Suspension Questions (How can I get this car not to scrape?)

[gcjustin]

Hello,
I have searched the forums and am still lost when it comes to suspension. What I need to know is, what can suspension components can I buy for the 1986 951 that is better than stock, but can still be purchased on a reasonable budget of, let's say, no more than $1k US? If anyone would care to also give an explanation on how this stuff helps in extreme dummy terms, that would be great. Keep in mind that I need to do the front and back. If it cannot be obtained for under $1K US, how close to that figure can I get? I do not have the M030 option, and reading posts about how many different suspension setups are for the 944 series, makes my head hurt.

Thanks in advance,

Justin

[1.2gees]

After determining if there are other parts that are in need of replacing, you can easily do shocks front and rear which should improve ride and handling (specially transition behavior and road holding on less than perfect roads) dramatically, while still being reasonably comfortable, and well below your target price. You could go w/konis or bilsteins, I prefer bilsteins personally.

If you're looking for something more, I would urge you to consider coil overs, instead of doing springs/shocks/torsion bars seperately. As when you buy most coil overs you have a much larger range of spring rates, shock valving, etc. to chose from, and how well the shocks match the springs effect the ride/handling to a great degree.
Ahmet

[emwporsche]

968 M030 torsion bars would get rid of the body roll

[1.2gees]

968 M030 torsion bars would cost pretty penny while only adressing roll ressistance of the rear. I'd put money on him scraping because of dead shocks btw.

Reading over this I may have a few things to add, also tell us when you scrape, if you hit a bump while turning?

Either way, shocks help the wheels follow the road more accurately, keeping the springs energy controlled. They resist fast movements at a much higher rate than they do slower ones, so if you have a panic manuver for example, shocks that are functioning properly would make the car roll much, much less. You would want to stiffen both the front and the rear, or you will upset the balance of the car somewhat. Some people like to tune their suspension w/different valving of the shocks front to rear (like me!), to get different handling from the car to suit your own tastes. Forexample I like the car to understeer at high speeds, and oversteer at lower speeds (understeer is simply put when the front of the car doesn't turn enough, oversteer is when the rear turns too much). So for this, simply put I set up the car so that it's a little stiffer in the front via springs (that will put up virtually the same resisstance to roll regardless of how fast the input is), while having the rear a little stiffer via shocks that are valved to be harder on compression. This way slower speed, quicker inputs end up helping rotate the car (and this is because you're asking the rear to do more work compared to the front).

Anyway, my point is I would recommend just shocks to stay under your budget, limit scraping, etc. improve the ride/handling, if other things like balljoints, tie rods, and wheel bearings are in good shape. Let me know if you have any questions.
Ahmet

[gcjustin]

Well, the car is scraping when I accelerate hard through a turn, or take a turn at a very hard rate. It is like it just won't stop with the body roll. Also, the car makes a popping sound that seems to be coming from the vicinity of the front right wheel. It will pop when I turn right, or hit a bump with that wheel, and sometimes, but not as noticeable, when I turn left. It is very rare on the left turn, but quite often on the right. I think that it could be the ball joint on the right side. Are my feelings correct on that one?

[highboost951]

if the pop is more like a "bang" then your swaybar bushing is toast due to leaking pwr. steering fluid.

[gcjustin]

Definately not a bang, I am sure it is a pop, I also do not notice and leaking power steering fluid.

[1.2gees]

Ya, it could be the ball joint, but it could also be the sway bar mount or end links, or perhaps upper strut mount. Doesn't really sound like a tie rod or wheel bearing though.
Ahmet

[Kirby2]

Eibach springs => $225
Koni Adjustables => $500
sway bushings => $50
Thrust (4 wheel) alignment => $100

I did this install in the driveway in less than 2 Hr. (Not the alignment)

Poping, could also be steering rack, it pops ang crackles like poping your nuckles, before it goes out. Because of the extensive use of high tensil materials, sound travels all through the 951.

[gcjustin]

Is there any cheap/easy way to find out if it is the steering rack? If someone near Grove City, OH would be kind enough to look at it, I can drive the car, to where they are. Isn't the steering rack kind of expensive anyways?

[C.P.]

Hi Justin
I always thought the bumpstops are designed to keep the car from scraping, that is of course providing the size of the tyre / wheel remains within limits. Could you scraping be because of worn bumpstops? The fronts should be easy enough to tell. The rears you should have to take the shock absorber out to be sure if I remember correctly.
Could the popping sound be the shock absorber bottoming out?
The ball joints should be easy enough to check by freeplay.
Regards

[RichMason]

I have the same problem - the car drags the body in sharp corners and I also have the same popping sounds from the front. If the sway bar bushings/links are worn, will it cause a dramatic increase in body roll, facilitating the scraping?

[Kirby2]

Energy suspension makes a generic end link bushing 9.8105GC that will help to take some of the slack out of the sway bar. You might want to go with a 30mm front sway bar (Check the wrecking yards).

Make sure that your struts are up to snuff! Shock action aproximating what mom and dad's Caprice has, won't pack it. You should be on the verge of creating a dent in the front fender to compress the front strut.
Because the suspension geometry is so good, often you can limp on inferior struts for well too long.

[Tom Donnelly]

sometimes the upper turnstyles on the front struts cause popping if
the rubber part is worn. it causes alignment problems as well. Its not a very expensive fix either.

[gcjustin]

I think I have found the problem. I guess swaybars need bushings too. This would cause the popping sound correct?