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I’m a bit stumped. In the first step of removing the steering rack I removed and split the tie rods. However there isn’t enough clearance to get them out of the hub steering arm because the adjustment **** on my PSS 10’s interfere. See picture.
I tried removing the adjustment **** which is held on by a small set screw. I can get the adjustment **** detached from the shock but the blue **** won’t clear the tie rod even with the tie rod fully installed. I searched the forum but couldn’t find any answers. So before I remove the shock has anyone else experienced this and is there a simpler approach.
Turning the wheel won't help here as the mount for the tie-rod is part of the wheel carrier (upright). So it is always in the same relative position to the mount for the shock since it's all one part.
Unfortunately, this is a design flaw of the Bilsteins and that ****. It prevents the tie-rod from being removed and you need to un-do the shock.
Thanks for all the looks. But after viewing every possible angle the last poster is correct. It’s a design flaw of PSS10’s and you are not getting the tie rod off without removing the lower shock attachment.
i did it yesterday. Remove the sway br drop link so you can pivot the hub carrier. Remove the two lower mounting bolts in the shock mount. It helps if you done the modification in the brake line holder that allows you to slip the brake line out once you remove the clip. That gives enough clearance to pivot the hub carrier and the tie rod drops out.
Taking the shock off lead to a while I’m in their moment.
new drop links
sway bar rubber grommets
new top shock mount
new tie rods
balljoints
brakes
already did the lower control arm bushings when I did the shocks some 25k miles ago.
Thanks for all the looks. But after viewing every possible angle the last poster is correct. It’s a design flaw of PSS10’s and you are not getting the tie rod off without removing the lower shock attachment.
i did it yesterday. Remove the sway br drop link so you can pivot the hub carrier. Remove the two lower mounting bolts in the shock mount. It helps if you done the modification in the brake line holder that allows you to slip the brake line out once you remove the clip. That gives enough clearance to pivot the hub carrier and the tie rod drops out.
Taking the shock off lead to a while I’m in their moment.
new drop links
sway bar rubber grommets
new top shock mount
new tie rods
balljoints
brakes
already did the lower control arm bushings when I did the shocks some 25k miles ago.
Got to love these 28 year old cars.
now that I did the front, the back suspension …….
I'm curious, unlike my current 958 Cayenne and the multiple Audi B5 S4s I've had and worked on, part suppliers do not seem to offer up full suspension rebuild kits for the 993. If I am wrong here, can you please link to some sources?
From what I've found, most places just list several smaller groupings of parts. Is it because they are so expensive that no one goes in and replaces everything - which is what it sounds like you are doing? For the things you mentioned above, can you offer up some links or part numbers for the drop links, tie rods, etc.
I would love to do something similar to what is sounds like you are working on -- I just want to go through and do a complete refresh of all of the bushings in the suspension - front and rear. It would be so much easier if someone just sold a complete kits for both.
Thanks!
To Andrew, A kit is not what you are looking for on these cars. Most of the parts will come from Porsche anyway. The Porsche PET is your friend here along with the good info from RL. For the front suspension to do a full good job you will need the following no matter how many miles the car has.
Springs (they have settled, check your ride height at the subframe, not the fender shocks ( the new Porsche classics are terrific),; tie rods ,inner and outer; sway bar drops and bushings; new control arm bushings (Elephant racing) ; new ball joints; check the upper strut mounts as they may still be good even after all these years. Do the brake hoses while you are in there.
For Gjbacci, the rear suspension is a bit more involved but definitely doable since you succeeded on the front end. The issues with the rear is that the rubber bushings are replaceable (Elephant racing) but the other end of the links have ball joints that are not replaceable. Also the rear control arm has one replaceable rubber bushing but the ball joint is not replaceable and the leading leg of the arm has a spherical ball joint that is not replaceable and is always worn out. Therefore plan on replacing the control arms. Also of the three links (dogbones) the ball joint on the toe link will be shot as it carries all the load from the lower shock mount. Also it is highly recommended to replace the upper shock mounts as it is hard to check or test them but they carry the load of the engine/transmission and is the cause of many "clunk sounds". Springs, shocks sway bar drop links and bar bushings and brake hoses will be in order. Also plan on the rebuilding the rear axles even if the boots are not cracked or split. New axle nuts etc.
