Springs - need opinions.

[CJFusco]

Okay, I have decided what I am going to do when my car comes back on Nov 9th or 10th. I am going to order a set of Weltmeister springs from Perf. Products, AND lower the rear of the car. That way, it will handle a little sharper and it will still have the ass-in-the air look we all love.

Now, I need opinions on this: which Weltmeister springs do you think I should get? My original plan was to get the 200lb performance springs that lower the car 1.25 inches. BUT, if I'm already paying $120, why not spend the extra 10 and get the 250lb springs that lower the car 1.5 inches?

My question is, do i need the 250lb springs? Is the difference worth it? I will be occasionally autocrossing the car, and it will see track time for PCA driver's ed, but other than that it will be a street car. If I get the 250lb set, will I be sacrificing driveability?

I may ask for these for Christmas (I'm such a Porsche nerd), so this work might be carried out over Xmas break.

[Makis]

Don't go for 250 unless you are planning to uprate the spring rate at the back. 200 is the maximum you should go without changing the rate at the back.

[CJFusco]

Why is that?

[CJFusco]

*sigh* please

[1.2gees]

Because your car will understeer if you only go to much stiffer front springs. However, you can combat this with a heavier rear sway bar. I'd go for #250 springs (well, I had 350) because the 200 springs aren't a big enough change IMO. Anyway, as long as you get a rear bar, you should be fine.
Ahmet

[Makis]

Standard spring rate is around 140 front and rear. So going for 250 your are stiffening the front but the rear stays soft. A swaybar may help but you cannot go indefinetelly balance thing with the swaybar.
On my S2 I use 200lp springs in the front and uprated the rear swaybar from 16mm to 18mm and car is lowered by 1 inch allround. The car handles very good.

[CJFusco]

Okay, so I get conflicting reports....

so i should get the 250lb springs, and combat the change with a rear swaybar. What if my car came with the stock swaybar? ( don't know that it does; I just found out this was an option on every model and my car is in the shop) Is the stock sway bar okay? Upgraded ones are kind of expensive...

[1.2gees]

You're not getting conflicting responses as far as I can tell. What we're both saying is do not go to a much higher front springrate unless you plan to upgrade the rear springrate as well. A less desirable solution is to get stiffer front springs, and a stiffer rear sway bar which will only compensate to a point. That point in my opinion is not below what'll be necessary to balance out #250 springs in the front in my opinion. I don't know where others stand on this one.

To make a long story short don't upgrade the front if you're not going to do anything to the rear. If you don't have enough dough to do the rear than 200 front springs are the better bet, although your car will understeer a bit. More so if you don't have a rear sway bar at all.
Ahmet

[CJFusco]

Okay, I am more than willing to upgrade the rear springs.... but why doesn't Weltmeister sell upgraded springs through Performance Products (the reason I ask is because I get 20% off until November 7)

[1.2gees]

Because the rear of your car uses torsion bars, and not springs. You might want to get an estimate at a shop before you order them though, if you don't do your own work it usually costs quite a bit of money...
Ahmet

[CJFusco]

I have friends that have done this sort of job before that are willing to help me out. They have the tensioners and everythin.