Just finished my complete suspension rebuild – I’m impressed!

[gunlover05]

Over the past week, I rebuilt the stock suspension on my stock 85 carrera. It has 90k miles, and I’ve owned her for 1.5 years. I caught the AX bug last year, bad. So as a present to her (and me), I’ve been planning a suspension rebuild this winter. I went with:

22/29 solid torsions (sway away)
Bilstien Sports all around
Elephant Racing front and rear Polybronze (didn’t get the front aligning mount)
Polygraphite shock tower insert
New ball joints and nuts
New rubber sway bushings front and rear, stock sizes

The parts to do this job didn't add up to pocket change for me mind you, but the AX bug is to blame. I already had a Elephant Racing strut brace and turbo tie rods for suspension upgrades.

This forum was a HUGE help, and I thank everyone for their postings. I wanted to say a few things about my rebuild. It took me about 28 hours total over the last week to complete the job.

I put it up high on stands, and started at the REAR. Disassembly wasn’t hard, had to peck out one Tbar from the other side. Bushings were shot. Getting the old bushings off was a 2 hour pain. I cleaned up my springplates with a brass wire wheel, but didn’t paint or plate. I had to use the recommended poly adhesive to get my Elephant Racing bushings to stay put on the inside ones. Others pressed in the covers. JB weld went fine on plates. My boge rear shocks were totally shot, and I didn’t know it. Only takes about 8-10lbs of pressure to compress them, and little rebound at all. Upon assembly, I used the springplate calculator and put my springplates at 20.5 degrees both sides.

Fronts. Disassembly was OK just took more time. Cleaned up and painted my struts and my a-arms, and sway bars which took some time. I had trouble getting one of my strut inserts out, and didn’t realize after a bit of struggling that if you have it out and ball joint off as well as the pin, you can punch it out from the bottom! I had no trouble with my ball joint, got the arm in a vice, sprayed PB blaster all over, HEATED up the nut hot, watched the PB bubble in between, and hit it with my impact wrench and a $15 4x4 hub tool from AutoZone. Came right out. Installed it with the tool as well. Elephant Racing bushings – I had very little “sticktion” and was able to get both arms to fall on their own weight without shims or spherical washers or the rear alignment mount. I noticed if I pushed the two mounts (front and rear) from each other a bit and tightened all bolts down, I had no sticktion. Upon assembly I put the old torsion bar seal on (was ok) and put the adjusting lever at 4/8 Oclock and put the bolt through with about 10mm sticking out. This was after the strut was installed with the insert in place. Up top, I cleaned up the black hard gunk and pushed the plates as far inboard and to the rear as possible, to get the most camber and caster. I will need an alignment, whether I try it myself or pay. I cut my insert bumpers down to one, as smart racing suggests (but I forgot to cut my rubber bumpers down on my rear shocks, will have to do that later). I left my tie rod ends alone so my toe should be close for now. I bled the brakes with my new Xmas present – Pressure Brake Bleeder. Had to go around 2X to get a good brake petal.

I dropped her on the ground and took her for the first ride on the streets. Remember no alignment yet, but I WAS TOTALLY IMPRESSED. The car was not at all harsh, not in the very least. In fact, it rides “better” on the street than my old setup did. My rear shocks where shot, I’m sure didn’t help. I haven’t AX’er yet, but expect much better control/handling. I am very impressed I’ll have to say, and I’m glad I spent the extra money to get the Elephant Racing bushings. I didn’t start out to buy them (was going Neatrix for rears and was going to leave fronts alone), but after installation and how the car feels, that was money well spent. As far as ride height, I am a bit low, but will keep for right now. Right out of the shoot she was 24.5” up front, 24 in the rear. Might raise her just a bit, but I need a bit more camber on driver’s rear side, as I get just a smidge of tire rub on the lip. I need more camber anyhow.

I’ll post a few pics, as soon as I figure out how to upload again. For some reason I can’t anymore.

