I see that you are still using your original (Monroe) shocks. You don't mention your miles, but they are probably shot by now and ready for replacement. My thoughts would be a good coil-over suspension (PSS-10 or the like), an adjustable rear sway bar, an alignment with more negative camber up front, and perhaps 235 front tires. If your front a-arm bushings have lots of play, replace them with the Walrod poly bushings or something similar. How many miles on this car? Stock wheels?

 

18 inch tech wheels, 225 front tires, 40k miles.
the stock monroes seem fine yet, I doubt they were calibrated for the M030 springs, which were added 10k miles ago.
I will definitely look for a strut bar. haven't yet decided on just shocks or coilovers. I don't want to mess with the car's stance, which is good right now, not too low, just perfect for me.

 

after doing some research on this board, I see a few members actually went with 245/35's in the front...
the previous owner had added 5 or 7mm spacers on my car,...I wonder if I would have any rubbing issues, and therefore, go with 235's as ca993twin suggested...
also, are every strut bars pretty much comparable? (I guess I want mine to fit nicely under the carper and be as light as possible)...

 

Chris,

If your wheels are wide enough to accommodate 245 tires, they should fit the body just fine (I run 255x30x19 on mine, no issues), Keep in mind that the AWD cars need to have a very close match in the overall diameters, front to rear. I've never heard that a strut bar makes any significant difference, but it sure seems like a good idea. Going with new shocks alone, instead of coil-overs is fine... its cheaper, but you lose the adjustability, (both ride height and shock dampener stiffness).

 

I came from RWD cars, & one mid-enigne RWD. My last "track" car was 2750lbs full up with me in it, short wheel base & a little over 300hp, that loved to rev! If you were not paying attention it would bite you. It was also not forgiving at all. Never driven a rear engined car, it took me a little while to figure it out. I also only do about 1-2 track days a year now, VS 3-5 a month in the old car.

When I got the C4S, I found it porky, slow, heavy, & understeered a lot. It was my trail braking, trying to drift out on turns, & trying to transfer weight at the wrong times. While I still hate the stock gearing, once I learned how to finesse the car to turn in, then get on the gas way before I was used to, & standing on it the whole time coming out. I was surprised at how fast the 993 was, & how stable, composed, planted. I can now be super aggressive with it, & the car sticks!

Ken, 6yo AD08's? They have only been out for a few years now.

 

I think you've answered part of your own question in that the stock Monroes are not the correct shaft height for the M030 springs. Do a search and you'll find discussion on this subject. Also, the lower springs have an effect on the sway bars and, without adjustability, they may be contributing to the problem.

 

Light weight flywheel, while your there disconnect the front wheel coupler (required as you do the clutch). Leave the coupler undone and you will have transformed the car in both feel (power) and handling. If you don't need the front wheels pulling, disconnect them (won't harm anything) and you'll have an entirely different car. I did it years ago and have never gone back. What you are doing is removing a TON of rotating mass off of the motor both at the crank (LWFW) and not turning a couple hundred bounds of driveline parts. It'll feel like a 50 HP power gain, but what it really is, is a more efficient use of the power you have. Then you can dial in suspension bits.

 

I dont think that the original (Monroe) shocks even with 1 mile after 14 years are still good. You will be blown away with what fresh shocks will do to any car as they wear so slowly over time. If you can move the car up\down easily by lifting the fender they are shot.. with my pss10's it's very tight and my dampning is on very soft (I need to fix that)

phil.

 

~3 mph trap speed difference (123 v. 126) up the front straight T15-T1 at Thunderhill between the 4S and the yellow car. (That takes into account I'm braking ~20-25 ft. deeper with the yellow car, too.) And the yellow car comes in 250 lbs lighter, in addition to the ~40hp power difference.

Yellow car not only is RWD v. AWD, but has an obscene amount of rotating mass removed internally in addition to the single mass flywheel. (Which isn't really "lightweight", so why is it called that? A plain ol' steel 915--or more correctly a Type 911 unit as fitted with the original pull clutch for MY 70--flywheel wasn't called lightweight when they decided to build all the mass into the pressure plate.)

 

Which was probably a joy to drive, relative to my '68 wannabe S! Was trying to be a disciple of Bondurant (then located at Sears Point), but no way, no how was using a trailing brake going to be useful with that car. I did futz around with using the technique in my Scirocco, however.

Made a double boo-boo on the tires I mentioned. They're A048s from early 2008. I've not used a Yokohama tire since the A008R/RS days. Once BFG and Hoosier hit the market in the early/mid '90s, there wasn't any reason to use them anymore. Now with what they offer, I'd say they're 5th in a field of 4.

 

I take it bilsteins HD are more (or better) suited to my M030 springs...are konis better suited?
I'm also wondering if and how new shocks could change the ride height (I know that's determined by springs mostly, but I am sure fresh shocks will raise it a tad)

as for disconnecting the coupler or the front wheel drive system, that's probably not going to happen, I do not plan on putting a lot of miles on this car, not do I want to track it, but I can sure see how this would help. I was actually looking for a C2S originally, but my car was a better buy...

 

Bilsteins have threaded perches for raising and lowering ride height.

 

I must be in the minority here, but I do very little trail braking, if any, into the corners with my C4S (former POC driver here). Slow in and fast out works best for me whenever I'm driving 911s on the track.

 

By the way - GREAT picture!!!! Is this Turn 6 at Riverside?

 

If you still have the original Monroes, then I think that's a lot of your understeer issue. When I first got my C4S in 2003, it still had the Monroes and the handling was atrocious. However, once I installed PSS9s and had a good alignment (thanks Darin @ Westend) the car handled so much better on the street and track. Good luck!