Suspension Overhaul

[YellowBee69]

I don't post in the tech forum much as my car has a engine swap. However something that my car still has in common is the suspension! I wanted to share some before and after photos, and also some tips/tricks to save a few bucks for the DIY'ers out there. This car is a 68 SWB chassis that had been converted to a LWB at some point way before I got to it. From the looks of it all the suspension was original. AND at some point the car was undercoated and the suspension had textured overspray all over it. Tear down, strip, and new powder coating...

I managed to find a small old home oven for free on facebook marketplace. The Powder Coating gun I picked up at Harbor Freight for $60 or $80, I cant recall. And the powder (prismatic powders) was about $18-$25 on amazon depending on the color.

Overall the job was fairly simple. Just time and elbow grease.
Step 1: Tear down suspension
Step 2: Sandblast or clean up parts
Step 3: wipe parts down with Acetone
Step 4: Pre Heat the parts in the oven to the recommended temp
Step 5: Evenly lay the powder down (this makes a mess in a closed garage)
Step 6: Place parts in the oven. Once parts reach recommended temp, start your 10 minute timer

Once you remove the parts and they cool down, walah, brand new parts! Time for re-assembly.

As far as Upgrades on the suspension. The rear of the car I am running Elephant Racing Coilovers and Rebel Racing RSR spring plate Bushings. Front is stock shocks, torsion bars, and then Elephant Racing A arm bushings, and Rebel Racing Adjustable Ball joints for early A Arms. I also had to throw in the Boxter Big Brakes as I picked up the calipers for $200 and couldnt pass the deal up.

Sorry for the long drawn out post and a thousand images. Just wanted to share, 1.) I am proud of how this turned out, for my first time powderocating, or even restoring any suspension for that matter. and 2.) Hopefully the DIY people find something in this thread useful! I know it saved me a ton of money and was quite satisfying to see it come together.

[dpegan]

Nice work!
I'd recommend the front coil-over sleeve kit from Elephant Racing if you have not finished the front suspension. Those ER spring plate bushings look incredible.

[YellowBee69]

Originally Posted by dpegan

Nice work!
I'd recommend the front coil-over sleeve kit from Elephant Racing if you have not finished the front suspension. Those ER spring plate bushings look incredible.

Thank you! That sleeve kit is definitely in the works. Once money allows for it!!! have you done it? Is the install/MOD pretty easy?

[Billiam 911 2.8]

I admire your work, YellowBee. I have a 1970 911 that has seen DE/Time Trial work in the past. I did suspension mods in the early 1990s after acquiring the car in 1986. Technology has changed and I see both Elephant Racing and KW coil over options. Like all things Porsche, it is expensive. The full Elephant package quote I have is over $10K. I can offset some of this by selling off parts from my current set up. The promise is that the modern set up will be less harsh and the rear camber arc will be give more grip and more progressive when oversteering.

[thejobrien]

For the RSR Rear bushings did you run into any issues seating them into the body portion of the trailing arm tubes? I've seen a few posts here regarding that being an issue where people need to either round out the hole a little more or shave off some mms on the actual busing insert area. Some have no issues at all as all cars are going to be different just wondering your experience because I want to use their front and rear bushings as well. Then again, that might have been for their spring plates that needed the be shaved..I'm not quite sure anymore haha

[YellowBee69]

Originally Posted by Billiam 911 2.8

I admire your work, YellowBee. I have a 1970 911 that has seen DE/Time Trial work in the past. I did suspension mods in the early 1990s after acquiring the car in 1986. Technology has changed and I see both Elephant Racing and KW coil over options. Like all things Porsche, it is expensive. The full Elephant package quote I have is over $10K. I can offset some of this by selling off parts from my current set up. The promise is that the modern set up will be less harsh and the rear camber arc will be give more grip and more progressive when oversteering.

I greatly appreciate it! This car has been Aton of work and it’s all slowly paying off!..
I like your style, and I absolutely agree. It’s all pricey for sure. The camber in the rear can certainly help handling! Let me know what you decide to go with. I’d like to see it!! I eventually would like to get the adjustable trailing arm mounts to really be able to dial in camber but that’ll be down the road. I’m tired of messing with that are of the car… when I engine swapped it I put in a 996 trans that required a little trimming! lol

[YellowBee69]

Originally Posted by thejobrien

For the RSR Rear bushings did you run into any issues seating them into the body portion of the trailing arm tubes? I've seen a few posts here regarding that being an issue where people need to either round out the hole a little more or shave off some mms on the actual busing insert area. Some have no issues at all as all cars are going to be different just wondering your experience because I want to use their front and rear bushings as well. Then again, that might have been for their spring plates that needed the be shaved..I'm not quite sure anymore haha

I didn’t really have a whole lot of issues, it required a good cleaning of the spring plate. No modifying, at least in my case… my bushing “races” on the chassis were fairly rusty. So I wire wheeled the crap out of them and then installed the new bushings with JB weld like recommended… This is where I ran into a slight issue.. I guess too much squished behind the bushing and now it catches the spring plate on the drivers side when I try and remove it.. so my drivers side plate will no longer come out lol.. I mean not a huge deal.. if I ever have to remove it I’m going with the mono ball spring plate. Passenger side is just fine! Alignment was kind of scary but I got to the point I said it’s good enough. I can move it freely up and down on both sides, the friction is different on both sides but it’ll do the job.. “they’ll last as long as the car” so I’d assume these bushings will at least last a few years if they’re not 100% aligned perfect. My car was jacked though the rust didn’t help the install. If yours isn’t rusty you wouldn’t have any issue! Sorry I’m rambling at this point. If you heave any questions PM me! Happy to help.

[nickelplated5s]

First off nice job. J O'Brein search PeteKZ for the rear install, there are problems. Now to the nitty gritty; what spring weights did you use up front for the shocks? Follow up is why didn't you just go with a GT3 front? Serious Q as I have more or less the same front as yourself. I choose to not go the GT3 route as I didn't want to go 'experimenting.' You have raised spindles and I have short throw custom front shocks. BillV will possibly chime in about CG. I've been running his math in my head. Triangles, etc. That will be a PM thing and possibly a new thread.

Secondly are your Brembo brakes. Did you look at the Alfa Brembo thread over on Early911s? I have the Boxster setup posted there and has posited have a front brake bias even with the 22.5 MC.

You will love the front but it is twitchy, ask my wife about yesterday's lunch run...

[ChrisHoover]

voilà