924Board.org

bear924

Hello all,
I have recently finished replacing the front shocks on my 931 however now the front of my car seems to be sitting too high. I haven't taken a photo however it is sitting at a similar height to the 924 in this thread.

http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=24501&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=strut&start=15
(pic 3/4 down page)

The shocks I installed a basic Sachs and I didn't change my springs etc however while I was going I painted my springs and have now don't know which was on the left/ right and which side of each coil was up/down. The Haynes manual states that "The coil springs are installed with the straight-cut wire end installed in the lower spring retainer" however I can't determine any difference between either end on the coil spring. My current view is that I've installed the coils incorrectly (thus causing height issue) however I haven't found any references in the forums regarding coil direction and after removing one of the struts I still can't see how the spring installation could affect my ride height so much.

I also replaced anything rubber in the front suspension/ stabilizer while I was going, could my increased ride height be caused by the way I reinstalled this equipment?

Is there any way to lower the height of the front if the coils can be installed in either way?

Thanks

Cedric · Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Posts: 2835 Location: Sweden

Have you driven the car som kilometers yet? Try that first and then see what the ride height is..
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1980 924 Turbo
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bear924 · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 7:51 pm Post subject:

I thought perhaps the car needed to settle and have driven about 50km however it didn't drop at all. While driving I 'worked' the front suspension by wobbling over the road however as mentioned the car still sits high.

924guy · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:04 am Post subject:

you could try a set of lowering clamps http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66299&xcamp=google&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&zmam=33951326&zmas=12&zmac=112&zmap=66299 , to test / experiment with front ride height, instead of cutting springs. theyre only like $5 a set , and usually come in sets of two so two sets needed. these will allow you to lower from 3/4 of an inch to about 1.5 inches depending on the clamp brand, and adjust the ride height of the front until you find the optimal. you can also calculate the spring rate (roughly) by the amount of adjustment you make.
then, you can decide if you want to invest in a set of lower springs to that approximate height and rate (always the best option) or cut your existing springs.
these arent a solution, dont leave them on permanently (they have been known to give out with bad results after being installed for a time), but they can be a good tool to help you find the right spring size and rates without having to pull everything apart multiple times. some have better luck than others, its all a guestimate in the end anyway...
_________________
Eric
78 924
82 931 SE "smokey"
99' VehiCross
Y2K Honda Insight
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Performance by Pasha

Paul · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:53 am Post subject:

Were the shocks you installed referred to as "Gas" shocks?
_________________
White 87 924S "Ghost"
Silver 98 986 3.6l 320 HP "Frank N Stein"
White 01 986 "Christine"
Polar Silver 02 996TT. "Turbo"
Owned and repaired 924s since 1977
Porsche: It's not driving, it's therapy.

Rocco R16V · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 497 Location: PNW

I agree with paul, most shocks are gas charged and as the age they sit lower. then you replace it with a new one even if its the same brand it raises the car. I've seen this when I changed shocks on many of my cars.
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"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves. "
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bear924 · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:06 am Post subject:

Thanks for your replies, it's good to know other have found their cars sitting higher after installation of new shocks. I'm still of the opinion something isn't quite right as the guard sits at least three inches from the top of the tyre. Looking at pictures of new 924 from various books don't show any that are sitting as high as my car. The shocks I installed are gas shocks, I believe they are essentially a direct OEM replacement.

Can the adjustment of the stabilizer affect ride height?

Paul · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:27 am Post subject:

The stock shocks have never been "gas" shocks and are most likely the reason your car is sitting higher. Stock inserts can be depressed fully by hand when on the bench, gas inserts cannot.
_________________
White 87 924S "Ghost"
Silver 98 986 3.6l 320 HP "Frank N Stein"
White 01 986 "Christine"
Polar Silver 02 996TT. "Turbo"
Owned and repaired 924s since 1977
Porsche: It's not driving, it's therapy.

emoore924 · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 2822

Something's not right there. Why not reassemble one side with the old top bearing and see whether the car returns to its original ride height. Either the spring rate changed or the strut top bearing has changed the suspension geometry somehow...

bear924 · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:11 pm Post subject:

Emoore924,
That might be an idea, I might even reassemble old strut top bearing and see if I can see any difference on the bench. I currently have one of the struts out so it wouldn't be too much of a detour. I haven't changed the springs at all and therefore the spring rate should have remained constant, I was wondering if perhaps the springs 'extended' as they were on my bench for about three weeks and therefore need time to 'unextend' as suggested by Cedric.
Thanks

Paul,
I checked the shocks and they are indeed gas shocks as they 'rebound'. The ones I removed were Koni's and must have been oil filled as they were leaking it everywhere. What I can't understand is that I've installed Sach shocks, which from my understanding aren't particually hard. If the shocks make such a large difference I can't imagine what the car would be like with heavy duty Bilstens (which is what I actually wanted...)
Thanks for your ideas so far.

emoore924 · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 2822

No, there is no "extended" or "unextended". The spring is what it is. It compresses with weight and moves back to its relaxed state without weight. It does not change over time.

There may be some stiff parts in the suspension wherein a short ride will cause them to move to their typical operational height, but that might even be accomplished by bouncing the front bumper up and down, it is so minor.

Paul · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:35 am Post subject:

All modern shocks have oil, some are also pressurized with compressed gas.

A non gas shock in its simplest form is nothing more than friction that damps the motion of the car on its springs. Springs or torsion bars control the ride height.

Some gas shocks, much like the struts that lift our rear hatches, provide some upward force that slightly lifts the car.
_________________
White 87 924S "Ghost"
Silver 98 986 3.6l 320 HP "Frank N Stein"
White 01 986 "Christine"
Polar Silver 02 996TT. "Turbo"
Owned and repaired 924s since 1977
Porsche: It's not driving, it's therapy.

Vince Ponz · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 3581 Location: Florida

Have someone measure the center of the wing to the floor and when you get the height of the car compare it to yours. You may be used to seeing it low due to the worn shocks.
_________________
"Never let them see you sweat"
77.5 924 modified track car
79 931 Euro stock
88 924S SE
87 911 Targa stock

bear924 · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:51 pm Post subject:

Thank you everyone for your replies. I have decided to reassemble the car and take a few pics and post them as my inspection of the bearing assembly didn't show anything. I will also measure height as suggested by Vince and post with pics. I looked at some more car height photos on the net and perhaps my car isn't as bad as thought.