Top 5 Suspension Mods for a Porsche 924/944
1. Sway Bars
Sway bars are usually one of the first suspension mods that are done to a 924/944. Sway bars control how much resistance your suspension has to swaying under hard cornering. Larger sway bars increase the resistance to sway under load and will reduce body roll, making your Porsche more confidence-inspiring in the corners. A larger rear sway bar will increase the likelihood of your car oversteering, while a larger front sway bar will increase steering response at the cost of possible understeer.
Turbo sway bars are commonly run on naturally aspirated cars because turbo cars came with larger diameter sway bars from the factory. This makes them a very cost effective option as you can often find them at junk yards or on local classifieds for very little money. Alternatively, you can purchase brand new 968 MO30 sway bars that will bolt right in and provide the upgrade you are looking for.
2. Bushings
Since all Porsche 924/944's have aged over time, their original suspension bushings will likely need to be changed if they haven't been replaced already. Rubber deteriorates over time, causing play in your suspension components and a looser feeling car. Replacing all of your bushings with OEM parts will restore OEM driving feel and provide a much better base to build upon.
You may also choose to upgrade to polyurethane or solid bushings which will provide a more direct driving feel at the cost of increased noise, harshness, and vibrations in your car. If the car does not see track time, then OEM bushings are probably your best bet since they will provide a nice improvement over worn out stock bushings but will maintain a more comfortable ride. New bushings will make your chassis more composed, and your other suspension modifications will also benefit.
3. Shocks
Shocks are responsible for dampening the forces exerted on the suspension by the road. If you have original shocks, they will most likely need to be replaced since shocks wear out over time, and the rubber bushings and seals inside of them will also fail due to age. Upgrading to a set of performance oriented shocks like Bilstein or Koni will make your car more planted in the corners and provide adjust-ability to tailor your dampening needs to the particular driving style you prefer. However, make sure you buy a reputable performance shock as cheaper replacement options can be detrimental to your driving experience and ruin the ride comfort of your car. A well damped shock will limit body roll while keeping your car planted and maintaining decent ride comfort.
4. Springs
Your springs work along with your shocks to control the rate at which the car body rolls in the corners. A stiffer spring will make your ride harsher and reduce the rate of body roll in the corner. However, if you go too stiff, then your car will be unstable in corners and will ride terribly. It is critical to do research on what spring rates work for your type of driving. Springs can also be shorter than stock which lowers your car; however, be careful as going too low will substantially reduce suspension travel and your handling will be adversely affected as you will be hitting the bump stops regularly. The perfect spring rate will allow some suspension travel to keep your car planted while being stiff enough to transition quickly in turns. Furthermore, spring rates will also depend on your driving style and your intended purpose of the car, so it may take more than one try to get them perfect.
5. Steering Components
Replacing steering components, like your ball joints and tie rod ends, can make a huge difference in steering and suspension feel, especially if they are worn. Although the task of replacing these components may seem daunting, it is not that difficult with tools rented from your local auto parts store and some patience.
Worn suspension components introduce vagueness in your steering which reduces driving confidence. A car with tight steering gives the driver full control over the direction the front end is heading which is a basic component of having a tight handling car. Additionally, driving with worn steering components is dangerous as failure of these components will lead to loss of control.
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