Elaborate

It's good. My ride height is fairly low and yet I've not felt the bump stops via bottoming out. My from valence lip is low and I take that into consideration when I drive and how I go over bumps. I drive fast and I drive hard, and I've yet to come to a negative connotation to this suspension. I know when the suspension will give and oversteer, and I know how to mitigate around that. I know when it will understeer, and I know how to counteract that. I wish I could tell you more, but I like this suspension set up. It works well for my street driving. I haven't taken it on the track yet, nor have I stiffened up the rebound. I'l make sure to comment as that comes to pass.


Yes, as you say, the KW V3 system used the existing torsion bars, and also the strut bearings. I currently have a bunch of WEVO parts, including the strut mounts/camber plates. That has helped considerably, but I do need to change the bearings inside these particular WEVO camber plates as they are popping over bumps or potholes. This is a wear n tear item and is to be expected, so not out of the ordinary. I do like these units. With the 19mm raised spindles, paired with the ERP bump steer products, it handles quite well. I drive this car hard and put it through many tests, and it does quite well. I'm happy with how it handles now. Its fine for the street, and fantastic at speed, and that's exactly what I wanted. I hope this helps you.

I have the KW dampers shown above with front spindles raised 15mm and took a bunch of measurements comparing length, stroke, travel, etc to stock Bilsteins. I don't have those measurements in front of me but what I can remember, both front and rear dampers are made and set up an additional 1/2-3/4 inch shorter which increases the stroke available (not including the additional travel from the raised spindles). Then there's like 2 or 3 stacked bump stops about 11mm long each, which with each removed, further increase the stroke travel. It's like KW engineered the dampers to optimize the operating range between that of a stock later 911 to one lowered significantly. Whereas with the stock shocks, on a lowered 911, you will feel the car hit the bump stops on bad roads making for a hard ride, you don't feel the impact from that anymore with the KWs.


There are two separate knobs with something like 18 clicks each for compression and rebound. You can make the ride from anywhere from softer than stock Boges to stiff enough I think to accommodate much stiffer torsion bars, at least 22/29s, and possibly 23/31s, though I haven't tried it yet. Handling all depends on how you set up the valving. They have modern digressive valves, which blow off sharp impacts. The best way I can describe it is like whereas with stock shocks when drive across to a sharp raised step in a concrete expansion joint, or say a shallow pothole, you can hear and feel the impact in the car, but the KWs that sharp step feels more like you drove over a soft rubber gym floor mat, where you hear it more than you feel it.

Yay for that!!! Thanks, Steve, for weighing in. That perfectly answers my questions about the KW setup. I had emailed them for information and although they answered with dimensions for the shock travel they didn't actually answer my questions.

I suspected KW knew enough to put the system together with shorter strut/shock bodies and allow for lowering. Thanks for confirming it.

There are a few threads about the KW systems for the G series cars but they usually devolve into people asking if they can remove their torsion bars or not :confused:

Sounds great! Thanks for the feedback.

Did you decide against the wheel fans?

Just looked at some of my notes on the KWs.

Referencing the picture below, comparing the KW with a Boge, which I'm guessing is about the same as a Bilstein (sports may be 20mm shorter):

The extended length of the shock from the center hole of the lower mounting outlet to the top of the piston shaft (as it steps to the threaded rod portion) is 22 7/8" on the Boge, and 21 1/8" on the KW. The bodies are about the same length, just the piston rod is shorter on the KWs. That is a difference of 1.75" shorter on the KWs. On the KWs bump spacers, you can see two hard rubber spacers 0.6" thick and a soft yellow bump stop 2.1" thick. On the Boges, that big black rubber bump stop is 3.75" long. So the KWs are already designed to further increase travel by 1.75+(3.75-2.1-0.6-0.6) = 2.5" before hitting the bump stops. In addition, if you were to remove each of those 0.6" hard stops on the KW, the piston further travels without bottoming out, even with all the spacers and bump stops removed, so you could remove one, maybe two of them for further travel. On the Bilsteins you could and should cut that thick rear bump stop some on lowered cars, I forget how much, but you could do the math on that:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1536705933.JPG

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1536706189.JPG

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1536706239.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1536706296.JPG

The fronts, they're shorter too than Bilsteins, but the only notes I have are that the length of the damper body from the center of the lower eyelet hole, to the top of the cartridge body is 393mm. and that the shock travel without any of the bump stops or spacer 143mm, so total length from eyelet to top of the piston shaft right as it changes to the threaded rod, is 536mm. Also if you were to remove all the bushings including the bump top, the piston will not bottom out in the cartridge, but don't attempt to do that or you can push it in too far and will blow out the oil and gas shock at the top as the rod steps down to the threaded portion! (believe me!)

danco--nice quick work on a beaut!! Keep it up!
Let me know if you ever sell those wheel fans, or if you find another unicorn:)

Wheel fans stay! In fact, I just had them refinished just a shade or two darker. I'm finalizing the livery design that will be printed in vinyl and added to the faces of the turbo fans. They will be cool.

https://preview.ibb.co/eejh7K/IMG_1734.jpg



At the same time as the turbo fans were painted, I had a set of fresh H4 Trim rings painted Venetian Blue. They are done and installed now.

https://preview.ibb.co/evwvSK/IMG_1735.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/kjYmZz/IMG_1743.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/mRPtEz/IMG_1746.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/mn3mZz/IMG_1745.jpg




Next up is finalizing the AFR gauge install so I can get these damn tests completed before Sal Carcella will sell me his S-Car true MAF system.

