long_beach_968

As you all saw at the tech session, my sway bar end links died due to rotating mounts. The problem is now the only part I can order is a "superceded" part which is about an inch and a half longer than the original part. It also has a different part. I can't put them on with the car on jackstands, and with the car on ramps they will mount with about 1/8" inch of clearance, from the lower control arm. Besides these not being the same legnth of the part that came off the car, and the mounting of the upper bolt requiring a torx in the center, where there is no place to fit one in the car, I am afraid that when the suspension decompresses (like say coming out of a dip) that the sway bar will hit the lower control arm and either something will bend, or the end links will force the ***** out of the sockets. any help?


The shorter one is the one that came off my car


look at how the longer one requires a torx in the center while the shorter one has you put a 16mm wrench outside it



not really the best clearance between the lower control arm and the sway bar.

This is with stock height springs, so no lowering issues.
The dealer assures me that this is the correct part as I have been in there 3 times trying to figure this out.

chris walrod

The longer link is standard length, the shorter drop links are sourced from Bilstein. Give them a call, they are in the San Diego area.

Did you get an additional lock ring installed onto the bottom of the mount?

Dr. No

You have Blistein HDs, don't you?

You need a Bilstein part. Gert at Carnewal has them. They are made specially for the HDs.

I had the exact same thing happen to me and did the same thing you did - order the Porsche OE parts.

long_beach_968

The short ones are the factory ones that came off my stock suspension. The longer ones are the only ones I can buy from the dealer now. both are factory parts with the p logo on them. well now that the angles have been fixed on the lower shocks I just pressed the shorter ones back together until I can figure this out, but I am over this for now. Why wouldn't Bilstein include the necessary links and collars with the car??? I am in no way looking forward to that all over again because they couldn't supply a part the way it should have been.

chris walrod

Actually the Bilstein kits (hd and pss9) include the short rear drop links. Give Bilstein a call, if you can get help from them (tough to do), order a pair from them. I hope you get this issue sorted so you can start enjoying the car!!

g_murray

I don't beat on the car and my (driver's side) Bilstein drop link 'separated' shortly after the install. The weak part is that PLASTIC 'floating joint' at each end.
The passenger side was OK.

I took no chances, I told my wrench to remove everything and put in a second set of locking collars.
No troubles since.

Gerry

ceboyd

hmm.. can you tell me how long the short one is? My 'custom' ones (stronger than that so they won't break again like that since they basicly have sperical bearings instead)...

I'm going to sell them and they might just work better for your application!

so if you give me the length, I can compare and let you know if mine FS would work for you (I can get you pics too of course!)

Martin S.

I got here because I bought replacement drop links from my 97 NB car from Tarett Engineering in San Diego. There are pics of the drop links on the web site. They are economical and tough. No affiliation here with Tarett. However it would be neat if you told them you heard about their links from Martin on Rennlist. Just a little payback to Tarett for the great service they provided me.

I'd send pics but the rain is coming down....

http://www.tarett.com/

gonzilla

Whoa!!! Those things are NICE LOOKING!!!

Martin S.

They (Front and rear drop links) work extremely well. In fact you could put a chain on them and wear them as man jewelry, were you so inclined. Tarett also has a rear toe control arm that looks interesting.

The main guy there, Ira Ranin, is there full time. This is no part time gig for him. I proudly wear his Tarett Engineering decal on my quarter panel glass and will put one on my trailer in the near future. It's just so refreshing when a company puts out innovative good solid products

And finally, Ira competes at the track in SoCal with the Porsche Owners Club. He drives on what he sells.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Those Tarett links look like a nice solution if some rubber boots are installed to protect the spherical bearings,...

long_beach_968

Well I got fed up and just pressed the short ones back together and slapped them on. I took the car out for a quick beat session and they are hanging in there (its amazing how the car handles when the sway bar is still connected). I am going to take those back to the dealer and get a refund. I still can't figure out why they can't sell me the correct legnth ones that came with my car.

and ceboyd the shafts on the shorter ones are roughly 2". Let me know if you do decide to let them go because I don't know how long mine are going to hold up. In the meantime I am going to raise hell with bilstein and see what at the dealer fits.

gonzilla

Ohh, I see what you mean. I take it that's a bad thing, eh? I wonder if you could somehow use the boots from the droplinks you are replacing???

ceboyd

not what I have but VERY CLOSE!!!


Keep in mind that ERP spherical bearings dont have rubber boot covers either...
the nice thing about the photo (which looks almost identical to my set) is you can replace portions instead of the whole thing in the event of failure

Dr. No

You put HDs on your car, right? Who put them in? The HD kits come with the shorter drop link with equal length threads, not the longer link with two different threads at each end. If the drop link does not have a number that says 993.xxx.xxx, it is a Bilstein part, not a Porsche part, which would be why the Porsche dealer doesn't have them, and can't sell them to you. They only have the new part, not the "superseded" one.