924S front end too light at speed

[jared_s]

I always liked the clean bodywork of the 924S which is why I have one instead of a 944.

But over, say, 60 mph, the (power) steering feels very light and jittery. I have followed the instructions for tire pressure, which specify lower pressure in the front, but it still feels unstable, like the front tires are barely staying on the pavement.

So today I said to myself, while getting out of it, "well duh, the 924S added a rear spoiler to the 924 body but nothing, apparently, in the front"

I'm wondering if there is any front bodywork / spoiler / air dam (not sure of the correct term) that is proven to neutralize or reduce the apparent lift of the front end.

I'm neutral as to getting pieces from the 944 vs 944 turbo vs 924 turbo vs more exotic or custom variations of either. More interested in what has data to support actual benefit that I will feel and that it's not just for looks. I wouldn't want to modify anything I don't absolutely have to.

I'm not racing or tracking it, but maybe other peoples' experience on a track might be informative.

-JS

[djnolan]

Have you renewed the struts and stabilizer bushings? And checked for worn tie rod ends? The 944 has a small front spoiler built in to the front bodywork and I think the 924 is similar. Has the stabilizer bar been removed by chance? Or is there a blown strut?

[dsfnctn]

Dude get the suspension dialed in and a proper alignment

[originalowner]

I've never seen a complaint of this severity before, thus it is very unlikely there is something fundamentally wrong with the design of your car's aerodynamics. So, suspension and alignment it is.

[walfreyydo]

Originally Posted by dsfnctn

Dude get the suspension dialed in and a proper alignment

+1 to this ^^^

Before proceeding any further or making any jumps to conclusions, its highly recommend you get your ball joints, inner/outer tie rods, and wheel bearings checked for play as this can cause steering "looseness" (and is also a major safety hazard). If you aren't familiar with these systems or how to check them, any qualified mechanic can do it for you (and it doesnt need to be a Porsche mechanic either, as procedures to check these systems are pretty universal). By your description it sounds like you have some play in the steering which is not good and could result in a major accident if left unaddressed. Play in steering becomes more apparent the faster you go.

Secondarily, the symptoms you describe can also be caused by blown struts/shocks, causing the wheels to bounce repeatedly over any road surface imperfection. Basically there is no damper or rebound compensation, just the spring which will cause the wheel to hop repeatedly over and over. This will also cause severe "cupping" on your tires and premature wear/replacement. So add that to the list of checks your mechanic can make as well as the above listed components.

[924RACR]

Yeah, we've run quite a bit at speed with various options of aero of the 924 narrow body - no rear spoiler, 924 and 944 rear spoiler, and with and without front air dams... not to mention ride height/rake variations. Never saw any instability issues.

But of course our chassis is dialed in, properly aligned, and set up.

[Monkey Wrench]

how about jack the front end off the ground and shake the wheels , have someone turn the sterring wheel and feel for any looseness, turn the wheels and see if there is any bearing grumble or looseness. grab the wheels from side to side and shake them, then grab them top and bottom and shake them.. It may be inconclusive but you might just feel something has come loose. Or call an alignment shop and ask them if they might give you a free inspection. Many times if you take your car in for an alignment they will inspect these things first and then tell you they can't do a proper alignment until you replace the worn parts.

I recently had a brake squeal issue in my volvo and had noted a bit weird steering but it was driveable. once I got the front wheel off and shook the disk around and turned it I found a bad outer wheel bearing, upon disassembly it had one of the bearing rollers missing, another was only half there.. likely a tiny bit of grit got in there and next thing the bearing is completely pooched. the inner bearing was ok, but the wheel wasn't staying aligned because the outer bearing was turned to garbage. It wasn't so apparent when driving as one may think..
new bearings and races weren't that expensive.. If I had ignored it then I definitely would have a breakdown and maybe an accident.

myself I''d jack it up and shake things around and inspect myself for anything obvious, If you aren't up for that just go to an alignment shop and ask for an inspection. tel them it steers funny at 60 MPH, they will know what to look for. if you do the ball joints tie rod ends etc yourself, then you can go to an alignment shop after so they can do the critical adjustments on an alignment machine.

Id forget about aerodynamics for now.

[Rasta Monsta]

Bad alignment