to keep any suspension changes/upgrades in the < $2.5k range, to include labor.
I have H&R Greens and Bilstein HDs on both of my cars. The ride is firm but comfortable. What ride height are you running? The lower you are, the stiffer the ride. My cars are 1" lower than US stock or about 10mm above RS specs.
Also, what wheels and tires are you running. I have Cup1's with 205 & 255 tires. 18" wheels will give a stiffer feel.
Just off the phone with my shop: Front is lowered 2.5" and rear 2" from US stock. That sounds excessive? It does not look excessive. My Bilsteins are stock, the H&R purples are short. So, a lot of my rough ride is when the shocks are hitting the bump stops.
Cup 17's.
He's how it sets when I purchased it. Previous owners home/photo.
I am just setting my height with new suspension and lowering springs. Looking at the axle alignment table the USA height is about 50mm above RS. So your -2” (50mm) set is about RS height. Although looking at the pic it looks a bit higher than RS. To my eye it is set nice.
If you think you are hitting the bump stops, then the question is did they install RS bump stops or cut down the stock bump stop when they installed the suspension? Also, how old is the suspension system, perhaps as you said it is shot.
Based on some advice I trust from Steve W of Rennsport Systems, I have been using for my C4, here are a few thoughts. I have often felt that the HR Greens and the Bilstein HD set up is a compromise. I am at a similar ride height as Rob (our setups are identical based on the specs). IMHO, the car is too jouncy. What you express is essentially my complaint too. Compression is poorly modulated and I often get a sense that the front end is slamming hard over bumps, especially at higher speeds. I don't know if you'll get where you need to go given your budget, but suspension tech has come a long way. I feel that the Bilstein HR/Green setup is kind of old. It's a long story, but I completely rebuilt my suspension with all new Control Arm bushings, strut tops, rear spring plates etc. I also stepped up to the Motion Control 2 way adjustable setup with the right spring rates. I am super happy with what new bushings and what this setup has done after only one short ride. Of course my plans have changed and that system is now for sale as I have taken it back out of the car. I am moving to a 993 setup and I'd keep this suspension, but it doesn't fit the other platform. If you're interested in going a little farther than your budget, PM me here. This will create a truly worthwhile change in your car's behavior.
I will be posting these soon in the for sale section.
dukmon- that looks like RS ride height to my eyes. To avoid getting into the front bump stops at that height you'll need either custom shorter struts (MCS, etc) or go with all of the RS parts (top mounts and RS-specific struts). The Bilstein HD/B6 struts are definitely on the more "crashy" side over rough roads. However, if you just raise your current ride height out of the bump stop range, closer to Euro height, then it will drive a lot better. The KW V1 will generally ride a little better than the Bilstein/H&R combo but you'll still crash into the bump stops at RS height.
If I had a dollar for every 964 owner making contact with the bump stops while swearing that the car drives great...
I’m hoping to get some suspension thoughts and decided I would just jack this thread as a start. Dukman, can you report back on your KW v1?
I live in Detroit and the roads are pretty bad. My car rides pretty welI, but is a little loose in the front and not “smooth” which I attribute to the original 25 year old suspension. I have a stock 92 C2 riding high( for now) on 16’s. I have purchased new 17’s ( 8 and 9.5’s). I would like my car to look like Dukmans car above and maybe even a few mm’s higher of it helps the ride.
You don't want to go lower than RS+10mm on the ride height. And honestly RS+15mm is better with regard to not hitting the ground with your nose getting in and out of parkinglots. The ride of the car and the handling will be better once it's set up properly if you begin with the right ride height. Low looks cooler but it's not better from a performance perspective.
I have KWV3, and once i got them dialed in right in terms of compression and rebound, im pretty happy, though my previous setup w bilstein b6 and eibach springs was much better for daily use and "around town". Sporty but no crash and no bang. I still have those and would be happy to sell them. They are mounted w oem to hats and are a bolt in replacement ready to go for a pre-91 car.
Anyway. If your roads are bumpy, then the bilsteins and eibach or the softer hr springs are a perfect combo. The kwv3 are a higher spring rate and not fun on bumpy roads.
I went with the KWV1's and so far am very pleased, though I've only put maybe 200 miles on them so far. Not a super complex model, the factory compression/dampening/rebound settings really feels well sorted. I'll have to do a better report after some more use.
01-08-2018, 03:09 PM
Suspension Questions.... Help........ and Recommendations......
