Martin S.

A few days ago I posted that my drop links had crashed into my toe links, both sides. Replacement of a toe link is $300 each for parts + labor....I want to know why this happened...so I can make an appropriate correction and it won't happen again. First let me confess, I did do do an off track excursion...but seemed to be sliding mostly and recall only few bumps.

My pea brain works this way...find a 993 with PSS9s that is having no drop link crash problems and see how it is set up. It just so hapens that my neighbor Eric has a 96 993 car (Eric and I installed PSS9s and RS sway bars on his 96 Carrera with nary a hitch). If he has had no drop link crash problems (He has had a few intense offs at Turn 8 and Turn 2 at WSIR) with his car, then I can safely predict that if I set my car up to duplicate his...I will have no further drop link crash problems.

In talking to Eric about the installation on his car, he reminded me that the bottom of the sway bar drop link pick up mount on the shock body is supposed to be about nine (9) threads up. He also reminded me that he recalls reading about this recommendation from Bilstein as well as P-Car.com. As I recall, this is also Viper Bob's recommendation. Eric's car what you see below in full droop.


Now look at my set up in full droop, the pick up mount is 1 1/2 inches above the bottom, clearly far in excess of the nine (9) threads.


I suspect that my sway bar pick up mount is too high, and as a result, under severe compression that we see at the track, especially a rough track, the sway bar drop link could impact and score, and bend the toe links....

If I am right, I am looking at a very expensive lesson that I share with you...on the up side, this is a great time to replace the stock toe link with an ERP toe link!

PS: For those that are obsessed with the details, you'll note that Eric and I have different drop link mounts...mine are the The Racers Group (TRG) mounts...his are from Bilstein I believe.

Bruce SEA 993

I don't think this affects your problem but the link is supposed to be mounted so the link is between the shock and the drop link mount. The bolts should point inboard. The reasoning for this is there is less moment, or twising of the drop link mount. There were reported cases the drop link mount rotating. Some have gone to double nutting the mount on the shock.

It looks like there is the same clearance on from the sway bar to the toe link in both picktures and it looks about the same as my car.

Curious...

Martin S.

drop a note to The Racers Group to get this settled once and for all.

TheOtherEric

A couple thoughts:

1) I doesn't look to me like you'd want to mount your TRG drop links near the bottom like your friend's. Your setup looks good except for crashing into the toe links obviously.

2) Like you, my drop links started rotating, except mine crashed into my torque tube. My setup looks just like your friends, except my links are (incorrectly) a touch higher. Viperbob tells me that you want to install those aluminum links ALL THE WAY down at the bottom, ensuring that the face of the mount is coplanar with the flat face of the sway bar. (I'm choosing to double-nut mine though since I'm paranoid now about the mounts rotating.

3) AFAIK Bruce is right that your friend's drop links should have been installed opposite from how they are. Don't know if it makes a difference.

Martin S.

Thanks for the feed back Eric. I have sent a note off to TRG The Racers Group. I hope to hear from them next week....they are just back from Daytona. I want them to tell me what is the best set up for their TRG bars and PSS9s. At $300 a toe link, I just can't mess with this problem anymore, not even thinking of the consequences of a toe link separating at the track...especially decelerating off a high bank as I will be doing in a few weeks at Las Vegas Speedway...

Lagavulin

I concur.

Martin S.

Here is an example of epic followup....I sent the note to TRG on Saturday, the 28th. It was a plea for help...not a bitch out note.

By Sunday, I already had a note from Debra Buckler saying that she would forward my note to TRG Sonoma for resolution. Mind you they were just coming off the Daytona 24 hour race, where they placed 2nd and 4th, and had 5 out of their 6 cars entered, finish.

By Monday at 8:15, I had a call from Paul Carver at TRG. He promised to get back to me later today with a plan to cure my ills. By this afternoon, Paul got back to me with the info I needed. Their Grand AM mechanic looked at the pic I sent of the shock body drop link mount and said it needed to come down, way down...hmmmthat is just what Viper Bob said!
Never have I experienced this sort of feedback..I am impressed. Once this matter is resolved...I will post a TRG follow up note...we can't hear enough good news.