J richard

IMHO....

Almost any suspension can be setup right or wrongly. Its all about having the balance worked out. A full blown moton race package can be setup to be undriveable, and a soft stock suspension can be driven very quickly by someone that knows how to pedal it, if it is balanced correctly.

That means selecting a matched shock and spring package, there is enough difference in the reds over greens to warrant a revalve of the bilstein HDs. make sure there are no worn out parts, just replacing springs on old struts is a classic fail, have the car corner balanced and aligned, plenty of guys just slap on shocks and springs crudely adjust the heights and hit the track and wonder why it handles funny, slamming the ride height is a recipie for poor handling, and bump steer issues, the euro rs is a good place to start. Also trying to lower a car on soft springs or over lowering the car will have you riding the bump stops, will make for a wicked snap handling under compression...

There are great examples of different setups for different levels of performance, just have to start with your personal goals. Don't reinvent the wheel, look at cars that run at the front of the pack as a good place to start. Also the factory cup, RS and lightweights are great places to start for all round packages. It's hard to go wrong with the factory RS bars in most instances. If you're full race then all bets are off...

race911

Don't count me in the bad setup = slow car camp, and if I posted something to that effect it's on me not being clear.

To correct (?) things let's say bad setup = driver has to compensate. Which means it can still be a fast ride, just that you're on edge thinking you never progressed beyond a 356 or SWB 911.

Pretty much all this. I'll amplify the slammed "stance" BS, and the attendant bump steer issues.

Bottom line for me is that we've got +/- $20K cars here, and very few of them are put in the hands of EXPERTS to exploit what's available in the chassis. Especially given the age of the cars now.

Doesn't mean you need to put back in what the car's worth to think of getting on track. Does mean that buying a set of shocks and lowering springs, scrounging up some 17" wheels to be able to run a 225/255 setup, and handing it over for an "alignment" isn't going to matter a whole lot on-limit. Enjoyable as a sporty street car which you can run at the beginner/lowest intermediate DE level? Sure. And for nearly everyone here that's just fine. Doesn't mean it's good, though.

(Oh, and some of the most vile, horribly handling 964s I've had the displeasure driving were a couple of the first RSAs club raced out here that were fitted with factory race suspensions. Was very obvious what was required on our bumpy US tracks was wholly different than smooth European circuits.)

sml

best upgrade .......

450lb front coilovers
600lb rear coilovers

sml

btw my lap times reduced 10 seconds with:
- new coilovers as above
- new tyres & wheels
- new alignment

race911

What track?

Let's say there's a typical "basis" '90 coupe out there that has all season tires, and is fully original on it's ~150K mile OE suspension. I'll call that a 2:20 (or worse) car at Thunderhill. Merely on suspension/tires/pads, that CAN be a sub-2:05 car. But it can also be a car that would be frustrating to drive at that pace, or a pleasure.

Where working with an expert comes in, and why I shy away from suggesting much in the way of specific components. I can tell you your 450 front spring rate might be fantastic for your car/track/style, but moving in that direction was horrible for Laguna and Sears back in the RSA racing days.............

crg53

I am looking for input on how to set up H&R ARB on my C2. I have Bilstein HD dampers with H&R green (sport) springs and RS + 5 m/m ride height, the alignment is close to RS as well. There are 2 options on the bars, hard or soft, what would be a good starting point for front and rear?

FeralComprehension

Adjustable sways are for tuning the over/understeer bias. More rear bar=more oversteer; more front bar= more understeer. Pick a setting, try it, adjust from there.

KaiB

Steen, when my car was dual purpose, like yours, I set the H&R bars both at the outer holes. The race car is set the very same way.

I have NEVER had the desire to alter that setup as it is perfect for me.

crg53

Thanks Kai, so soft front and rear it is.
P.S. Really enjoying your "driving tip" thread, lots of good info.

sml

i understand your point ... with the 450/600lb springs the car felt slower on the usual bumpy street roads as the hard suspension skipped over the bumps.

J richard

And to mix things up a little more, spring rates are relative to the weight of the car, 450/650 might be great for a 2850lb but be like skipping over stones on in a 2200 lb chassis. You have to understand all the variables. This will also affect the shock settings that work best as well...

race911

Which frankly few of us understand in depth AT ALL. The experts available here pretty much give away their information. Why it's not further utilized, mostly all in the search for spending a few dollars less, continues to boggle my mind.