Show Us Your BRAID Wheels

[Duc Hunter]

Call or email Paul at Braid. He was amazing with me. My car has funny fenders that are not standard 930, he had me measure several times and even did a video call with me because he wanted to make sure he had them right, and I wasn’t doing something wrong. They are epic, and sometimes small children get lost in the deep dish at car shows.

[aschen]

Looks great Chris. I did drop him a PM, I just thought the info could help many since my car is so standard. Hopefully he can chime in.

Aaron

[2276spyder550]

[Duc Hunter]

Originally Posted by aschen

Looks great Chris. I did drop him a PM, I just thought the info could help many since my car is so standard. Hopefully he can chime in.

Aaron

If he has not emailed you send an email to their sales@braidusa.com as Paul answers that....at least he did when I got my wheels. He may not answer PM's as quickly (I know I miss mine often )

[aschen]

Just got these mounted up. 8.5x17 et 23 and 10x17 et10 225 45 and 275 40

So far so good. Went a little more narrow than many because I foresee 315s getting scarse and I have stock power

[aschen]

I need to lower my car a bit!

[PeteKz]

It looks like it is still at US ride height. Check for the big spacer are the top of the front struts.

[aschen]

Its definitely above euro height which is odd since its a euro car. Been reading up on indexing torsion bars

[PeteKz]

If you haven't reviewed some of the ongoing threads about suspension lately, it's worth doing.

Exec Summary: The Porsche spec ROW ride height appears noticeably higher than most people think is "Euro" ride height. Many slam the car down to 4 " above the pavement, thinking it looks and handles better that way. It doesn't handle better like that because it changes the suspension geometry substantially and unfavorably, especially at the McPherson strut front. Do not go by fender arch height, because that will be different for different combos of tires and wheels. Note that you have 17" wheels and tires.

Therefore, check the actual measurements "a to b" that Porsche specifies. It looks difficult, but it isn't, especially after you have done it a coupe times. If you go below those specs, understand that it will adversely affect suspension compliance and bump steer, unless you have the spindles raised on the front struts. At the rear, lowering the suspension will increase harshness, unless you install something like the 935 suspension parts.

If you aren't going racing, that a lot of money and effort just for appearances.

[Bill Verburg]

What Pete says is true but is also incomplete.

The car does ride and handle fine when lowered as long as the suspension geometry is properly changed to accommodate it .

The factory spec a-b is more a measure of available compression travel in the shock

a is the axle height
b is the t-bar height which is the truest measure of ride height

the center of the t-bar just behind the front wheel, down where your feet are, to the ground is b

here's a survey of 911 specs, 930s isn't listed but would be similar to a 911



a - b of 108mm has ~3.5" of compression travel+/-, as a gets bigger or b gets smaller you lose compression travel, the limit is when the shock rod is riding on the bump stops.

You can have a - b at an infinite # of different ride heights as measured by b alone.

another thing that happens at the same time is that the roll center of the car is lowered this lengthens the lever arm that cornering forces use apply to the car increasing body roll and lastly the relative height of the steering rack outer end( c) and inner end( d) changes, d - b is fixed unless the steering rack height is shimmed up. so as b goes down c - b goes up, this is a measure if the bump steer present in the suspension geometry.

the more the car is lowered from its stock height the less travel(a -b), lower roll center and the more bump(aka roll, c - b ) steer is present, at some point all will need to be compensated for.

to fix the travel and roll center issue there are multiple options, all or a combination may be used
1. cut the bump stop down
2. shorten the shock rod and wiper seal
3. raise the spindles

raising the spindles also raises the outer end of the steering arm, c, this makes roll steer(c - b) worse ,to compensate for roll steer issues lower the steering knuckle height c, some use and o/s steering knuckle but a better solution is aa double sheer cage that lowers the knuckle.

[BRAIDusa]

Stunning!

Originally Posted by aschen

Just got these mounted up. 8.5x17 et 23 and 10x17 et10 225 45 and 275 40

So far so good. Went a little more narrow than many because I foresee 315s getting scarse and I have stock power

[aschen]

Originally Posted by BRAIDusa

Stunning!

Thanks Paul.

Paul can attest to how much of a pain I was to get the offsets and widths where I want them. He was patient despite a dozen+ emails.

I think we got it right! but havent had a chance to do much driving. No spacer in the rear is definately the right choice.

[aschen]

Thanks Pete and Bill. There is a lot to digest I know. I love that the porsche suspension is on one hand so archaic but on the other hand so well understood and documented.

I have a ton of dilligence to do but I was thinking more like lowering ~20mm not 100. Car will probably never see the track. I have the much cheaper and higher performance 4cyl cayman for the occasional HPDE.

I will start by studying your post Bill

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by aschen

Thanks Pete and Bill. There is a lot to digest I know. I love that the porsche suspension is on one hand so archaic but on the other hand so well understood and documented.

I have a ton of dilligence to do but I was thinking more like lowering ~20mm not 100. Car will probably never see the track. I have the much cheaper and higher performance 4cyl cayman for the occasional HPDE.

I will start by studying your post Bill

20mm isn't much, you lose 20mm of travel, this is no big deal, and w/o any other changes the steering correction is easy enough to do w/ steering rack spacers which are up to 11.5mm thick