lower control arms for the teener

[never_2nd]

O.K., I'm about to start getting things ready to go back together for the auto-x season this spring. Engine, tranny, interior is about done but still not sure about the front suspension. I'm getting a hankering to get a bit creative. Don't want to go crazy with the money but wonder if anyone has any experience with aluminum A-arms for the 914. I would not be shy about changing the suspension points if anyone has some words of wisdom. I'm already planning on raising the suspension points about 1 inch even if I stay with the stock A-arms. I'm planning on using a coil-over rather than the torsion bars. Thanks

milt mcpherson

[J P Stein]

Look at the A arm near the ball joint mount where the arm changes direction..... just beyond where the lower half ends....clean it off real good. I saw a 9eleben A arm break right in this spot this last season. I would think that coil overs would diminish the stress on this area, but I've been wrong before.

I'm doing some "creative fixen'".
One arm is done.......wanna see a pic?

[never_2nd]

Thanks JP. Always love to see the pics but I caught a glimps of your handiwork sitting with your vagabond pocket knife in one of the other strands. Actually that is what I'm planning on doing with mine if I can't find a different A-arm to get the unsprung weight down a little. You know, that hole in my pocket keeps dropping that money out. I figured probably you or Brad had some ideas.
Wish I could have come to your garage party. It would have been a right long drive from the east coast but sounded like a fun time. I really could use that short course on controlling arterial bleeding and other vascular injuries.
I think the coil-overs are the way to go. Haven't bought them yet but looks like I can get going for about $1500. By the time I buy different torsion bars and 911 front end, I can pay for the coi-overs and probably be a little more adjustable.
When I get the front end together I'll have to send pics of my homemade NASCAR front swaybar. Relatively easily changeable( is that an oxymoron?) and not as expensive as the weltmeisters. 'Course you have to be able to convert from metric to NASCAR.

milt mcpherson

[J P Stein]

I don't know of any replacement control arms for either the 914 or the 911.....other than OEM. I'm not up on the more e$oteric race stuff.
Otto's may have something.

Weltmiester is in NASCAR also. It really makes for a bunch of wrenches on the floor when I work on the front end......about 20lbs worth.....mass confusion reigns.

The lost knife pic had a semi finished A Arm. Here's one that's really, really done.

[never_2nd]

JP,

Nice job on the balljoint attachment for the A-arm. Looks like new. I'll put mine in the mail tomorrow. Can you have them ready in say a couple of days? maybe before the new year? Do you do dry cleaning also? I could throw a couple shirts in the box with the A-arms. Easy on the starch.
I hoped the later model 911s with those cute little aluminum A-arms were a possibility. I have seen some around used for a couple hundred. Maybe even a 944 arm might be a possibility. I'll probably just stick with the 914 arms this year.
I have mainly been working with BSR and Hutcherson-Pagan to get my sway bar parts. I didn't know they could even pronounce weltmeister. I also found a used racing parts shop that has a whole bunch of old NASCAR stuff like hoses and ducts. Saving for some of those expensive "Smart racing" goodies.

milt mcpherson

[campbellcj]

You can use the ERP A-arms and other front bits.

[URY914]

Try doing a home alinement job with that bad boy! Good luck.

[J P Stein]

Aaaaaah......that gives me a woodie. Looks like a 9eleben chassis.
That puppy would fit a teener, yes?

Price.....or if I have to ask.....

[URY914]

It's so prettty I'd have to put mirrors under the car like them show cars at World of Wheels. But will it make me go faster?

[J P Stein]

It sure looks fast.....and light....strong? dunno.
You couldn't let anyone see it. If they did, they'd expect you to be fast....and if you weren't they'd say....
"Jeeze, that guy must be a real toad". Now that shoe fits my foot, but I don't wanna' advertise it

[never_2nd]

Chris,

That front suspension looks super. As JP said, if I have to ask the price I guess I can't afford it. Is that really a teener? Those floor panels don't look similar to mine. Maybe it's because I haven't had mine that high in the air to get a good look. Looks like some great opportunities for tuning with all those heim ends. It seems like you would want the suspension points mounted higher or am I confused on the real relationship to the floor pans?
Everybody say hello to Santa tonight. Hopefully he'll bring you great 914 parts.

milt mcpherson

[J P Stein]

Milt.....you NEED that set-up. That's a 911 chassis.....raised spindles on the struts.....the black duber is the gas tank.

Looks like it uses the stock mounting points to bolt in the girder thingy, then set the A-arm in the same spot as stock..or pretty damn close. I can see a 30-50 lb weight loss....maybe more.

Hail, *I* NEED it....

BTW, Thanx Chris, I thought I wuz being real clever till I saw that.

[campbellcj]

Yep, that's a 911 (I forget whose, but it looks $weet). The ERP guy hangs out on the Rennlist web board sometimes. I don't know any reason why the stuff couldn't be used on a 914, or at least adapted, but I've honestly never seen it done before.

As somebody told me recently "you can go awfully fast on torsion bars" so I'm holding off on anything super radical with this car in the forseeable future.

[never_2nd]

Thanks guys. You're right JP, I NEED that setup. I agree that it looks awfully close to the 914 front suspension points. I'll see what I can find out and let you guys know.
Chris, thanks for the pics. I can dream up making those pieces out of some stock chrome moly with heim ends but the really neat parts are the piece that mounts where the ball joint normally mounts to the strut. This could be fun.

milt mcpherson

[campbellcj]

There was a thread with the above pic and also some other ERP pics and diagrams on the 911 board recently. It may have been one of the many "Jack Olsen / BBII" threads. Searching the archives for "ERP" might turn up more info.

[Jeroen]

Here a pic of an ERP-setup on a teener
I snagged it from Br@d's site
Pricing for the ERP front susp can be found on the smart-racing website:
http://www.smart-racing.com/

Cheers,

Jeroen

[never_2nd]

Thanks Jeroen. That's a great pic. I keep checking Brad's website at all914.com but it always says it's under construction. I have tried to email Brad at the all914 email address but never get through. I really like that ERP setup. I looked it up on the Smart racing website and it runs $1500 to 1800 depending on the setup. The prices we pay to go fast. I could not figure out whether the struts were included with the dropped spindles. I'll probably check around some before committing but it sure is a great looking setup. Thanks guys for all the help.

milt mcpherson

[Jeroen]

Hey Milt,

AFAIK the price is for the a-arms only and struts are not included
If they are, then I'll order a set tomorrow 8^)

You can also check VCI's website: www.vehiclecraft.com
They do very neat fab-work and modify the front a-arms into something in between the ERP and standard arms (prolly a little budget friendlier?)

Try Brad again, he's bussy, but he is there...

Cheers,

Jeroen

[Racer Chris]

Not only is that setup lighter, it also raises the pickup points a bit. It is a copy of the original 935 front end, if I'm not mistaken. I have a customer's 911 here with a similar setup from Racer's Group.

[never_2nd]

Thanks Chris. I think I'll probably give it a try. I couldn't tell from the 911 pictures but the one of the 914 does look like the pickup point is higher for the link to the steering support. The ERP setup is definitely going on one of my 914s.

milt mcpherson