A while I'm in there question

[ghnat]

With both front struts out and the car on jack stands for a while, should I go a head and check my torsion bars? I noticed the front tow hooks are badly bent. Car has 200+K miles and I am not sure the state of them. I guess that would also give me a reason to clean up my front suspension. Then If I check out the front, I might as well bite the bullet and check the rears.

What are knowledgable folks thoughts???

[adomakin]

could pull em and take a look-but beware-you WILL end up stripping/powdercoating everything before you know it! (not that thats a bad thing!)

Andy

[kevjandon]

I find that the more stuff I take apart on my 911, the more I clean it, the more I buy new parts that look shiny to replace perfectly good old parts and the more I think "while I'm in there" I'll just up size those sway bars, torsion bars, etc....

It's the downside to the DIY work. You save labor on DIY, but you spend more on parts. It kind of balances itself out.

[djmcmath]

If you've got it up on stands for a bit, and you know you want to replace the towhooks, there's really no good reason not to drop the control arms for powder coating, as well. The t-bars are probably fine, but since you have to redo the front alignment anyway, you may as well replace them. And if you have stiffer springs, you'll want stronger shocks to balance it out, right?

Oh, and since the struts are out, that means you disconnected both of the outter ends of the tie-rods. If you haven't already upgraded to the turbo tie rods, that's worthwhile, since you've already done half of the work.

I'd say that the back end isn't worth it, unless you have extra time and money on your hands. The rear suspension could end up being another month of downtime. But then, if you're redoing everything in the front, you may as well redo the back too, right?


Dan

[Evans, Marv]

"While you're in there," you will have to look at the rubber bushings. If the car has 200K miles on it, they no doubt need replacement - for sure. The best thing to do is to spring for Chuck Moreland's polypbrass bushings ($300 + or -), turbo tie rods ($120 + or -), powder coat the cross member & A arms ($30 + or -), zink phosphate (gold or silver) coat the front & rear bushing collars and adjuster caps ($60 + or -). Let's see? Have I forgotten anything? Probably so (torsion bars, alignment, etc. ?), but this gives you and idea. It's easy to do and even though you spend the money now, you know you won't have to spend any more for many, many years. However, if you don't plan on keeping the car ...............

[Rot 911]

What Marv said. I am going through this right now on my '86 Carrera. Turns out I needed new torsion bars because the rubber on the control arm bushings had flowed to one side allowing the torsion bar to rub on the control arm. I did my rear bushings last winter and the rear torsion bars were fine. You will need to replace all the bushings (I went with the Elephant polybronze bushings, new sway bar bushings, new torsion bars, Bilstein shocks, new rotors and the turbo tie rods. I skipped all the powder coating. Feel free to ask me any questions you want

[ghnat]

Wow, thanks for the responses. I have the engine and transmission out, interior, AC, heating ducts out. I figure 1-2 years. I have most of the trim off in prep for a paint job (not by me . When I am done I will have WAY too much invested but I want to keep this car for a while. This is for the fun of it and to learn about the car. One day I will get to Auto-x it and maybe even DE... One day.....

These are some good expensive positive responses. Oh what the hey! I need to keep my powder coater happy, right?

I have turbo tie rods ready to install. I might as well take the front A arms and cross member off and see what is what. If the bushings are bad I will look into the Elephant polybronze bushings, etc.

[ghnat]

Kurt,

Did you get larger torsion bars or keep stock?

Marv,
zink phosphate (gold or silver) coat the front & rear bushing collars and adjuster caps ($60 + or -).

Question, what will zinc coating the collars and caps do for me, besides look cool?

Thanks for all the help.

[ghnat]

Kurt,

This is a pic of my passenger torsion bar. I have a bad feeling about it... What do you think?

[ghnat]

Here is a pic of my driver torsion bar. I see some rust. I guess I need new ones, eh?

If so do I go stock or are there bigger torsion bars?

[Chuck Moreland]

Originally posted by Evans, Marv
"The best thing to do is to spring for Chuck Moreland's polypbrass bushings ($300 + or -),

Actually, they are $240 + or -