Along with the RSR Coilover suspension upgrade I removed all the trosion bars. At the rear I replaced the standard soring plate for an RSR / 935 spring plate:



This provides the following benefits:

    *  Greatly simplifies rear toe and camber adjustments, making them independent of each other.
    * Design concepts were incorporated from the dominant Porsche 935 race cars.
    * Features standard and raised pivot point options for lowered cars.
    * Eliminates stock rear rubber bushings and replaces stock spring plates.
    * Pivot points use precise tolerance Chromoly rod ends for super strength.  Teflon/Kevlar liners provide
      wear resistant long term reliability.
    * Aircraft grade hardware with drilled bolt head option available for safety wire applications.
    * Anodized bearing housings and CAD/nickel plated spring plates for long term corrosion resistance.
 

I have just picked up my fibre-glass turbo rear spolier.  Looks great and will no doubt save a tonne of weight of the OEM original that's on there now.  Will post a picture tomorrow as well as the weight!

Saturday was a fun filled day for me.  I finally dot round to replacing my steering column top bearing.

What a pain in the arse to do.  I think Porsche quote 8 hours for this job.  I managed to get it done in 5 hours, but it definitely isnt something to be enjoyed.

Here's a brief summary of what needs to be done:

- remove front carpet set, blower shield, and airbox;
- remove steering colum shaft plastic cover;
- undo and release universal joint;
- remove speedo;
- under sheer bolts behind speedo on the bulkhead;
- drill out sheer bolts for ignition switch and remove swith assembly;
- remove steering wheel;
- remove plastics around window wiper and indicator stalks;
- remove window wiper and indicator stalks;
- drill out sheer bolt under footwell;
- remove knee pad;
- pull out steering column assembly;
- remove bottom bearing, then tap out top bearing.

Once dissmantled I cleaned out all the tube and shaft.  Re-packed the bottom bearing and then re-assembled with the new top bearing.

Here's the steering column assembly removed


Here's the top bearing replaced


There's the bottom bearing cleaned, repacked with grease and installed

You hero, you,,,,,
Pain in the arse is the mildest I have ever heard for that job,,,,, you are very polite, and seeing the pictures you still have fingers left
It is like carrying out artificial insemination of a great white shark, sharp bits, pointed bits, hooked things etc etc etc.
I can remember picking up job sheets - first in best dressed,,, last guy in got that job. There was a very small tech bulletin on certain ones that were suspected of non-tightened (correctly torqued) bolts and we had several back to back.
Nice Saturday job though
Regards

Dirty Fuchs.

Off to get my car corner weighted and balanced and then all the geometry set properly. 

I did the geometry roughly with a plumb line and tape measure and alot of patience, but it needs doing properly.

Will report back tomorrow night with the results.

Where are you getting your corners done Pete? ££££?????
Regards

Dirty Fuchs.

Hi Kev

Im getting them done by Gwynsms on this forum.  He's got a shed load of experience in this area and I ve been with him when he has been setting other 911's up.  He also does Carlbon's car.

He's located just west out of London nr Fleet.

Not sure on price yet, will agree a final price tomorrow.  Usually this is a ten plus hour job on the older 911's due to a combination of their set up and usually because all the underside nuts and bolts are rusted solid.  Mine should be a different story as firstly everything under the car is brand new and second, I have coil overs and RSR spring plates.

Am getting quite excited at finding our how her handling will improve when she's all done....

Just got back home after a day's worth of geometry and corner weighting!  Am knackered so will write it up tomorrow.

Just as a quick tease though, the car now drives so well.  I thought it was great in the first place but now she is so well planted.....


More anon......

So, here's the results of my 6 hour marathon of setting the corner weights, balance, caster, camber and Toes.

First up the total weight if the car:



I was surprised at the weight of the car at 1205.5kg.  I thought it would be slightly lighter than that.  It had about 26 litres of fuel which weighs in at about 19.6kg.  No surprises on the front and rear weight distribution at about 60/40 which is correct for a 911.

