Suspension decision time
02-07-2005, 09:46 PM
#16
Super Duper Moderator
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Originally Posted by Indycam
"If you did lower it and then found that you needed to turn the spring perchs for the 17s ,
it would be a big pita. Thats why I would advise doing everything at one time .
it would be a big pita. Thats why I would advise doing everything at one time .
But thanks for the info. If I replaced the shocks/struts myself (does not look too hard), I have to reset the DME with the Hammer as the brakes have to be removed and bled, yes?
Marc
02-08-2005, 05:04 AM
#17
One possible way to know whether your shocks are shot is to go to a huge car park and do some fairly fast tight continuous turns with an even throttle. With good shocks, the car should settle almost instantly and hold a line, I personally noticed that my car used to settle, then move, settle then move and repeat.....obviously it depends how sensitive you are but if the car is not solid under cornering then IMHO you need to replace....In my youth I used to push down on the corners of the cars I owned before to see if there was any difference in rebound but with the 964 even in stock form that is almost impossible to do...
Not very scientific this method, but the car should be solid and settled under cornering. Try some 50mph turns for example. NB: the 964 steering is very sensitive so depending on the surface of course the car will move a bit but the car itself should be settled....hope this helps...I think Kevin knows what I am talking about after having ridden in my car at Worcester Park the other week?
Not very scientific this method, but the car should be solid and settled under cornering. Try some 50mph turns for example. NB: the 964 steering is very sensitive so depending on the surface of course the car will move a bit but the car itself should be settled....hope this helps...I think Kevin knows what I am talking about after having ridden in my car at Worcester Park the other week?
02-08-2005, 05:57 AM
#18
Drifting
I know what Christer means,
Mine are old and tired, on a corner with some small imperfections my car will patter a little bit, it never feels settled, always like it wants to move around a little. kind of like the feeling you get when sitting on a sofa, rather than a wooden bench.
The bench will feel firm, planted, stable....the sofa will have some give in it, if you move a little the sofa takes some time before your backside becomes settled in position again.....
Strange analogy, but it should enable you to think of how your car should feel in the real world.
Kevin.
Mine are old and tired, on a corner with some small imperfections my car will patter a little bit, it never feels settled, always like it wants to move around a little. kind of like the feeling you get when sitting on a sofa, rather than a wooden bench.
The bench will feel firm, planted, stable....the sofa will have some give in it, if you move a little the sofa takes some time before your backside becomes settled in position again.....
Strange analogy, but it should enable you to think of how your car should feel in the real world.
Kevin.
02-08-2005, 03:46 PM
#19
Super Duper Moderator
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Originally Posted by Indycam
The 964 has coilovers with ajustable mounts for the springs ,"Perches" . If you look at the botom of the spring , its sitting on a threaded mount , if you or your guy , turns the mount , you will be adjusting the ride height , corner ballance and alighnment . Some one who doesn't know better could spin the mounts with out checking corner ballance , its not a job for the unequiped , the car needs to be on scales to see the weight at each corner . Geting the corner weights and the desired heights and alighnment correct is not a snap . They all have to be done well , and if one is readjusted , they all need rechecking .
"If I replaced the shocks/struts myself (does not look too hard), I have to reset the DME with the Hammer as the brakes have to be removed and bled, yes?"
I try to do as little as possable at any one time . So I can see what the outcome of that one thing is .
I would try to do the shocks / struts / dampers (s.s.ds) without opening the brakes . I have not done this job on my 964 , so I'm not sure one way or the other , but I'm sure that others have done this job and will know if the brakes can be unopened while replaceing the s.s.ds .
As for doing the s.s.ds yourself , the springs are a big pita , and dangerous , if you loose control of a compressed spring , it can do some bad things to you and or your car .
If you are going to get some new springs , s.s.ds. , new rims&tires etc ...
get the whole kit together and find someone who has done this job before and spend the $s to have them do the complete job . Its not really a home garage type job .
I think your time and hands should be saved for another job .
"If I replaced the shocks/struts myself (does not look too hard), I have to reset the DME with the Hammer as the brakes have to be removed and bled, yes?"
I try to do as little as possable at any one time . So I can see what the outcome of that one thing is .
I would try to do the shocks / struts / dampers (s.s.ds) without opening the brakes . I have not done this job on my 964 , so I'm not sure one way or the other , but I'm sure that others have done this job and will know if the brakes can be unopened while replaceing the s.s.ds .
As for doing the s.s.ds yourself , the springs are a big pita , and dangerous , if you loose control of a compressed spring , it can do some bad things to you and or your car .
If you are going to get some new springs , s.s.ds. , new rims&tires etc ...
get the whole kit together and find someone who has done this job before and spend the $s to have them do the complete job . Its not really a home garage type job .
I think your time and hands should be saved for another job .
Marc
02-08-2005, 05:18 PM
#20
Super Duper Moderator
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Originally Posted by Indycam
"I'll go looking for what I want then find a local shop who can do it for me."
