964 alignment questions

[Hans57]

So, my 91 964 may need an alignment or something and I am reaching out to all of you for a bit of guidance. My car seems to want to wonder a bit more than I think it should, nothing drastic but needs more correction in a straight line than I think is normal. It will wonder left and right, more noticeable as speed increases. I just think a Porsche should track better in a straight line. There also seems to be a bit of a delay to steering input, maybe characteristic of too much caster. The components are tight, no slop can be felt. The tires are brand new, less than 400 miles Bridgestones from the Porsche recommended list.

What are my options? Can I just go for a two or four wheel alignment, or because it is a Porsche I have to go the whole way with corner balancing etc?

Any recommendations for a shop in the Columbus Ohio area?

I appreciate your input.

[jpachard]

If it's wandering a bit in a straight line it's most likely caused by the front toe being set for the track, i.e. no toe in. This helps in cornering but as you have observed, decreases the straight line tracking.

Cheers, James

[johnsjmc]

Doesn,t make sense to guess which alignment value may be out. Get it aligned. Ask the technician to pay attention to any worn parts like bushings or balljoints.Also tell them about the wandering.

[Redcoat]

I bought my C2 (1991 56K miles) six months ago, the previous owner had Bilstein HD's fitted but retained the old springs. I was a bit underwhelmed with the way it handled - put it down to old tires and in need of alignment.

Three months ago I fitted new Yokohamas and it felt just as bad, very unsettled in fast corners. So a bit of head scratching and much time on the Rennlist 964 board led me to getting H&R Green springs fitted. I also had the shop fit a strut brace and alignment to RS specs. Only got the car back last night so limited opportunity to try it out but a couple of on/off ramps showed a marked improvement.

I was a bit hesitant to get the RS alignment as others had suggested it might result in the car feeling fidgety in a straight line but the alignment guy pointed out that the difference in spec between stock and RS is minimal. He was right!

So far it appears money well spent.

[Hans57]

Thanks for the input. Any ideas where to look in central Ohio for an alignment check?

[Tyson Schmidt]

Pull the front belly pan and have a loook at the steering rack rubber bushings. They can shrink or get soaked with power steering fluid and soften if the rack is leaking. There was also a TSB about the rack mounting clamps. Make sure it's all tight and solid.

Sometimes the bushings feel fine when the rack is cold, but when it gets hot from use, the rubber softens. This will make the steering unpredictable, as it allows the rack to move laterally. It doesn"t take much rack movement to cause a freat deal of steering change.

I believe there are updated bushings available that are a bit harder, and more temperature resistant.