doug751

Hello,

I have a 1989 c4 that has only 5000 miles on it and is in perfect, like new condition. That said, the suspension sucks. Floats a bit yet crashs over small bumps or expansion strips. Tried 3 sets of wheels/ tires that I have from previuous 1992 C2 (wrecked that one) and tires are not the issue.

So, my last car had Pss9. Smooth over bumps, could tighten them up for the track and they were still smoother than what I have now. One issue was that they could not get the back of the car high enough when they installed the PSS9 suspension, and they could not get the car within spec for ROW alginment and my rear tires rubbed on the inside when using 17" 255 PS2's on the track (no issue on the street though). I am not a suspension engineer, but perhaps my hillbilly trackside adjustments may have contributed to the car being so unforgiving; it was very easy to spin.

Back to the new car, I want a matched spring and shock to lower the car to Euro or ROW height, and not lower. I do not need adjustment, and I want the car to be smoother and more stable. H&R Coilovers do not cost much more than Bilsteins and H&R springs. Are they going to feel like my Pss9's on medium adjustment? If so, that would be perfect for me. Does anybody have these coilovers on their C4?

Wheels will be 16" or 17" with PS2's or similar Max Performance street tires, and possibly the 17" PS2 Cups that I have in the garage for DE's. I know that everybody says to use street tires for Novice DE, but I never wrecked with my Cups and I did with the street tires so I am going to use the track tires if I go to the track. I am not going for broke with this car, it is too nice. I just want to fart around. If I get the urge to track more I will buy a track car and a trailer.

Thanks!

-Doug

aeroman

Wow. You just described how my 1992 C4 drives. I want to change to a better suspension. Hopefully, monitoring this thread will help me do that.

ChaseN

I have H&R coilovers with the turbo springs. To me, they are perfect. Pleasant on the street and compliant, but provide a HUGE difference on the track from the stock setup. My car, lowered about as far as my wheel/tire package would let me go (however you can set the ride height higher at ROW spec if you wish), is rediculously neutral handling on the track. They were easy to install, too (though I believe the early suspension points in your car complicate things a bit). The only thing I want to change is some larger/adjustable sway bars to reduce body roll a little further and to be able to fine tune the thing. I also had it aligned and corner balanced after the installation with no problems. I highly recommend them.

doug751

Chase,

What are the roads like in your area? Where do you live?

Thanks!

911URGE

Wow. You just described how my 1989 C4 drives with 143K on the odometer. I want to change to a better suspension. Hopefully, monitoring this thread will help me do that.

ChaseN

Doug, I live in Virginia about 10 miles outside DC and the roads are pretty bad in spots here. Because of the huge volume of traffic, our backroads get largely ignored by VDOT. The H&Rs work good for me versus a stiffer suspension because all the "fun roads" around here have many imperfections, different kinds of pavement, potholes, etc.

Hope that answers your questions.

kgorman

Doug,

I can't comment on the H&R setup vs the PSS9 because I never had PSS9 on my car, but I can tell you I had the H&R Greens/Bilstien setup on my C4. It was set to RS ride height, but I suspect they would have had no problem setting it to ROW height. The suspension was tight on the road, but no banging and not too harsh, it was just right. The setup was fine for a couple DE's a year, but once I started to do 1 or 2 a month, it was not good enough. I say, go for it!

Gary R.

I can only parrot what my race shop told me when I asked them about the best setup for the street with an occasional DE for my C2. H&R or Eibach Sport Springs with new Bilstein Sport shocks. When asked about the H&R coilovers he said they were valved incorrectly and to stay away from them.

I went with the Eibach's and Bilsteins. Only thing I would add are adjustable sways from Smart Racing at this point and be sure all bushings/tie rods/ball joints are as new.

deoxford

Does any one have a source for the RS springs?
And what shockes would you use with them?

I have read the Eibachs are soft is that correct.

GT-three

Gary,thats excatly what my mechanic told me.I went with revalved bilsteins w/ H+R turbo/RS springs.Great setup for dual purpose.Next will be the sways.

C4Russ

I have the Eibachs and I think they are fine (read soft) for my daily driver. I don't think they'd be sufficient for competitive racing. However...if you are doing the DE events as a fun event for yourself, i.e. learning to drive the car better and it's a daily driver...would you really want a track suspension?

A stock Porsche is sufficent for DE events, provided the suspension is fresh and operable.

Gary R.

If I was going with a 900-1400LB spring I would have Bilstein's custom valved for them. Once you go any farther down that road you may as well get Motons or JRZ's. Of course all bushings should be Nylatron or Deltrin and alignment changes made to work better with the R rated tires....

Eibachs feel exactly like H&R's to me as far as stiffness and I put a set of each in two cars within 6 months of each other (a 91 C2 and my current 93 C2). Again, for a dual purpose car you can get the H&R's, shocks, AND a new set of adj. sways and a strut brace for what a set of (mediocre IMO) PSS9's cost and have money left over....

doug751

I want a car that I can jump into and hammer up to the U.P. on freeways and back roads or drive at the limit of "go straight to jail" tolerance all day long and feel planted and in control in crosswinds and on bumpy midwest roads without being beat up. My Subaru Legacy Spec. B feels like that now, my old C2 with PSS9 set on medium did as well. My C4 now feels like a Ford Pickup. I do not really care about DE's as that will be once or twice a year, and I will never go back to a fast track like Watkins Glen with this car. I will purchase a beater C2 or 968 with safety gear for for that when I am ready.

Tires will be 17" if I consider how they look, or 16" of I go purely for function and price.

Based on that criteria, what should I do for shocks and or springs.

BTW, my C4 felt really good in the fresh snow today with the crap Hankook Snow Bears that I bought in Idaho to cross the Rockies. I will not drive it much and for sure not on salted roads.

Thanks!
-Doug

deoxford

Thanks guys, my car is a weekend car/DE track car. So I don't mind if it is a little harsh.
This is really helpful, I don't know about ya'll but I can't do a track event with out doing something new to the car.(brakes, brakes cooling, shocks you know something to make it better one event at a time)
And this car is so...loose compared to my 72 , and heavy too.
But I am looking foward to putting it on a diet and making it tight.

Derek

Geoffrey

The question I have is if a normal C2, do you prefer the C2/C4 H&R spring rate or the slightly stiffer RS America H&R spring rate?