Capt. Carrera

Help me decide what torsion bars to put on my '88 Carrera. I can't decide between 22/28s and 22/30s.

Here are some thing I’m factoring into making my decision:

• Track
  The car will see almost a DE each month. Most times it's a one-day event. Four times a year, it manifests into a three-day track weekend.
• Street
  The car will probably see about 100 to 200 miles a week of street use. I like the car too much to leave it home on a nice day. Most miles are highway. Secondary roads I travel are good to fair. A stiff ride does not bother me; however, a jarring ride does get old.
• Other
  The Carrera is a third car. My wife does not like to drive it. She does not mind riding in it. The kids love it.

I want your input because I'm a few days away from starting a suspension re-do on my '88. First to be changed will be bushings, shocks, torsion bars, and tie rods. Shocks will most likely be Bilstein Sports all around, although the Koni Sports are tempting. Right now the car is 100% original except for brake pads and tires.

earlyapex

Rob,

I have 23 front and 33 rear Sander hollow torsion bars and the ride is firm but nothing unbearable.

Larry Herman

I ran hollow 23s & 31s with solid bushings and Bilstein Sport shocks on my 84. It was a nice combination for the track and occasional street use. Then I went nuts and had Bilstein revalve the shocks to match the torsion bars. On the track it was wonderful; stable, flat and dead certain predictable. On the street it was brutal.

MJR911

Larry is right on. The custom valved shocks and heavy t bars are the way to get the carreras quick, but a 23/30 combo will be great for your setup.

Edward

Hi Rob,

I'm no expert but I talked to a bunch of knowledgable folks (including pros in the field) on this before I decided on 22/28s. It really depends on your intended mission, but from what you've described the 28 rears should suit *your* purposes better, and you have the car on the street even more than I do. If you run 17s, go to heavier wheels, or want to get more race prepped then more rear bar will serve you better.

The customed-valved Bilsteins, though, are an excellent upgrade, regardless of which bars you choose. I didn't go that route as I already had new Sports from the PO, but if I had to do it from scratch, I'd definitely get the shocks valved for the bars I chose. Others have even reported an improved street ride because Bilstein tones down the compression damping a bit (letting the heavier torsions do the work instead of the shocks), while compliance to bumps on the track improves. Sounds like a win-win to me.

And don't neglect bushings. I looked into these (and declined for now because of poverty ...and mine were in decent shape still), but you really should replace your f/r bushings while you're there. Elephant racing's poly-bronze are "the" bushes to get, and that seems to be the consensus. You could spend less on Neatrix, but from what I've gleaned, the ER ones are the best, and offer no negatives, other than their cost (I'll be going that route eventually). Hope this helps

Edward

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi Rob:

Given the street miles you are doing, I'd recommend a 22mm/29mm combo.

Regarding shocks,.........Don't use Koni's; they are harsh when adjusted up and you cannot make any strut mods like raised spindles.

With all due respect for the kind folks at Bilstein, their valving recommendations are far too aggressive for street use on 911's. IMHO, Sports on the front are too harsh, as well. Use either a custom valved setup from someone who knows 911's (ourselves or Smart Racing) or the HD/Sport combo.

Poly-bronze bushings are a given here, and I'd also recommend a turbo tie rod kit, and a front strut brace.

Add some good adjustable swaybars when you can afford that and you'll have a real nice handling car that will not ride harshly.

Capt. Carrera

Dang! Just when I've made up my mind to go 23/30s, I start getting a bunch of good info. ;-)

So, how much are custom valved Bilstein shocks? Do I have to buy them, and then ship them off to be revalved, or does the order get placed directly to Bilstein, and the shocks get drop shipped? In other words, what's the turn around?

I have a PCA DE I want to make on May 21/22 so I need to get cranking....

earlyapex

Rob,

Everything needs to work in unison and there are as many "right" setups out there as there are experts. I used Steve Weiner's setup for my 78SC, which is a track specific car. The Smart Racing setup is different as are their shock settings. You can buy the revalved shocks from SRP or Rennsport Systems, but you need to let them know what setup you are using to get it right.

Have fun with the car.

Cheers.