race911

Sign me up. Hey, while I've got your attention.......I'll be down your way next week. Any "factory tours" available?

FlatSix911

Chris, very nice work.

I was thinking about another approach to solve this problem using the existing drop link mounts. Cad plated hardware and locking nuts provide the clamping force.
Total cost is about $1.99 combined with 5 minutes on the band saw and drill press and this is what developed - please let me know what you think.

AOW162435

Ted,
I believe a shop tried a similar solution (Devek?) and found the stock casting too weak for the modification. While your solution appears that it would impart some clamping force at the threads, I would worry that the aluminum casting would fail where you drilled through.


Andreas

993C4Smontreal

probably a dumb question, but what would be the advantage of this solution, that looks sexy btw...and a regular set of extra locknuts from Bilstein ( if its an alternative for the same solution) ? For someone who doesdnt track the car or push it to its extreme, is somthing like this necessary?

chris walrod

NO such thing as a dumb question The advantage in the two piece design is the freedom to adjust its height without having to remove the shock. To remove the shock, one must disturb the rear toe settings as the toe link must be removed to do so.

I fought this just today during a PSS9 install. Had to remove the shock one time to fine tune the link mount height so that the bar wont foul the toe link. I feel this alone is the most frustrating part of any 993 suspension install, bar none!

Also, it eliminates the need for the extra lock ring as it gingerly clamps the damper body without damper tune distortion. I have some more precision damper tube bore measuring to do to further confirm this as it is important.

chris walrod

Yes, Devek (circa VB being there) was modifying the standard cast ARB link mounts by drilling a hole through it and installing a bolt through the thing to clamp it down. I recall there were reports of them failing local to where the hole was drilled. I dont know anything more than that honestly.

The thing I dont care for in modifying the existing cast piece is simply the material its made from -- crappy cast who knows what

The key to get this to work as a product would be to take manufacturing cost out of it. I will be working with the machinist in efforts to do just that.

cabrio993

Yeap...you know it.... It happened to me with the Devek's modified drop links. I now have their version II (uses a much smaller diameter bolt that leaves more of the original material unmoslested and it has performed great in the past 3 years. But I wasn't happy when the first set broke. The only way to get the new bracket was to dismount the shocks and do aligments, etc all over again!

Here is the post with the pictures of my drop link brackets.
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/195464-bilstein-hd-s-drop-down-link-collar-failure.html

chris walrod

Busy? Me? I guess I thrive on it. Two PSS9 installs this week, one completed today. And I had to monkey around with the standard drop link mount heights today -- hate doing so!!

Anyhow, just a nylock nut on the back for now. Of course, a proper spot face as well. Might source metric jet nuts (aka K-nuts) for it. They are great!

cabrio993

A picture says more than 1000 words....

I wish your solution was available back then Chris. It would have saved me many $$$ on having to dismount/remount/realign/corner balance all over again just to re-thread the new brackets.

chris walrod

This is being considered as well. The shorter the link (which I hate those short links), the larger the moment or action on the drop link.

chris walrod

This may work as well, but I would be afraid one couldnt get enough clamping force on it simply because of the distance of the bolt relative to the 50mm bore. There doesnt seem to be a lot of leverage. Since those two surfaces are not parallel, be sure to spot face both sides such that the bolt wont be put into bending.

I like the way you ended the slot with a hole -- good thinking!!

Mike J

Very nice job Chris! I like the idea that you can spin down the height adjustments without having to take the shock out...I have done a few as well and its a royal pain in the *** to lower the back of the car since the mount could not be moved down because of clearance issues.

I know you designed it for lots of stress and are likely stronger than the stock ones anyways?

Will these work on the PSS-10's as well? Maybe you should approach Bilstein and sell the design to them so this would be way it works out of the box.

Cheers,

Mike

Martin S.

This IS cheap insurance. I have had the drop link mounting collar rotate, shear off the bottom of the drop link and then in the process damage the lower control arm to the point where it had to be replaced.

I am going to get a set of these...probably still use locking collars just to be certain. These puppies in conjunction with my Tarett Engineering drop links, I'll be "10 feet tall and bulletproof!"

BTW, just back from the track....Streets of Willow, a short track. With PSS9s, my TRG front bar, with Tarett Engineering drop drop links set in the second hole (first being full soft, and the rear to full stiff (Tarett Engineering, of course) , on RA-1 tires, my car has never handled better, never better. Now I am out of excuses....I was runn ing with a guy that always passes me...he didn't this time.

I am going to try the Willow Springs Big Track on this same setting. If I get too much over steer, I'll set the rear bar to the middle.

chris walrod

In efforts to get cost out of these mounts as well as beating on the outfit that machines these mounts for me (and promising to send more work his way), he has extended a better deal to me, therefore to any of you who are interested. I'll pass this along, no sweat.

$200.00 / car set would be group buy pricing without the need for a group buy.

MarkD

oh man.... yer killin' me Chris.
I REALLY wish I'd had these before I did my susp. last week.
Oh the pain... the paaaainnn!