Cost to Lower

This is the quote from my mechanic to lower my car to "Euro Specs".

Lower front and rear, perform 4 wheel alignment including weight distribution would be 6 hours or $360. Adjust bump steer is 1 hour or $60. If he has to change the spline on the rear to lower sufficiently (not enough travel), an additional $120.

All told the price would be $420, or $540 if the rear is not adjustable without changing the spline.

How does this sound?

Joe
'80 SC Targa

Joe, that sounds pretty reasonable if it includes an alignment. I was quoted between 4-500$ without an alignment. The front is a piece of cake - the rear is where the time is involved. 81'SC How low do you want to lower?

Does this include any bushing replacement? I would (and am) thinking about replacing all the rubber bushings on my '85 when I have my alignment (possibly lowering) done.

I have been quoted everywhere from $360 (depending on how low I want to go) to $3000.00 (this included upgrading sway-bars and shocks).

Now I am thinking about doing it myself. Has anyone else done their own bushing / lowering / and alignment? If so, would they do it all again?

TIA
Nick
nhromyak@yahoo.com

There is a good article on home alignment for the rear suspension on the pp tech article link. I am currently resetting the rear of my car following rebushing using this article as a basis. The work is not too difficult but does require a lot of patience and measuring in order to get the car settings and ride height correct on reassembly. Would I do it all again? well I'm not finished yet but more time will get it right
Bruce 83 sc

Good price,aligntment alone goes from $175 down here in south florida.
Regards Juan

Think twice before you lower your Porsche. I lowered my 1979 911SC to "Euro Specs". The car did handle better but the ride suffered and the car would scrape (mostly the front tow hook) going into driveways, over bumps, etc. I had the car raised back up, it still handles very well and ride is much less harsh but you still get the Porsche feel for the road.

Bill Carcot
1979 911SC
Diablo Region, P.C.A.

My 86 Carrera was lowered way too low when I got it and as with N11porsche I had problems with tow hook grinding out!.
The car had about 4" ground clearance. I don't know if it was because the car was lowered excessively for too long or whatever, but I spent about $500 on having the front and rear raised about 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" respectively. I also had to adjust the Camber which was way out on one side. Now it is set at 1 degree negative camber (rear).
I would have liked to raise the rear some more but the tech's said it would not go up anymore!
Maybe you guys have some input on that?.
Rgds Ben
PS the pics in the porsche gallery are after raising 1 1/2"!!!!!!


[This message has been edited by 86ragtop (edited 01-05-2001).]

Had alignment done recently.. Cost a lot less than what you guys are quoting..
front - $24.00
rear - $35.00
EPA fee - $2.95
tax - $3.72
total - $65.67
Juan and ragtop, fill up a cooler of beer and take a drive to Orlando.. Save some $$
This was done at a local BP station and the guy let me watch and explained everything... Did a great job!!
Pete
77'Carrera3.0

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www.geocities.com/pcafaro2000/carrera30.html

I can find those prices too until I try to find someone who will corner-balance the car...

That is where the labor and time come in. Set the splines (if lowering, or you have adjustable plates). Drive the car to settle. Check weights, reset splines, drive car ...repeat.

Nick
'85 with factory adjustable plates.

Whereas I appreciated you warm offer,
The work I had done, was although expensive, not 'alignment' as I understand it.
I had the suspension raised and the camber adjusted. This was done on two seperate occaisions hence the extra cost.
After the suspension was raised, I noticed the unequal Camber. I then had that addressed.
Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that alignment refers to 'toe in/ou'.
"Warren, where are you!"

rgds
Ben

alignment generally means adjusting camber, caster, and toe. Raising, lowering, and corner balancing are all above and beyond a simple alignment.

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Jeff Parker
72t

Mine was $387 to Euro Spec . The PO had left it at american spec, it looked like a baja 911. The alignment was an additional $129 so you look in line.
Remember the american spec was set higher to comply with bumper height laws and we got lower HP too.
Go Euro and try to enter steeply pitched entrances at a diagonal!

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Bob
1982 911SC Targa

[This message has been edited by ras911 (edited 01-05-2001).]

