Afterburn:
Are the 2*6's one length for the back and one length for the front or do you use 4 pieces of 2*6, one for each tire indepedently? I would like to try your method! Also I assume you get all (all 14!) scales setup first and then drive your car onto all the scale "sets" at once?

4 pc- you just use them to bridge the scales togather..you could use some other material...but 2x6 is handy....to get real fussy you would have to subtract the weight of what ever you use for the bridge (LOL)

Back to the weight distribution thing....

Weight distribution should be calculated with how much fuel?
60/40 rear to front with how much fuel?

I assume it is with an empty tank that way it will be the actual car weight not weight with a fluctuating component!
am I just splitting hairs?
does Anyone know how much fuel weighs per gallon? is the "pints a pound" rule applicable with fuel or is the specific gravity of 89 octane much different than H2O???
20Gallons of fuel = ?lbs
1pt=1lb
1gal=8pints
1gal=8lbs
20gal=160lbs
yeah maybe I am splitting hairs!
I have a pint right now and it surely doesnt weigh a pound anymore!!
I might have another pound or 2 before I finish this thread if I dont stop.
But seriously, if you have any answers to my questions please let me know.
Cheers
Chris

Weigh it as you would use it, unless you use it with an empty tank. Fuel is abot 6.5lb/gallon. Get the car alaigned AND corner balanced together, save yourself some headaches.
Pat

Basic...repeat .....basic corner weighting procedures call for absolutely level scales. Use vinyl floor tiles to shim. Set the air pressure correctly in the tires. How much do you weigh?? Get sacks of sand or weights or something and put in the seat and drivers footwell until you have added your weight.
Fill the tank to half way. Thats approx 71.5 lbs, depending on your fuel capacity.

DISCONNECT the sway bars! And honestly, if the sway bars don't have adjustable end links, it's getting into the "why bother" stage.

Point being that the front end of a 911 is one of the best steering/feeling front ends ever, and the actual weights you'll see on each wheel will be very light. At such light weights, mistakes are magnified.

I would seriously consider getting a set of WEVO SPSs for the rear. Needle bearings replace the rubber bushings, which you'll be replacing anyway, and include all new parts, including adjustable spring plates. It makes adjustment a breeze....if your time has any value, it's money well spent in the end.

Once the set up is done, tweak the alignment, and reconnect the adjusted sway bar links.

most use a 1/2 tank of fuel....

There seems to be (at least ! ) two diffrent questions "in-play" here....how to lower and what kind of corner balance target to try for.

Let me state something about corner balance...and try to summarize an epiphany I had... talking to Randy Blaylock and others on a corner balance thread ( see thread).

Because the masses on the car are not concentrically located left-to-right... nor front-to-back......each corner would "ideally" carry a different weight. "Perfect" corner balance would have you get to these 4 different numbers...one unique number for each corner.

However, the apparently best compromise is to target equal front corner weights...not the "ideal" individually-different front corner weights. This would promote equal brake response on heavy braking ( won't have one wheel...the lightly loaded one... lock first). Although this is a compromise setting...and is considered "weight-jacked"...it slightly alters the perfect left-right threshold turining characteristics, but it's a good compromise anyway.

Some people do the corner balance assuming one person on board and some with none or two people. Do it with the most common situation you'll find yourself in. Half a tank of fuel is probably best as it changes the least from your "settings" as you go from full tank to empty.

- Wil

brilliant!
Thanks!-C

Bump steer kit, bump steer kit, bump steer kit.
You'll need it if you're anywhere close to euro spec ht with 15" wheels and if you pass on it now you'll be buying a second round of balance and alignment after you intall it.
Do it now, enjoy it forever. Plus it's cheap!

I used a 1/2 tank and the front varies about a 3/8 inch either way when empty of full.

Consider how much clearance you'll need to drive around town if that's your main use for the car. If your rear suspension has is stock T bars and shocks sure it is stiff enough to not allow the rear wheels to rub the inside of the wells. Mine is stock and sitting at 25.25" and might be able to be dropped to 25 but that would be about it. I'm running 205/60 on 15" wheels on my 74.

