Softest ride?

[Algernon]

Originally Posted by RSTarga

When our roads were good I liked stiff, but the roads in my area,(except the interstate), are patched and potholed. On a stiff setup you end up hopping from bump to bump. In these conditions softer is actually better roadholding.

Exactly!

[stlrj]

Originally Posted by faverymi

Surprised nobody has mentioned tires.

I've gone through 15, 16, 17 inch rims. From all season street to almost track tires. It made the biggest difference in terms of ride hardness.

15 inch with street all season provided the cadillac of the 911s.

Recently went with 15" cookies on my 87 with Kumho Solus TA11 all seasons and I confirm I now have the Buick ride with power steering and all. The all seasons also handle amazingly well, to my surprise.

Here's my new Buick ride:

(possibly the softest riding 911 on the planet)


Cheers,

Joe

[RSTarga]

That ride height certainly helped!

[stlrj]

Originally Posted by RSTarga

That ride height certainly helped!

It's called stock factory height or euro height...a rare sight indeed! But how does the ride height help? It's still the same suspension torsion bars and sway bars and all. Seems that just by putting enough rubber sidewall between you and the road ought to help plenty.

Joe

[Algernon]

Originally Posted by Driven97

I clearanced (sanded down) and lubed the hell out of the bushing, and the ride of my car improved dramatically, despite very large 23mm front torsions.

Side note: when you go from a non-functioning to a well functioning front suspension the handling changes massively as well.

What do you recommend for lubing the bushings please?

[KTL]

Rubber bushings aren't supposed to be lubricated. You can temporarily lube them for ease of installation by using soapy water. But they should be dry for operation. Chuck @ Elephant Racing gave me a slap on the hand years ago for me recommending lubrication of the sway bar bushings with synthetic grease to avoid binding. I have to defer to him since he's the suspension guru.

The A-arm & rear spring plate bushings are usually wasted by now, if still original. Over time they compress and "cold flow" creating a thinner bushing that is no longer centered in the bushing carrier. I would take a close look at your primary suspension bushings if you're going to start replacing bushings. I say that because this big bushings play a big part in how the car feels from an impact harshness perspective.

If I was just refreshing a stock suspension for street use? I'd go with basic Boge or Bilstein (not sport Bilstein). They were the most installed original equipment and will be fine. Nothing against Koni (although full disclosure, I had problems with a broken adjustable Koni) but I just feel the Boge & Bilstein have logged the most miles on these cars and prove their sufficiency.

IMO the original size torsion bars, while generally considered a bit soft, are PLENTY sufficient for street duty. Stock suspension on these cars is even quite capable at an occasional track day event. I was quite impressed by how composed, albeit with a lot of pitch & body roll, my former '87 was at a track day with the original suspension. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised because a good handling car isn't always going to be mega stiff. Pro race engineers often set up the GT cars to absorb bumps so as to not upset the balance of the car.

Case in point, I had returned the car to original rubber bushings & original torsion bars prior to selling it and the new owner had me drive it with him at a track day. It was a ton of fun and very capable for a stock car. Maybe I was overly-enjoying it on account of being accustomed to the harsh ride of my racecar? Regardless, I found it fun to drive and didn't feel like it handled terribly compared to the racecar, or even compared to the way the car was previously set up with 23/31 torsion bars, poly bushings & aggressive alignment. I guess Porsche knew a little bit about what they were doing when they designed these cars way back then and made good compromises?

[Algernon]

Hi stlrj and faverymi and anyone else with 15" wheels:
What tires do you recommend? And do you stay with the original sizes ( 185/70 all round) ?
Thanks

[Bulldog9]

I diddnt see it listed in your choices, but I would say Panamera................ ;-)

[hoss4659]

My solution for my '88 Pcar was:
--Replacing the commuter grade Fuzion tires with Continental DWS 06 same 205/55 and 225/50 sizes but on Braid BZ 7 & 8 X 16 wheels. I thought about going to 15 inch wheels but the selection of tires seem to be quite limited.
--New suspension bushings front and rear.
--Replacing the Boge struts and shocks with Koni Sport adjustable units. Set at one notch above full soft.
Net result is a substantial improvement in ride quality. Still need to put some miles on the car to break in the tires and let the new bushings take a set. Ride height is stock which shows a bit too much space between the tops of the tires and the fender lips so rolling the fender edges and lowering the car may be in order.
Nice not to worry about chipping ones teeth while traversing Tucson's rough streets.

[VFR750]

One thing you might consider, and it's extreme, is to disconnect the swaybars

Yes, decouple the left and right from bumps and poor pavement. Cornering will be hurt, but you implied track grip was not the concern.

I drove mine that way for several months while I saved up to get the rear mounts repaired. Actually a very nice ride, and the roll wasn't too bad. That is on bilstein sports and 22/29 torsion bars.

I think the stiff torsion bars offset the lack of swaybars compared to a softer torsion bar plus swaybars setup.