Just Replacing Rear Shocks

[ScoobySteve]

I was driving around and realized my rear shocks feel really soft and bouncy compared with the fronts. My fronts (Boge / Sachs inserts) were replaced about 20,000mi ago. I don't know when the rears have been replaced, if ever (I'm at 132,000mi).

I'd really like to go to Konis or Bilstein HDs. But, I feel like I haven't really gotten the useful life out of my front inserts and I've got a lot of things competing for money on the car.

Is there anything wrong with just replacing the rears? I was thinking that if I do the Konis, at least I can adjust them to be soft to somewhat match the fronts.

[John_AZ]

I have this picture in my mind of a 944 with sagging rear shocks never replaced in 132K mikes. The back is 3 or 4 inches lower than the front....

Go for the Koni Sport rear for the '86 944 rear. The pricing for the Sachs rear is about $100 each and the Koni Sport rear I found for $149 each. This will satisfy the urge to go Koni.

With the amount of cars parted, there may even be a "gently" used set.

GL
John_AZ
1988 924S + 1987 924S==== Boge/Sachs F/R on both

[ScoobySteve]

Originally Posted by John_AZ

I have this picture in my mind of a 944 with sagging rear shocks never replaced in 132K mikes. The back is 3 or 4 inches lower than the front....

Go for the Koni Sport rear for the '86 944 rear. The pricing for the Sachs rear is about $100 each and the Koni Sport rear I found for $149 each. This will satisfy the urge to go Koni.

With the amount of cars parted, there may even be a "gently" used set.

GL
John_AZ
1988 924S + 1987 924S==== Boge/Sachs F/R on both

They're not really sagging much. But, they definitely feel "loose" compared with the front. I just looked on Clark's...is it really that easy to replace them?

Normally I'm a big fan of gently used parts but on a shocks I think it's just too risky. Since I plan on keeping the car indefinitely, there's some value in the lifetime warranty for me.

So here's the question...why are you on Boge / Sachs?

[Pops944]

I've got the Koni Sport on the rear of my '86 and they are extremely easy to remove and install. Probably the hardest part will be getting the hardware broke loose if it's never been replaced. Just spray it down with a good oil before you start.

[flash968]

many people prefer the boge or sachs because they are fluid based, and not gas charged like the koni yellow sports, because the ride is smoother with fluid than it is with gas - that gas charge provides a small preload (about 25#) which can make the rear end of the car jittery, especially if you make the mistake of setting them too stiff for the torsion bars in the car - a lot of people do this believing that it "stiffens" the suspension, but in reality all it does is increase the rebound rate - i believe koni makes a fluid shock too though (red series?)

[ScoobySteve]

Originally Posted by flash968

many people prefer the boge or sachs because they are fluid based, and not gas charged like the koni yellow sports, because the ride is smoother with fluid than it is with gas - that gas charge provides a small preload (about 25#) which can make the rear end of the car jittery, especially if you make the mistake of setting them too stiff for the torsion bars in the car - a lot of people do this believing that it "stiffens" the suspension, but in reality all it does is increase the rebound rate - i believe koni makes a fluid shock too though (red series?)

I've got a set of Tokico D-Spec adjustable gas struts on my Subaru. I think they are pretty much a Japanese ripoff of Koni yellows. It's the same deal on those. Super stiff feels very "precise" but produces a rather dangerous situation with too much "hang time" at higher speeds. So I experimented for a while and have two settings: one for spirirted driving largely under 60MPH (stiffer) and a little bit softer for everyday / highway / high speed.

So what do you have on your 968?

[Makis]

I have some bodge/sachs for a 944 and they loook gas charged to me as they will expand after they are pressed in. Have not seen any yellow Koni's for a 944 but the ones I have seen for another car were definetelly oil based though. The LEDA coil overs I am currently using on my 944 are also oil based.

[DSPTurtle]

I have had the Koni yellow's on my 1983 for about 15 years. Six months ago I got to test that "lifetime" warranty due to a leak in the front and overheat in the back. Four new shocks and struts were shipped to me at no cost!!! Go Koni! Just set the back to medium unless you do any track driving. That is the best setting for the stock torsion bars...

[my1st911]

Originally Posted by John_AZ

I have this picture in my mind of a 944 with sagging rear shocks never replaced in 132K mikes. The back is 3 or 4 inches lower than the front....

Go for the Koni Sport rear for the '86 944 rear. The pricing for the Sachs rear is about $100 each and the Koni Sport rear I found for $149 each. This will satisfy the urge to go Koni.

With the amount of cars parted, there may even be a "gently" used set.

GL
John_AZ
1988 924S + 1987 924S==== Boge/Sachs F/R on both

The shocks do not have anything to do with ride height.

[flash968]

shocks and ride height - well.........gas shocks, like the konis, will raise the rear end a bit, because of the preload charge - but normally, no, shocks will not affect ride height

what do i have on my 968? carrera hydraulic double adjustable with 500# eibach springs (no torsions) in the rear, and koni double adjustable hydraulic struts with 300# eibach spring up front

[tjbreen]

I have had the Koni single adjustables on for about four years (10K) miles and they have been great. I have done some drivers ed events and people are amused that my stock non-M030 car handles so well. I never adjusted them but it does seem like there is more than 25lbs of pressure behind them when you compress them so that would add to your lift in the rear.

I just pulled them out to make room for some Koni 3012 coil-over double adjustables. They are in good condition and have never been adjusted from the delivered setting in case anyone interested. I am converting to a full track setup and won't need these any more.