ER quick change spring plates - how much time do they save on alignment?
 

Just trying to figure out the return on investment equation. Obviously they are pricey ($450)- how many re-alignments would you have to do to get your money back? How much time do they save a shop when doing a align/corner balance? Any other benefits?

I have them and I love them.

1. I've done quite a few minor adjustments. My car is really low, so perhaps I would do more than your average person. I like tinkering with the car too. I've had to adjust after an alignment because the car was too low (to be fair I lowered it, and it was too low, but being able to quickly raise it with two tools and then drive away from the shop was worth a lot to me.)

2. It looks amazing. I get a lot of compliments and people notice them.

3. It's the best quality spring plate. Better than stock, better than sway away - well I guess not better than a 934 setup, but that's extreme. It's well made and wont separate like others.

4. You can quick change TB's if you're into that. You have to have the QC TBs with the pull thread in the ends though. But you can.

5. Great customer service from ER.

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I think the benefit is the ability to change torsion bars without removing the plate. Nice feature but most people aren't changing torsion bars often. I don't see a major advantage in ride height adjustment. After your first alignment when you get everything dialed in, you probably aren't going to be making a lot of major ride height changes and the factory adjusters do the job. If you like to fiddle and make frequent alignment changes it may be worth it.

Yeah I don't envision changing TBs that often. My biggest concern is that I continually make changes that affect weight (mostly weight out) which changes my corner balance.

Well I don't have them and wish I did. Like many, I thought my first change was my last. Fact is I've probably made 7-8 changes in last 15 years and would have saved 20-30 hours if I'd had these.

I don't think they make them for G50 cars with the pushed out T-bars 87-89 http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/shake.gif

SW

How about the front ride height change when the rears done quickly with this nice product?

I don't adjust them enough to comment on whether they are useful, necessary, or provide a good ROI, but they are beautiful to look at! :D

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Alignment and corner balance are two things I just don't have gear to do correctly. I have asked this same question to the local shop I use for this and their opinion is that ER spring plates pay for themselves after 2-3 alignments assuming corner balance adjustment is needed. I plan on doing these when I rebuild suspension. (Of course, my '75 doesn't have any adjustable spring plates right now.)

Well, having just spent half a day re-indexing my torsion bars to change the ride height, I have to admit to wishing I had them. But, once I was done it wasn't that bad and, to me, they are not necessary.

It really depends on what you're doing with the car; my 911 only see street use and occasional autocross use so it won't be changed often. Although I appreciate the ease of adjustment on my 914-6 because I haven't yet found the perfect suspension settings for autocrossing so I'm regularly making adjustments. Once dialed though, it won't need to be changed much either.

Really comes down to how often you'll be making, or having, adjustments made.

If you're really good or lucky you don't need them. It not, you do.

I think if you are tracking a car and playing with adjustment a lot they make a lot of sense. For most people they are not necessary but they sure are convenient. When I was working on my suspension it was August so hot and humid. I sure did appreciate being able to make minor adjustments without having to re-index the torsion bar.

No they do not, but it is easy to cut the tube out of the standard parts and fit them...I have done it, works fine....

Dennis

Didn't realize the complication on with a G50.

Yeah my car is 90/10 street/DE, so I don't anticipate that many adjustments.

yummy !!

Wait a second on the G50, it does not need to be modified. Elephant Racing does make the G50 bars for the 87-89 911 and 89 930 cars.

Pelican Parts - Elephant Racing Quick Change Rear Torsion Bars

Elephant Racing - Torsion Bars
From pulldown menus Select Trans - G50 trans 87-89 911/912, 89
Sizes available: 26mm - 31mm, 33mm, 34mm and 36mm

Looks as though they offer the QC bars for G50, but they don't offer the ER QC spring plates for G50. Go figure!
Elephant Racing | QuickChange Spring Plate | Porsche 911

I realize that Elephant Racing's website only list the plates up to 86. But looking at my PET part numbers for the Carrera, the QC spring plates should work but you will need to confirm with Chuck at Elephant Racing or Pelican.

Spring Plate (Rear Axle Strut)
84-88 911-333-009-00
89 911-333-009-02

Cover Plate (Housing)
84-89 901-333-153-00

Pelican also indicates the adjustable spring plates are the same since they are selling one plate for 69-89, REN-S-08001. I could not find the Elephant racing QC spring plates on Pelican.

The major problem is the '87-'89 torsion bars have a larger splined end and a different spline count, so can't work with the earlier spring plates.
Also notice the length of the tube that contains the outer splines on the G50 versus
the 915 spring plate, due to moving the inner spline mounts to accomodate the wider G50 transaxle.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1170360120.jpg

The tube that holds the torsion bar for the G50 is indeed a lot longer and different spline count.

Here is a pic of what I did, fresh from the plater. Basically all I did was to have them slice off the old tube with a lathe, weld on the G50 tube and then had the whole thing plated.

I know ER won't warrantee it at all, but I just hate the adjustment method that comes stock with our 911's, too much fooling around and holding stuff under tension and tightening up at the same time. I also upgraded to ASP in part so that I can easily adjust camber and such, coupled with the Quick Change, I expect to be able to set up the suspension easily plus do stuff like raise the car for winter with only minor effort.

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Dennis

Thanks Uwanna and Dennis for explaining the issues with using the QC spring plates with a G50 and a potential solution.