Someone out there may have a rule of thumb on how high above the rear wheel the fender lip should be. Someone told me you should be able to slide your hand betweel the top of the tire and the edge of the fender.

Do you have any pics of what it looks like now?

I run 25.5/25 as it's mostly headache free on the hy & street w/205/55/16 x 4. The angle measured on the door sill should be 1deg. I run 21/27 t-bars. Some say that's a bit much for street as it's a little more pounding than stock. I love it. Sway bars can be flipped later to tweak.

Above 80mph with high cross winds are a pia though. The front tow hooks or the pelican hd replacement will get used. SC/Carrera ft spoiler and a rear C-2 or duck etc would help big time. The ft spoiler will take hits sooner or later.

Current ride hight
 

Currently my Car is @ 26.5 (F) 27.5 (R) .
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1157462569.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1157462586.jpg


Chris

almost looks like it is a "Dakkar" eh?

This has 80k miles on it and has never had any suspension work, it is as it was new.
Actually bought new in Canada. I suspect it is N. America ride hight.

Chris

Chris, It does look a bit high and I would drop it for sure.
What is the measurement to the top of the tires, Front&Rear?

Be sure to have the neg camber put in the rear when you finish. That will help on fender rub since the wheel will rotate slightly more as it moves up into the wheel well during hard cornering or bumps. A good shop will have a recommended spec for Camber and Toe-in for the front and rear alignments, but be sure you have a good idea of what you want/need before hand.

++1on the Adjustable Spring plates, but they cost$$.
Consider front strut braces also. They will help front stiffness and help to retain your front end alignments.
Read up on all these related issues before you start. There are lots of good posts and Tech pages in this web site and BB. Get Waynes book and double your expected time to lower the rear.

Take lots of pics. Don't get frustrated.
Good luck and take you time on the rear.

PS the front is easy.

24" (F) 24.5" (R)

205/60 15 & 215/60 15 respectively

Thoughts on Camber Toe etc, appreciated.

as For the work I will do all but the Alignmenr..

C-

Chris - careful posting pics like that! I did the same thing 6 months ago and STILL haven't lived down the shame of all the 'swamp buggy' and Paris-Dakar comments.

BTW, is that amphibious?

Regards,

Joe

At least I knew it going into that post. I am the first one to admit it looks like a 4X4.. I have only had the car for 9 months and I have been whacking away at it. Motor Rebuild (check), Trans rebuild (check), New rims and tires (check), Backdate Exhaust and oil lines (check), Drive it alot (check). Problem with owning a P car in VT is that I can only drive it for 4 or 5 months out of the year and it rains alot so knock off another month. Gives us Yankees alot of time to do "projects"...

Cheers
Chris

Chris, How do you plan to use it? Track, street, highway, and how much tire wear are you willing to tolerate?
Much Toe-in or Neg Camber and you'll wear out a set of tires pretty fast on the street, but it can pay off on the track. I'm not the one to ask if you're a track or AutoX driver.
For my car I used the specs from the Technical article here on Pelican titled: "911 torsion bar replacement" Front -1 deg camber, 6-7deg caster, 0 toe; Rear -1.5 deg camber, -15' Toe (in).

Search this site for "911 torsion bar replacement".
After reading it Read "101 Projects..." on this topic.
Many of your questions will be answered.

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, but on some of those middle years there is a great big thick hvy spacer that need to be removed from the top of the strut assy so as to center your strut piston in the middle again ( after it is lowered....was a federal thing )

Yeah, I did know that. Apparently the spacers put the car at the same level as the behemouth American cars it was going to hit... like that would do any good. From what I understand most P dealers would take them out during the "NEW CAR PreP", But this guy (original owner)had no Clue... He just wanted a Porshaa, like Tony Montana did...
Part of the reason I bought the car is because it has not been molested. The PO (original purchaser of the vehicle) Wasnt into all this. He was just an average guy that probably never took the thing over 80 MPH, he was very conservative. Only reason I re-built the motor was because it had all the origianl heat sinks and air pump crap on it. we all know how hot they \can get and the HP drain too.

Maybe I should keep the spacers? make ash trays or drink holders out of them....

ANd Cookiecutter, I will be driving on the street maybe a D.E. course here and there...

Cheers
C