I don't know N.B. Canada , but I'm stinking that you might have to do a road trip to find a shop thats allready done this sort of thing on a 964 . A nice long relaxing road trip ...
I don't know N.B. Canada , but I'm stinking that you might have to do a road trip to find a shop thats allready done this sort of thing on a 964 . A nice long relaxing road trip ...
That is why I am so keen to learn to do a few things myself (plus the cost savings, bonding with my car, self satisfaction, yada-yada-yada
).Marc
02-09-2005, 04:32 AM
#21
Skippy
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Sorry that I'm rubbing it in Marc but I guess I should feel lucky that the furthest Porsche Centre is 70 miles away from my home, the other seven are closer by though 
Hang in there
Hang in there
02-09-2005, 10:02 AM
#22
Super Duper Moderator
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Kris - yeah, it is depressing.
All the guys here located in California and the UK seem to be debating about which local specialist is the best to go to for this or that -- I just wish I had ONE to go to!
But....I knew that when I bought the car so I had read Adrian's book cover-to-cover twice before buying and plan to do most (simple) maintanance myself.
Marc
All the guys here located in California and the UK seem to be debating about which local specialist is the best to go to for this or that -- I just wish I had ONE to go to!
But....I knew that when I bought the car so I had read Adrian's book cover-to-cover twice before buying and plan to do most (simple) maintanance myself.
Marc
Last edited by Marc Shaw; 02-09-2005 at 04:11 PM.
02-09-2005, 12:05 PM
#23
Instructor
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Middx, UK
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Marc
That 5 hour drive could be well worth it. If you replace the suspension you will disturb the geometry set up and you will need to get the ride heights 'right' and a 4 wheel alignment to get the front toe, camber & castor and rear toe and camber 'right'. And 'right' depends on what sort of driving you want to do. There is a lot of subtle adjustment to be done that will change the way the car handles dramatically and also impact tyre wear.
That 5 hour drive could be well worth it. If you replace the suspension you will disturb the geometry set up and you will need to get the ride heights 'right' and a 4 wheel alignment to get the front toe, camber & castor and rear toe and camber 'right'. And 'right' depends on what sort of driving you want to do. There is a lot of subtle adjustment to be done that will change the way the car handles dramatically and also impact tyre wear.
02-09-2005, 12:19 PM
#24
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Kris, I expect regardless of what you plumetted for at the end of the day, if you had a 14 year old stock suspension, the difference after your upgrade and alignment will be staggering!
I upgraded my stock susp. to a Bilstein/H&R setup last year and couldn't BELIEVE the difference in cornering ability!
Its a great upgrade with immediate driving and cosmetic benefits!
I upgraded my stock susp. to a Bilstein/H&R setup last year and couldn't BELIEVE the difference in cornering ability!
Its a great upgrade with immediate driving and cosmetic benefits!
02-09-2005, 12:51 PM
#25
Skippy
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Howard, thanks for that. In the end I got some feedback from Horst who I knew is also running the Eibach/Koni combination. The very good price I got and the other opinions made me go for it. I'll let you guys know for sure how the new thing feels.
Kismet, Is that a Gillet Herstal you're working on? If so you have the moral obligation to put it back together and drive it with pride through the English country side
Never heard of a 720 before though.
Kismet, Is that a Gillet Herstal you're working on? If so you have the moral obligation to put it back together and drive it with pride through the English country side
Never heard of a 720 before though.
02-09-2005, 10:06 PM
#26
Super Duper Moderator
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Yeah, but it is a PITA to have to take a vacation and a days' drive for any service. It is fun once or twice, but every 6 months for ever gets to be a pest rather than going around the block to the local garage for servicing.
Marc
Marc
02-11-2005, 12:45 PM
#27
Instructor
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Middx, UK
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kris
Re Gillet Herstal:
See link: www.autogallery.org.ru/m/gillet.htm
Scroll down to Army Model AB, mine is a 1942 Gendarme model, similar to the 1939 one with the extra petrol tank capacity (lump on top) designed to take a sidecar (which I don't have) with power take off for the sidecar wheel. I was given it when I was 16, and its restoration will probably be a retirement project.
Re Gillet Herstal:
See link: www.autogallery.org.ru/m/gillet.htm
Scroll down to Army Model AB, mine is a 1942 Gendarme model, similar to the 1939 one with the extra petrol tank capacity (lump on top) designed to take a sidecar (which I don't have) with power take off for the sidecar wheel. I was given it when I was 16, and its restoration will probably be a retirement project.
02-11-2005, 04:37 PM
#28
Skippy
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Tx Kismet,
Nice bike. I hope you'll get it together some day. Take well care of it, we don't have too much rolling heritage where we can be proud of around here.
Nice bike. I hope you'll get it together some day. Take well care of it, we don't have too much rolling heritage where we can be proud of around here.