It's happening.

wow that car is amazing

I love what you have done with your Carrera. All very nice mods. Cheers.

Fixed the MAF issue so the car runs very strong again. Also rebuilt the brake booster and had Steve Wong enlarge the throttle body while it was being worked on. I thought the enlarged throttle body would be too much for the humble 3.2L engine but I was wrong. Best way I could describe the new throttle body is that if these 3.2L engines had a Sport Button, this throttle body activates it. I don't feel a loss of torque at any part of the powerband, and I feel a strong kick in extra HP, ESPECIALLY at higher RPM/full throttle pulls. I'm very pleasantly surprised at the benefits of this new throttle body. Strongly recommend it.

Photo for posterity.

https://preview.ibb.co/npGGpK/Steve_Wong_TB.jpg


Next up is an S-Car MAF system with the new injectors and ECU. I'm so pumped.





Still need to get an LSD in, though I don't know why I "need" it. For anyone reading this with an LSD installed with a 3.2L or 3.4L Carrera motor, do you recommend it? I drive the car very hard and get sideways regularly. I would think an LSD helps control the car better in corners and on hard braking.


Thanks!

Are you sure your car does not have LSD?. I just looked at the original sticker for my 89 Carrera and it does not list LSD (says 5 speed manual trans). Yet, when I drove it in the snow both wheels spun equally indicating LSD.

Chris
89 G50 Carrera.

I'm sure. My car does not act like it should if an LSD was present, both coming out of corners and on hard braking. Those are the two reasons I'm pushing to have one installed.

do a burnout to be sure :-)

Brother, I live to do burnouts and taking turns entirely too fast. If the rear end of my car doesn't slip out at least once every time I drive the car, I've done a disservice to myself and my country.

My car doesn't have an LSD.

I cant even get my car to break the back end loose in the rain and I have tried. That was before chip, cat bypass and muffler. Guess I need to try again ;-)http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538586725.jpg

Hmm, I guess more aggressive suspension helps me then. My car is very predictable and near neutral handling, but if I want to get the back end loose, it's just a matter of flicking the wheel under load and I'm there.

Maybe it's time for you to get different suspension? Of course none of these things are "needs". More like "wants".

Car is heavy. Really needs more HP. Seriously considering adding a turbo as lightening it is not an option.

Have not tracked this car. Tracked my previous Porsche quite a bit. Master of trailing throttle oversteer. :-)

Chris

89 Carrera
73 911 E

Cool.
Sub'd

Been busy with the house renovation but I managed to get a few things done on the car in the last week or two.

First, I redid the garage so I can finally fit two cars in there. Probably one of the 911s and one of the 2002s, but the real jewel is this new 8HP blow dryer system. This system pushes so much air at speed that it will dry the the car without actually putting a towel down to the paint, and with a 30' hose, you can easily reach every angle of the car.I've also used it to blow dust out of the garage and side yard. Just don't point it at your girlfriend right before you go out on a date while her hair "is perfect" - she won't share in your laughter. It's a great addition to the garage.

https://preview.ibb.co/dfxtrV/IMG-2366.jpg




I also had a fresh set of center caps made for the turbo fans. These are a custom spec that I had my buddy whip up. They are basically half height center caps that allow the Porsche crest top cap to sit flush in the cap, and with .5" more thread so that I can run both the fans or open Fuchs wheels without having to remove the wheels anymore, since i can mount the threaded insert (for the turbo fan wheel system) deeper in the hub. With the threaded insert mounted deeper in the wheel hub, it no longer interferes with the standard Fuchs cap, which is great for me. I'm having a cool "vintage race" livery created for these turbo fans. Should be done in a week or so.

https://preview.ibb.co/fuCRBV/IMG-2586.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/dL4HJA/IMG-2590.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/h7vPyA/IMG-2582.jpg





Next up was the interior. There was nothing wrong with it, but there was so much black between the RSA door cards and the Recaro Pole Position Seats. I wanted to change that - bring some color back into the interior.

So I did.



Before:

https://preview.ibb.co/gEbKWV/561341...4-B6453644.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/kN4jyA/561341...-B9-E1-CD9.jpg



AFTER:

https://preview.ibb.co/f0bWdA/IMG-2623.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/jVkrdA/IMG-2626.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/hKMmBV/IMG-2627.jpg

I dig it!






I ordered an AntiGravity Lightweight battery to replace the 40 lb brick in the front left corner of the car. That should arrive and be installed sometime this upcoming week.



Oh I also replaced the old, nasty cowl seals! Gross ones in my hand, new ones installed.

https://preview.ibb.co/mWpjyA/IMG-2379.jpg


Still want to get the damn Guards LSD installed!
Good progress. I'll keep it going.