I had a similar problem with my car, wore a set of Yoko A008P's to slick in one track day. Found the problem was that the override bumpers inside the front Bilstiens left only about 1/2" suspension travel after the car was lowered to European ride height. I found out by putting a jack on one front wheel and saw that I could raise the front end completely off of the ground without the front strut compressing hardly at all.

Took the strut apart, cut down the overrider inside (I think I cut it in half about....took and inch or more off of it), reassembled exactly the same and the problem went completely away.

Besides transforming the handling completely out of proportion (I had grinding understeer), it rode better and now after 2 track days, my Dunlops hardly show any wear at all...

Check it out....I had checked all the other stuff too before I discovered this little gem...

Dennis

Thanks for the reply. I have heard of this before... but where is this?

Is it INSIDE the bilstein assembly? Or is it simply under the (relatively) big metal "dust-boot"???

I did find one under the shock tower assembly... but I don't know.

Thanks.

*I am going to look on pelicanparts diagrams and parts to see if I can find an exploded view now.

Before I take it out I will check the compression of my front shocks. SmileWavy

Darn it, no exploded view from Pelican....

As I recall, the push gets worse with a full tank of gas. Could it be this bumper? Or could it simply be, that the lowering screwed with the factory settings?

*sigh*

I have to work this Sunday, so I guess I'm not going to put on my track tires. Unless I drive them in with me to work on Sunday...hmmmmmmm ;)

Memory fails with age, but there are several things to look out for. First of all, some Porsche's have this huge 10mm washer at the top of the strut (inside the inner fender) that was meant to get the car up to correct bumper height whilst maintaining the shock travel in its appropriate range.

Second, if I recall, the overrider is inside the strut, you need to pull the whole shock assembly out of the car (easier than it sounds), you can do it without changing alignment, and the bump stop/overrider is inside the lower part of the tube. There is a roll pin at the bottom of the strut that retains the shock actuating rod, this needs to be driven out to get the actual shock out.

"real" Bilstein struts actually have the shock mounted upside down, with the mass of the shock being sprung weight....

Hope this helps.....

Dennis

OK, I recall there NOT being a bumper INSIDE my driver's side shock mount, when I took the roll-pin out some time ago.

:(

But I THINK there is one ON TOP of the shock dust-boot....

I will try and move the tire up farther inside the wheel well, today.

Thanks!

I look to others on this list with either better memories or more recent experience...not sure where exactly it is, but I do remember disassembling the strut...

Dennis

"As I recall, the push gets worse with a full tank of gas. Could it be this bumper? Or could it simply be, that the lowering screwed with the factory settings?"
Nick

Anytime you lower the suspension you upset the factory settings which are very difficult to adjust due to the limited amount of movement that is designed into the shock tower mounts. This is the reason that the factory ride height is so critical.

-Joe

*sigh*