$500. That sounds a little expensive. I had a four wheel alignment for $120. I have also heard of a guy in So. Cal. that will R&R torsion bars, align, and corner balance for $350.00, cost of torsion bars not included. And the ride height must be adjusted when the torsion bars are R&R'ed. I would shop around, but would highly recommen you lowering the front yourself. It will take about 10 minutes. At the the rear, if you do it carefully, and you can get teh swing plates off wihtout too much of a problem, the entire lowering should take about 6 hours. There are plenty of articles on teh subject and Bruce Anderson's "Handbook" provides a very accurate description of how much to move teh rear spring plate and inner torsion bar splines to obtain a specific change in ride height. You may want to do some reading and consider doing the job yourself. But then again you will still need to take the car in for an alignment, but this would not be more that $150.
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Paul
78SC Targa

The alignment quoted includes camber, caster, toe and corner balance plus spacing the steering rack up until the tie rods are horizontal. As he described it, "much more involved than a gas station hack job". I'm pretty comfortable that my mechanic is a total stickler for doing things "Porsche", I watched him do my engine and tranny and was impressed with his attention to detail and mostly THE RESULTS! I think I would tackle the lowering, but that seems to be the minor part- alignment being the midas touch.

N11Porsche, 86ragtop- Thanks for the height caution, I'm going to check into the ride height further. My plans were 25" ground to rear fender lip and 25.5" to front fender lip. My present ride height is 27” at front and 26” at rear. Additionally the front and rear varies by .25, side to side. What I am trying to eliminate is the look of an alligator standing up and running up on all fours (Florida analogy). My car looks high.

What works for your car? Any comments on 25”/25.5”?

I am toying with going to 16” Fuchs with different profile tires in the future. How does the wheel/tire combination affect alignment?

My 911SC must have been lower than "Euro-Spec". It now is 25" in the back and 25.5" in the front. Measured from ground to fender lip. I have no clearance problems with this setup. I have 16" Fuchs on my car. If your going to change wheels, do it before you have your car lowered because the new wheels and tires will change the ride height.

Bill Carcot
1979 911SC
Diablo Region, P.C.A.

I am pretty much ditto N11Porsche.

79 SC with 25.5 front and 24.5 rear with Fuchs 16" rolling stock meats of 205/55 front and 225/50 rear.

I love it, and the back end hooks hard in turns. The front however needs some taming, it pushes in quick turns but that maybe due to the cruddy Michelin tires on the front that are not performance grade, I believe they are MXV4s. Sweeping turns where the front can powerdown it performs incredibly well though.

Can the front be dropped safely to 24.5 inches or is 25.5 about it without going nuts on the stock arm geometry?

One thing that has not been mentioned here is the process of doing an on the car wheel balance which makes a huge difference for high speed stability. A local shop does it for $25 a wheel, but it is money well spent... Just be sure to mark your lug nuts up to the valve stem when you take the wheel off otherwise you will screw up your wheel balance.

Low front has not been a problem for me. The PO knocked the cheesy lower rubber spoiler off and had to reattach it.

Eventually I want to add a RUF Yellowbird front bumper/spoiler with the front oil cooler and I would hate to hit that on a curb. Ouch!



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Adrian Pillow
1979 911 SC
1966 VW Microbus
PCA - Peachstate Chapter

Interesting, mine is at 25.5 front and 25" rear now. I was thinking of only a 1/4" or 1/2" drop all the way round...

Thanks
Nick

My car is set very low now and I have had zero problems resulting from it -- handling is noticably better in quick transitions, and it definitely looks better. Front is at 24 1/4 and rear is at 23 3/4. I have to be careful on speed bumps and driveways, but I always was before anyway (it was set at 25-ish before).

No mods were necessary except for rack (bump steer) spacers. This work was done at (I think) the aforementioned So Cal shop by a well known Porsche suspension expert and racer. New torsion bars, bushings, turbo tie rods and adjustable front swaybar drop links were installed at the same time. Car was fully aligned and corner balanced too.

Chris C.
70 911E Targa

I am sceptical that you can lower a 911 without adjusting the rear splines. The built-in spring plate adjustment is for weight jacking not lowering. It's just not enough play there. And if you could lower it using the spring plate adjustment you'd be at the stops and then there would be no room for weight jacking. I say the rear must be lowered with the torsion splines.

Mine are 25 1/4 front 24 1/2 rear.
I would have preferred to be 25 rear but it would not raise any more.
The car WAS lowered excessivly but now does not bottom out at all!.
i use stock 6 & 7's 205/225
hope this helps
rgds Ben