Lowering (how low?) and Alignment (track settings?) question...

[Emission]

First - I want to lower my car just a bit - for better handling and lower center of gravity (I don't want it "slammed" to where I can't enter driveways). What is a good drop? 1"? 2-3"?

Second - Can I do the lowering myself?

Third - Will I need an alignment? And, if I do, what are the best alignment settings for 50/50 track and street use? If I need an alignment, do I do it with my track wheels installed (they are wider), or with the street wheels... or does it matter?

Car is currently running on stock suspension and stock ride height. These are the track wheels and tires in the pic.

[jmarenas]

about as low as you can gooooooo.

[Emission]

Originally posted by jmarenas
"...about as low as you can gooooooo.."

How low is that? How much did you drop it? Alignment?

[jmarenas]

23.5 in the rear 24.5 front 245-55-17 rear tires 205-50-17 Fronts Bought it this way.

[Noel]

Just remember if you lower it and don't replace torsion bars and revavle shocks, you are eating into your suspension travel. I see too many pre-89 911s like this at the track and they bounce down the straights off their bump stops. I would only take it down to Euro spec if the suspension is stock (25.5' F and 25" R) or else you too will have have this issue.

[Emission]

Originally posted by Noel
Just remember if you lower it and don't replace torsion bars and revavle shocks, you are eating into your suspension travel. I see too many pre-89 911s like this at the track and they bounce down the straights off their bump stops. I would only take it down to Euro spec if the suspension is stock (25.5' F and 25" R) or else you too will have have this issue.

I agree completely.

Now, what about the alignment, do I need to have it redone?

[1973911s]

Anytime you lower your car you need to have an alignment.

Michael

[Wil Ferch]

There are numerous threads on this but as a practical matter...don't let the front lower A-arms ( normally drooping downward as you approach the wheel / balljoint area)....get below "horizontal". That is, never let the inboard pivot point be lower than the ball-joint ( outboard pivot point). The limit for this is about 1.5" down from Euro.

See archives...

---Wil

[dickster]

i just checked mine today (did t/bars a while back so car has settled a bit now) and it is 23 3/4 r and 24 1/4 front - i was aiming for 24/24.5.

at the current height the front A arms are pointing (slightly) the wrong way as wil says - i would suggest then that 24/24.5 r/f is the lowest to go and achieve A arms parallel to the ground.

i'm doin turbo tie rods and drop links tomorrow so will post pics.

[SpeedracerIndy]

Definitely get an alignment. My car was lowered by the PO without an alignment when I got it. It would bump steer so bad the steering wheel would almost get jerked out of my hand on a big bump. It also handled like poop. I couldn't figure out why my 81 handled so terribly and my father’s 88 was so much different. After the alignment it doesn't follow groves in the road, it doesn't wear the insides of the tires unevenly, doesn't bump steer, and handles like a Porsche should. Without the alignment, the car was down right dangerous to drive aggressively. Mine is lowered to Euro spec and I think it is the lowest I would want to go as the ride begins getting pretty harsh from there.\

Here is a pic of mine at the euro level. Not the best shot, but gives you an idea. Mine is the silver one, the brown targa next to it is at US ride height.

[Emission]

I just measured mine a minute ago...

Front 25 5/8"
Rear 25"

Does that mean mine is already "Euro" height?

[dickster]

about there.

[Wil Ferch]

We seem to forget that around 83 or so...the SC's and later 3.2's were delivered to USA in "Euro" ride heigt..according to published technical sources. It was predominantly the later 70's car that were real high...some had the front shock washer too..some didn't.
Things changed a bit with the C2/964...where we again saw some differences between USA and ROW...but they weren't that much different than originally with the SC's.
--Wil

[Vipergrün]

If you lower it, you should really consider cutting down the rubber bump stops at the top of the front and rear shocks. If you have Bilsteins, cut 2 of the 3 sections off and use just one... This will buy you a lot in terms of loading up the suspension and bottom out the shock travel. You'll also want some sort of bump-steer device, the washer type typically work fine....

[Wil Ferch]

An interesting factoid is that the tallest washers (rack spacers) you can fit is about 1/2" thick/Tall. If you happen to lower the car 1/2" below Euro...this will get you back to where you were originally wrt bump steer....this is good.
However, most go further than 1/2" lower...in which case bump steer rack spacers only regain a "portion" of the goodness. The spendy ERP bump steer kit offers finer tunability and greater range for bump steer. But...$300 + vs washers ????

--Wil

[Vipergrün]

Then, if you really want to do it right, go for the ERP bump steer kit and have the strut spindles raised....just go into it with an open wallet