Rear Springplate Bushing Replacement

[dickster]

harry

yes, they do get very rusty - did you read the link i gave you?

[MBAtarga]

Using longer bolts is definitely one of the easiest ways to push the covers back. At the same time I did this task, I lowered the front as well and installed the bump-steer bushings. I found out - coincidently, that the bolts replaced with the bump-steer kit are the correct pitch, and long enough, to use for this purpose.

[911Brian]

Originally posted by HarryD
911 Brian,

Did you reuse your original cover one? I have heard that they are quite grungy/rusty and "while you got it apart" you should replace it for the next 30+ years of service. I wonder if that has something to do with the difficulty in getting it to fit.

No I didn't. I should have though. The rust/rubber turned into an extremely hard substance. Not too sure what to call it. Since that car is gone, I will probably do the same procedure on my new car but next time, I will use new ones.

[HarryD]

Originally posted by dickster
harry

yes, they do get very rusty - did you read the link i gave you?

Errr... Um..... I just did. Nice write up! I have one question, since I am staying witht he stock t-bars, do I need to open the hole under the deco strip?

Thanks.

[HarryD]

Originally posted by 911Brian
No I didn't. I should have though. The rust/rubber turned into an extremely hard substance. Not too sure what to call it. Since that car is gone, I will probably do the same procedure on my new car but next time, I will use new ones.

I was warned my my wrench of the buildup of corrosion on this part and ordered new ones. $75/ea!

[dickster]

I have one question, since I am staying witht he stock t-bars, do I need to open the hole under the deco strip?

harry,

no, thats just for removal of the bars.

[911Brian]

Originally posted by HarryD
Errr... Um..... I just did. Nice write up! I have one question, since I am staying witht he stock t-bars, do I need to open the hole under the deco strip?

Thanks.

I actually had to in order to remove the spring plate. Don't know if I did something wrong but that is how I got mine all the way off of the tbar.

[HarryD]

Originally posted by 911Brian
I actually had to in order to remove the spring plate. Don't know if I did something wrong but that is how I got mine all the way off of the tbar.

Well, I guess I'll see what happens when I try to remove it witht he plug in place. Thanks for the warning.

[dickster]

mmm, maybe i'm wrong then. i know the G50 or turbo models probably require it....?

[HarryD]

Well except for ride height, corner balance and align, my project is done. I will be farming these steps out to Jeff at Rothsport instead of doing it myself.

Some lessons learned:

-You got to really pry at them old bushings to get them free of the car. A big flat pry bar seems to be a must.

-You need to remove the torsion bar access covers to get the springplate out.

-To remove the old bushes from the spring plates, heating the inside of the torsion bar receiver with a propane torch helps to loosen them to the point they mostly slide off.

-For the rubber left on the springplates, burning it with the torch is smoky and smelly but makes it much easier to wire brush the remaining material.

-The spingplate covers are really grungy inside. I am glad Steve Weiner sugested I get new instead of trying to salvage the old ones. If I had a bead blaster at home, it may have been a viable option to salavage but I did not want to wait several days to try to use the one at work (wife was upset enough with my car spread all over her parking space in garage )

-Use of longer bolts to press the springplate covers into place with the new bushes is tedious but effective.

-Replacing shock and strut inserts is one of the easiest jobs I have done on the car.

-Replacing worn Boge Struts with Bilsteins results in a car with Paris-Dakar ride height in the front.

Thanks to all for the advice and help.

[zzwhm]

Thom - Thanks for the link to the angle calculator. Very handy.
Bill

[911Brian]

Glad to hear it went well! I actuall worked on my covers to remove the "stuff" from inside. In hindsight, new ones would have been much better.

Since you had the spring plates off, you had 90 % of the work done to lower the rear. The fronts are a piece of cake. Any reason why you didn't try to lower the car?

[HarryD]

Originally posted by 911Brian
Glad to hear it went well! I actuall worked on my covers to remove the "stuff" from inside. In hindsight, new ones would have been much better.

Since you had the spring plates off, you had 90 % of the work done to lower the rear. The fronts are a piece of cake. Any reason why you didn't try to lower the car?

I asked Jeff the same question and he told me that if I wanted the practice to go ahead. However, when he did the corner balance, he would be undoing some if not all of the work so why bother?

Since, among other things, he has most likely forgotten more than I will ever know about Porsches (and he is the 2003 LeMans GT Technician of the year), I figured it was good advice.

[juanbenae]

feels cool to have done it yourself eh? nice work.

[911Brian]

Originally posted by HarryD

Since, among other things, he has most likely forgotten more than I will ever know about Porsches (and he is the 2003 LeMans GT Technician of the year), I figured it was good advice.

Of course... forgot about the CB. Apparently, I was very lucky and was somehow dead nuts on. When I had it balanced, he didn't have to adjust too much .

[HarryD]

Originally posted by k911sc
feels cool to have done it yourself eh? nice work.

It's always fun to do your own work.

[HarryD]

An update: For the first time at Autocross (we finally had a dry event!) I did not develop the horrible push I always seemed to experience. I was able to brake later, turn harder and rotate the car almost at will.

For any of you on the fence, updating a tired Porsche Suspension must be worth at least 50 hp on the Butt Dyno.