Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Gents, the time has come to bite the bullet and sort the suspension on the 944 rally car. It is currently fully Powerflex polybushed and running Koni Yellow front and back with stock springs and std torsion bar height. It is very, very tight up front, turns in aggressively with a bit of progressive breakaway when pushed hard. In simple terms the perfect rally setup for my driving style.

However the front Konis have some play in them (not the top mounts, defo the damper itself) and need changing. They are fine under load but when the car takes off they're not as solid as they should be. They need to go but I'm at a loss as to what should replace them.

It is very important that I retain a standard ish ride height. Up to 10mm +/- is fine but I need the clearance.

The GAZ kits look ok but my mechanic doesn't rate them, he thinks I'd kill them over a couple of thousand miles of competition use.

The KW products are obviously very well regarded here but I think the V3s are far too track focused for my use. Is this right?

As for Bilstein, this is what my guy is saying, no doubt at all in his mind. Can't really fault him in that I suppose.

So now I need to make a decision and make it this week. At present I'm thinking of the following options:

1) Replace just the front dampers with Bilstein inserts (re-using the Koni housings), new front springs (std ride height, stiffer load) and just leave the rear which I'm happy with.

2) Full Bilstein kit front and rear.

3) Investigate other KW full coilover kits.

So, any suggestions?

I'm particularly interested in what would be the best springs for what I need. Would I need to have them made up specially or is there a stiffer product available off the shelf that keeps the stock ride height?

Any help or suggestions much appreciated.

Ben

I would probably recommend converting those housings to run standard off the peg 2.5 or 2.25 inch ID springs and adjustable height, which then means you can buy different springs off the shelf for quite low amounts of money in any spring rate you desire.

Then have the koni inserts rebuilt and revalved and tell the rebuilder what you intend on using them for, so they valve them for rally use rather than tarmac use.. Talk to these rebuilders first, and choose one based on if they "get what youre on about" rather than on price.

There is one company near miltonkeynes/banbury who do this kind of work, but.. There is also a one man band, in kent I think, that I used to use.. The only problem with him is that he works on a cash or cheque basis, but can do it mail order.

I can dig out some details if you like.

Thanks Jon, I know a few people up here (North Yorkshire) who can rebuild the Konis - it would seem you think they're probably the best piece of kit for the job in that case?

As for modding the housings to take different springs - can you tell me more on that, I'm not really expert minded so am struggling to get that straight in my mind!

You fix a threaded sleeve to the existing dampers outer tube, which allows an adjustable seat to be fitted.

KW V3 dampers are a road part, in my opinion. Good for road and track days, with the CS versions being better still for track days, but not a competition part.

GAZ are better, but not the pinnacle of cosmetic durability, or physical durability in all cases, unfortunately.

Ah ha, I see, thanks.

Yes that could be an elegant solution, means I could have 2 sets of springs, one for more fast road/tarmac rallies and another for the rough stuff.

So we're all in agreement that the Koni Yellows are a suitable base damper to work with - strong enough etc...?

I believe that Bilsteins are more durable, but Im only repeating something that Olli Snelman said, rather than sharing my own experience.

Ok, half decision made. The cost of rebuilding the Konis to my spec is around £200+ VAT. That being the case I'm going to buy a pair of front Bilstein inserts and use the Koni housings.

Q1) Which Bilsteins!?

Secondly I need to buy the new springs. My mechanic likes Eibach and Bilstein springs.

Q2) Is there an off the shelf product from either which is a stiffer spring but with std ride height?

I'd go for Bilsteins - their technology just looks more robust than Koni and you are likely to be using them hard... An early car has rebuildable struts so you can buy inserts. No idea which model (B6, B8 etc..) you need though, sorry. Looks like new B6 inserts will be a couple of hundred.

You can convert your struts to coilovers for a better choice of springs / ride height
- something like this
http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=77/CA=219
(i think these are eibach springs - eibach also make the KW springs)

I'd agree with Simon on KW's - and they are very very expensive. Bilstein are robust & relatively cheap