ZombiePorsche44

Glad it was pre-race inspection not the race.

Way back at the Tecate GP in 1998 I had the entire front right camber plate break away at the top with three laps to go and man was it hard to keep it straight, especially under braking.

Literally, the right front suspension was not connected to the chassis except by the lower a-arm!

After seeing the damage in the pits everyone was flabbergasted that I was able to actually drive the car at all, let alone finish the race.

These cars are unbelievable because it sure wasn't my talent that got me home that day!

ZP44

993inNC

I had almost the same thing happen just before my last track event. It alerted me as I took off from a local tracffic light, turned left from the light, got on the gas and the *** end tried to whip around on me. It must have looked cool to everyone sitting at the light as a blacked out Porsche swings the tail out and stays in the gas at full opposite lock as it pulled out from the almost spin.........got my heart rate up anyway.

But I digress, what I found was that the threaded collar had let go and was pivoting on the shock itself (these are one year old PSS9's). The drop link used to loosen on the collar so I used lock tight on the last tighten down.....well it transfered the movement down to the bottom of the collar to shock location. Since I was leaving for the track the next day, I welded the joint between the collar and the shock, just above the damper ****, and it held great. Not something I thought I should need to do for having spent so much for these shocks....
But it worked great

tabasco

Hopefully I will soon have the time to install the PSS9s that I ordered long ago (with RS sways and links)... This story is scary ! Can someone explain, eventually with clear pictures how to correctly install the drop link mounts ? Here is my understanding :

The PSS9s come with 2 locking collars. One should go below the spring seat, and the other one should lock the drop link mount. Right ?

Now, considering that the drop links will apply forces on the mounts in opposite directions depending on the side of the car (one will loosen the mount, one will tighten it), the locking collars would have to be at different positions depending on the side. One side would have it below the drop link mount, the other side would have it above. Am I right ?

I like the solution to use 2 locking collars, but where to get the 2 extra collars ? Does Bilstein sell them separately ?

Last point, how tight do you tighten those collars ? Is there a risk to go "too tight" ?

Thanks,

-Guillaume

Garth S

Extra lock nuts/collars should be available from our regular (excellent ) vendors: I picked up a pair from Gert for ~16 euro. for the HD's .... can't see the PSS9's being too different.
When installing a lock nut either side of a drop link mount, the nuts do not need to be beat into submission with a punch and hammer IMHO - normal, firm tightening with a hook wrench should be adequate: with the mount sandwiched between two collars, any movement in either direction will serve to further tighten it.
Now is the time to act - before installation, for the 'extra' collar is the first piece to slide down from the top. In the pic below, the black item is the 'extra'.

TheOtherEric

Yes, do what Garth says. You can order an additional pair of locknuts from Bilstein for like $15 - $20. Do it before installing; I had my rears disassembled just to add the locknuts.

Martin S.

keeping in mind that the after-market coilovers such as PSS9, JIC, H&R, Bilstein HD all need to be looked on from time to time. If you are at a track event, check under your car after every run session...these modified cars are NOT "Fire and Forget." 99.9% of the time all will be well, it is just cheap insurance to look under the car.

In your case, with the Porsche 993RS bars, you have gotten the best set up out there IMHO. It is Porsche part and it will fit...nearly intuitively.

Read this little ditty below from Rennlist Guru Viper Bob:

The suspensions on these cars are VERY complex. They make a lot of strange and changing angles (just look at the angle the shock is mounted) as the suspension goes through its’ travel. Then take into account all the rubber and deflection that is encountered (yes you do have good arms, but there is still a lot of rubber). Double nutting is also not a perfect solution. I have had these come loose just like the single nuts( plus the second nut can then change the proper location of the shock mount causing that to be at a bad angle or hit the toe arm). I have installed pinch bolts to try and squeeze the mount to hold the shock. None of these have been totally successful. Over time, the motion of the suspension exerts a side force between the sway bar and the mount. Once it gets just a little sideways, the forces get worse and worse. It is constant checking on these to make sure they are tight, and in proper alignment.

I will post the post-surgery pics of my car's suspension in it repaired state this weekend. I have to get Baby out of her mobile home (Trailer). I am very fortunate to have Guy's Independent Porsche Repair in San Luis Obispo to work on my car...45 minutes away, excellent work, fair prices, and Guy is a former racer and race car builder. He understands the inter-workings of 993 suspension. You should be so lucky!

As for extra locking collars, they are readily available, as are just about any Porsche racing part, from The Racers Group in Petaluma, CA, a long time Rennlist supporter. Call them and ask for Austin Ford...some of you may know Austin from his days working with Bob Brooks when Viper Bob was at DEVEK.

Howdy993

Martin -

Glad to hear you are OK and a simple walletectomy is the only surgery needed!

Edward

Just as Martin said, check the collars! And if you don't have paint-reference marks, go dab some today. It's just too easy a preventative task to overlook, and failure here can have dire consequences ...on the track or public roads.
Glad that all is well, Martin! Bummer on the expense, though, as that is never fun.

Edward

Martin S.

Think of the cost had I been on a track with nice concrete walls or Aramaco and the left rear suspension let go...now that would have been a cost. This repair was about $1,000 for all parts and labor...cheap by Porsche standards...and I leared a lesson, the one Edward mentions above...if we have adjustable coilovers, we need to check our cars suspension on a regular basis...pre-flight the car so to speak.

It's Friday and I am ready to big time!

slapshot

Here! Here! I second and carry that proposal. BTW, if you did not notice, that is a frothy "just chilled enough" pint of Guiness our little friend is consuming!!!

Glad the damage was not too bad and she is on her way to being fixed.

Oh, and thanks . . . another reason I am going to go MO30/Bil. HD's: nice 'n simple!

Martin S.

Here are some pics my recent suspension grief. The final pic can be titled, "It's All Good Now!"

touf

Martin, I am glad that you caught this pre track.
I just picked up my car from Mind Over where we replaced all of the left rear suspension due to the carnage I ended up with after the rear suspension broke at Pahrump last September.
Cheers.

chris walrod

Did you end up with the RS lower control arms or std?

touf

I ended up with the regular ones. I replaced the toe links with ERP links. Nice workmanship.

Bill Verburg

Anyone have the part # of the mounts in Martin's post(pic1)