Overall I am very impressed with the way she drives. MONEY and time WELL spent, and I can’t wait till this coming AX season.

[mjshira]

congrats! but, and you'll hear it again, this threat is worthless without pics ;-)

[gunlover05]

I'll be glad to upload some pics, but for some reason when i hit "click here to upload a pic" nothing happens anymore...

[mjshira]

pop up blocker?

[gunlover05]

Originally Posted by mjshira

pop up blocker?

Tried that...turned off my IE popup blocker, no change :-(

[billybek]

pop up blocker?

No thanks!!!

You sound pumped (no pun intended) about your suspension mods. Did you take any pics of the repair/ replacement along the way???

[gunlover05]

AH HAAH! I just also looked and my Norton Internet security Popup blocker was on, I turned it off also and now I can post pics
New Parts



Just now

[gunlover05]

Originally Posted by billybek

No thanks!!!

You sound pumped (no pun intended) about your suspension mods. Did you take any pics of the repair/ replacement along the way???

I didn't take as many pics at all as i intended, just got too carried away i guess. This was my favorite thread to read on the fronts though: Front suspension refreshening

[Zef]

Soooooooooooooooo nice...lucky guy.

[billybek]

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...ion+polybronze
That was a great thread thanks for posting it..
Oh ya, your car looks great...

[ulrichd]

Wait, you put JBWeld on what part of your springplate?
Ulrich

[gunlover05]

Originally Posted by ulrichd

Wait, you put JBWeld on what part of your springplate?
Ulrich

For the Elephant Racing polybronze, you JB weld 2 races to your springplates (one in, one out)...the bushings fit in the torsion tube and torsion cover.

[gunlover05]

pre-suspension build, but here is my favorite pic of my car....

[gunlover05]

I think the moral to my story is most anyone with some mechanical skills, money, and time can do this job. Make sure you allocate enough time (i added up 28 hours total), upgrade to better parts when you can (Elephant Racing PB are super nice), and don't be afraid of bigger torsion bars even for the street (22/29s feels "comfier" even than my old stock).

[oregonmon]

Nice work, you'll have to keep us posted on your autox improvements now that you have some goodies.

[jasonmx5]

Nice job. Looking to do some similar work this spring on my car. 30 year old suspension is definitely showing it's age. On the autox front, will the changes you've made move you into a different class?

My 911 is new to me as of last August and I haven't had a chance to autox it yet, nor am I familiar with Porsche classing yet.

I know when I did fairly major suspension changes to my Miata I went from C Stock to C Street Prepared.

[gunlover05]

Originally Posted by jasonmx5

Nice job. Looking to do some similar work this spring on my car. 30 year old suspension is definitely showing it's age. On the autox front, will the changes you've made move you into a different class?

My 911 is new to me as of last August and I haven't had a chance to autox it yet, nor am I familiar with Porsche classing yet.

I know when I did fairly major suspension changes to my Miata I went from C Stock to C Street Prepared.

Yes, the kind of mods like i did will definitely take you out of stock...i wasn't in stock anyhow (BSP) before i did my mods, since i had already done a cat bypass, SW chip, and strutbrace....

[efhughes3]

This is one of the best repairs you can do to an older 911. They come out driving like a new car. Congrats!

PS- ERP and Elephant Racing are not the same thing......ERP in Porsche circles typically refers to Eisenlohr(Sp) Racing Products. I just want to give Chuck Moreland his due....

[gunlover05]

Originally Posted by efhughes3

PS- ERP and Elephant Racing are not the same thing......ERP in Porsche circles typically refers to Eisenlohr(Sp) Racing Products. I just want to give Chuck Moreland his due....

Chuck Moreland deserves all the "due" he can get!...thanks for the correction, I edited my posts accordingly

[gunlover05]

I found more pics of my suspension rebuild....forgot i took these...passengers worn springplate bushings!
drivers side worn
races jb welded on springplate