Then there was the corner weights and balancing.  This is the most important of the total package of work.  It is probable accountable for about 75% of the overal perfromance gains to be had from everything in the alignment and balancing department.  So getting it right here is key.  Here are the results:



The final split in weights and difference accross the axles looks good and Im pleased with the results.  The spliyt accross the rear was improved from c. 4% difference to just 1.8%

The diagonal cross weights are now veery impressive:



The delta has moved from 4.6% to just 0.2%. Personally I think this is pretty amazing and tells me the car is very balanced.

The castor results showed no adjustment was necessary:



The camber results were as follows:



The front camber didnt need adjusting.  A camber of 1 degree neg on each of the front wheels is a good setting for fast road.  If the car was a track warrior then Id be looking for as much as I could get, perhaps 1.5 or even 2 degrees of neg.

I was trying to get 1.25 degrees neg camber on the rear, but it proved difficult to achoeve as the cam on the spring plate run out of movement.  But the difference is small and neither here nor there and Im happy with the final result.

Now we come to Toe.  This took a long time to get right.  The RSR spring plates made life easier in this department, but it still took a few iterations.  Here's the results:



While the fron wheels had an equal 0.5mm of toe in which is perfect, the rears seem to be pointing in different directions.  The difference game me a thrust angle of 5.5mm.  Not good!

However, the results were great.  After alot of iterations of adjustment and measurement, the rear toes is now an equal 1mm for each rear wheel.  More imnportantly the thrust angle is now 0mm and gone from thr equation.

Driving home after the day of setting up was pretty amazing.  The car is much steadier on the road and very stable at high speed.  The corner weights have also inmproved the braking performance and she brakes steady and even under hard braking.

All in all a good thing to have done.

So whats next.  well, I need to get out in her more and enjoy her, but I would like to put the car on a diet and shed a few kilo's.  I recon I could loose 200kg just by installing the RUF bumpers front and rear, loosing the impact shocks under the bumpers and backdating to the crush tubes, replacing the turbo spoiler with a fibre glass one and maybe loosing the rear seat backs and going all RS in the rear!  But, thats going to be another story for a later date.

Hi Pete,
cracking job there old chap, you seem happy with the results. Getting this bit right is a big step in the right direction and a driving 'confidence builder'.
There are so many cars/owners that consentrate on getting huge HP, but neglect the handling/braking.
More happy with a car that sticks to the road and brakes evenly and to loose 50hp than the other way round - I know which is faster too.
However, get the 50 hp AND the handling/brakes and whoa, then you have something that really goes.
Regards

Dirty Fuchs

Thanks Kev -

Ive been out in her today for a proper drive.  The first real drive since its been set up.  I have to say the car feels really planted.  She feels glued to the road and really stable in te coners and at igh speed.  It was worth every penny and all the hours undernieth the car setting it just right.

This is definitely as you say, as good as any BHP tune up.

I cant recommend getting this done enough!

That last video sounds incerdible Pete, nice work!

Thanks Jay - I love it too.  I often slow down, just so I can accelerate again.  Never switch the stereo on these days 

My car is featured in the MArch 2010 issue of the PCGB Post Magazne....It's on pages 63,64 and 65.  I'll try and scan it and post here later.

well done Pete.  Your car is getting famous!

Looking forward to seeing the article in the Porsche Post

Quote: Pete at Feb 25, 2010 12:10:57 pm

---

My car is featured in the MArch 2010 issue of the PCGB Post Magazne....It's on pages 63,64 and 65.  I'll try and scan it and post here later.

---

Nice read.Well done Pete.

My car has appeared twicecnow in the Porsche Club magazine.  The forst time was march 2009 and then again March 2010.  I've only just got round to scanning the articles.

Here's the March 2009 article:

and here's the March 2010 article:

here's my collection of articles: My 911 Articles

Im Pleased to say my car found its way into 9Magazine in the US.

I just bought myself a digital inclinometer.  I need to make sure that my ride hieght and angle of attack of the car are correct.  Ive noticed some high speed instability and I suspect I havent got the 1 degree angle of attack specified by Porsche.



This little gadget should help do the trick!

Hre's a bit of a tribute poster I put together for fun: