Shock settings?

[dman]

I’ve got a healthy 2.0l with 140lb springs, stock sway bar and Koni adjustables all around. When I auto cross my back end seems to get looser than it should. Would running the front shocks firm and the backs soft help this? I plan to get 180 –200 lb springs soon.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Yes, those shock settings should help.

Stiffer rear springs will make the problem worse, though. You'll need to stiffen the front end, either with a larger sway bar (or adjust yours to stiffer), or with bigger torsion bars.

--DD

[Paul_Heery]

I'd like to add my questions to this topic. First, some background on my car.

It is a 1974 2.0 that was delivered with NO options. No swaybars, no center console, no nuthin'. My car is an extremly original survivor with only the following modifications:

Stainless steel heat exchangers
Koni adjustable shocks
Bursch exhaust.

My car will stay this way until at least this winter when I plan on taking it apart to take care of some preventive maintenance. At that time, who knows what I will do to it.

Anyway, I went to my first autocross on Sunday and I'm hooked. For the most part, my car handled extremely well. However, I did have a couple of times where my rear got loose. Knowing that at this time I'm not going to put in heftier springs, add sway bars or lower the ride height, it looks like dialing in my shocks is one of the few tweeks that I can try. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Stiffen the fronts as much as possible; loosen the rears as much as you can. 140s are too much for a 914 that is otherwise completely stock, you will get lots of oversteer.

I strongly suggest you look into a 19mm front swaybar to get the handling back near neutral again. Most aftermarket ones are adjustable, and that gives you one other way to tweak the balance.

Going to 180# or heavier springs will only make it worse.

--DD

[JmuRiz]

I have 140lb springs and koni adj on the rear (about 1/2 turn from the stiff setting) on my car as well. I do not auto-x though. I think my car handles great...then again I have a sway bar in front. I don't know if this would work for you but I have a bump steer kit on my front end and have the front end a bit lower than stock...this seemed to help the tail happy nature. I also mounted my spare in the rear trunk location for a little extra plant on the rear. I'm just playing around trying to find something that feels good on the street so take my settings at face value

dman - I think you are my west coast counter part...I have a '73 2.0 and a 99.5 Audi A4 2.8 Q

Nathan