I just did all of this three months ago. The car is all new underneath and drives just like it did in 1995.
Cool, thanks for the detailed description. It sounds like I have my parts shopping cut out for me! ;-)
Do you recommend keeping the original suspension or swapping out for coilovers? The car came lowered but still has a separate spring/shock setup as if stock. But the 15 years of receipts I got show that the previous owner had continuous issues with the suspension - installed adjustable control arms to deal with camber issues. There are no "clunk" sounds, but I feel like the car floats a bit. It's not the locked-down connected feeling I would expect from this car. Hence, the reason I want to go through and basically copy what you did.
Sounds like the previous owner was a "rickey racer wantabe" and screwed everything up. Happens all the time. Unless you are a national rated instructor and/or building a dedicated track car the fact remains that Porsche built a terrific car in 1995. If you get a chance to drive a truly refreshed original version you will know what I mean. The fun fact about the term "coil-overs" from the aftermarket suppliers is that the original suspension is a coilover design.
Nothing new here. Go back to pure stock everything with the exception of replacing the USA ride height with the ROW height which is suspension M029. You can option for standard OEM bushings or the sport hardness bushings. The new Porsche classic shocks are built by Bilstein using their latest technology but designed specifically for the 993 which is why they carry the official Porsche 993 part number. Available in standard or sport versions. Don't screw it up.
Sounds like the previous owner was a "rickey racer wantabe" and screwed everything up. Happens all the time. Unless you are a national rated instructor and/or building a dedicated track car the fact remains that Porsche built a terrific car in 1995. If you get a chance to drive a truly refreshed original version you will know what I mean. The fun fact about the term "coil-overs" from the aftermarket suppliers is that the original suspension is a coilover design.
Nothing new here. Go back to pure stock everything with the exception of replacing the USA ride height with the ROW height which is suspension M029. You can option for standard OEM bushings or the sport hardness bushings. The new Porsche classic shocks are built by Bilstein using their latest technology but designed specifically for the 993 which is why they carry the official Porsche 993 part number. Available in standard or sport versions. Don't screw it up.
While I understand your desire here, I'm not quite sure it's completely accurate. There have been numerous upgrades in suspension technology over the last 30 years. Some of which go into the reissued Porsche classic suspension. For some, pure stock is the only way to go. For many others, part of the fun of owning these cars is in the infinitely variable options of custom parts to modify these cars to an individual's liking. Most upper end suspension systems are tuned specifically for 993 applications. Ohlins, KW, MCS, are all good examples of specific suspension upgrades that will outperform the reissued units. HOWEVER, if you seek completely stock ride quality, the classic setup is likely to satisfy.
Stock for some, anything but for others. Whether one is better than the other depends entirely on the user...
I fully agree with you. The point is something that is truly correct, whether it is a factory issue or a factory modification (like RS) or an engineered adaptation is way better than something that is screwed up and just a result of someone without expertise just reading aftermarket catalogs for the sake of changing something.
Correct, though probably a bit late for the OP! But for anyone else casually stumbling on this post and the above comment, here's what it looks like back there with the RS/GT2 uprights. These are not pss10, but the difference should be apparent.
Cool, thanks for the detailed description. It sounds like I have my parts shopping cut out for me! ;-)
Do you recommend keeping the original suspension or swapping out for coilovers? The car came lowered but still has a separate spring/shock setup as if stock. But the 15 years of receipts I got show that the previous owner had continuous issues with the suspension - installed adjustable control arms to deal with camber issues. There are no "clunk" sounds, but I feel like the car floats a bit. It's not the locked-down connected feeling I would expect from this car. Hence, the reason I want to go through and basically copy what you did.
As above, there's nothing wrong with a whole myriad of aftermarket quality parts and manufacturers - the cars are infinitely tuneable.
However, what is critical is that setting the geometry, no matter what is on the car, is performed by someone who understands the peculiarities of the 993. These experts are rare. If I were you I'd find such an expert, ask their opinion of what is currently on the car, and (depending on what they said) spend money on getting the car set up properly, or buy new parts.... and then get the car set-up properly.