Should I replace my shocks? ('85)

[mwbaum]

My 85 seems to drive very well, but I believe it has the original shocks. It has 80K miles and has never been tracked. Any opinions on if I should replace the shocks and what kind to buy for spirited street and road trip driving? Will I notice a big difference?

TIA

[masraum]

I just replaced the stock shocks/struts on my '88. I thought the car handled well before and had performed the old standby of bouncing the car (it passed), but when I got the old shocks off I could immediately tell that they were shot, and the difference with the new parts is enormous.

When I first got my car the difference between it and other cars was huge, the difference after changing the shocks was again 50% of that.

[jazzbass]

My opinion is that when a car gets to about 15-20 years olds, there are certain things that should just be changed, even if they don't seem worn out. Shocks, struts and brake hoses are in that group.

[caliber60]

$750 with 4 Bilstein and alignment. It's worth it. It will feel like a new car. Both mechanically and mentally.

[TWIN911]

I'll be putting new shocks on my 88 turbo look very, very soon. The question is whether to install standard Bilsteins or go with the Sports. The car is a daily driver with about 6 DE's planned per year. Any comments from those of you with Sports installed as to their daily ride quality. I'm concerned about it being too harsh for around town. I've called a lady with a sport-equipped car to do a drive, but it won't happen for a week or so. Thought it would be good to get comments from some Pelican heads! The car is currently at euro height, this will be lowered very slightly and the car will be aligned and corner balanced.

Comments? Suggestions? Thanks, Brad

[Joeaksa]

Got four new Bilsteins (sport rears, HD fronts) on my 85 and you could not wipe the smile off my face for weeks.

Steve above is correct. My car handled fine but until I replaced the shocks did not realize how worn out they were. You can look around and beat the price mentioned by Caliber.

Sometimes if you find a good deal, email Wayne and he can get close and its worth buying from Pelican if you can. There is a company out of San Diego who sells shocks whose prices are good but service and such stinks so be careful! I would rather support a company who cares about their customers...

JoeA

[TWIN911]

Thanks for the info, ya, I figure I've driven on bad shocks for so long, not matter what I do it's going to seem like a new car.
Question, is it common to do the HD front and Sports in the back? What are the benefits of this set up?

FYI, prices are higher in the Bay Area, I've got two quotes for around $1,600 for new shocks, lowering, four-wheel alignment, corner balancing and replacement of both ball joints.

Time to start shopping around! Brad

[APKhaos]

While you are in there........

The other car-transforming refresh you should keep in mind is to replace the suspension bushings. Take a look at your rear spring plates - at the hinge point where the torsion bar stub lives. It should be nicely centered, but I'll bet it has sagged down to the bottom of the mount.

All the rubber bushing fail like this - the rubber extrudes itself away from the load. Replacing these bushings is another 'wow' moment - the car will feel really taught and connected. You don't have to rush off and do this all at once - you can spread it over time. Doing it all at once does enhance the enjoyment, though.

[mwbaum]

Thanks for the great feedback....looks like I'll be replacing them if it really makes a big difference behind the wheel.....I'm all for that!

[BlkBird]

See this months issue of Excellence. Make me want to try the re-valved Bilstein Sports.

What else should be changed while the car is in the air? Sway bars? Torsion bars? Is there a good "package" that folks have had success with?

[PDACPA]

Tony K - do you have a picture of what you are talking about or is there a picture in Wayne's book?

I have not done my shocks yet as I was not sure what to put on for new shocks. Like to hear from other guys as to what their set ups are.

My car is basically a street driven car. Probably will do a DE or two once I can find some more time.

[masraum]

Bilstein Sports all around, works well.

[Jeff Alton]

Try Koni sport adjustables, Have them in my 84 and they are great.

Jeff

[APKhaos]

The saggy bush syndrome is really easy to see, and the easiest place of all is the torsion bar bushing.


In this pristine example, Chuck's most excellent Elephant Racing bushings are supporting the torsion bar cap precisely in the center of its mounting plate. Equal spacing around the tube.

When saggy bush syndrome strikes, the torsion bar cap will be hanging down near the bottom of the space in the mounting plate. Its easy to see that the bushing has collapsed, and let the torsion bar sag. I've just spent 15 minutes searching for a good pic of SBS, but everybody seems to post their 'after' pics - no 'before' pics.

Hope this description helps. There's no doubt when you see it, and now you know where to look

SBS effects all rubber suspension bushings, including [very important] the front upper shock tower bushing that often gets ignored.

Help stamp out SBS !

[jyl]

Do you guys (and gals) with Bilstein Sports all around also have stock t-bars and sway-bars? Does it work OK?

I have Sports on order from PP and plan to use them with the stock bars until need and wallet advise otherwise, but if it is a well-known bad combination then maybe I should reconsider.

[APKhaos]

John,
Refreshing your shocks will give you a real benefit - without touching anything else. HD fronts and Sport rears is the hot ticket - better balanced than either HDs or Sports all round. In any case, new shocks are a massive improvement over the 15+ year old numbers.

[nostatic]

when you say HD fronts, are you referring to the std Bilstein (ie this:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/autocat/load_page.cgi?page_number=24&bookmark=0&model=911M&currsection=911REC part R36-5001 )?

What is the advantage to going sport only in the rear as opposed to all around?

[APKhaos]

Todd,
This is not definitive, but the basis for the HD F, Sport R, is based on spring rates and weights. The front spring rate/weigh is lower, and is better balanced with less damping resistance than the rears.

[nostatic]

so it seems like the "while you're in there" for shocks would be turbo tie rod ends, tweak ride height and align? I don't think I'd want to necessarily go to with heavier sway/t-bars with a daily driver/street car. But with 52K miles and (more importantly) 24 years on the original shocks, I think they might be due.

[diy83sc]

For which model years does the HD/Sport pairing hold true? I was thinking of doing the t-bar/swaybar upgrade but now feel more inclined to start with shocks...