Slipstream - February 2015

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Destination Restoration: A Suspension Odyssey, Part 4: Bilsteins, Boges, and Konis, Oh My! By Ash Seidl-Staley Now I don’t want to inadvertently dredge up any bad Holiday memories, but if you can remember all the way back to the November issue of <strong>Slipstream</strong>, you would know that my current quest of upgrading my 914’s suspension all started with a collapsed shock. The twenty-somethingyear-old shock absorber insert gave out after my car transitioned from pavement to gravel within the expansive UTD parking lot. In all honesty, I am glad that it did, because the situation gave me the opportunity to go through and overhaul nearly all of the components of my front suspension. Previously we have already covered the tie rods and the ball joints, so this article will be all about the shocks. Before you can go ahead and begin the process of switching out the old shocks for shiny new ones, you must first determine which type of struts are currently on the front of your car. Determining this is an important step because certain shock inserts will only be compatible and fit into specific struts. Finding out what your car is equipped with can be as simple as just looking to see what color the strut is. Typically green struts are associated with the Bilstein brand, black struts are normally Boges, and red struts are usually Koni. An additional method for determining if your car is equipped with Photos by the Author 914 with new shock insert installed. Bilsteins is to look at the bottom of the strut and see if there is a small www.fifthgear.biz Performance • Track Set-up • Exhaust Upgrades • Performance Alignments • Suspension Modifications • Performance Maintenance Maintenance & Repair • 100+ Years of Technician Experience • 11,000 sq Feet of the Top Technology • Comfortable Waiting Area with WIFI • Fully Air Conditioned Shop • Green Building, Eco Friendly Sales • Trade your old Porsche in for a newer model! • Consignment Sales • Accessories Specializing in: Porsche • We service all models Set up an appointment today! 1975 Archer Way • Lewisville TX, 75077 • 972-317-4005 1 mile West of I-35 behind Sonic! 12 <strong>February</strong>
oll pin present. This pin will look like a circle with a groove cut into its side, and will be located just above the large pin or bolt used to connect the strut and the ball joint. Seeing that there wasn’t a roll pin at the bottom of my strut, and that my struts were black, I determined that my 914 (like most stock Porsches) was equipped with Boge struts. After a heated debate with myself about whether or not to upgrade and buy a complete Bilstein strut assembly, I decided to stick with the standard Boge inserts, which I found were readily available at various internet parts warehouses. Once you have figured out which strut you have and have purchased your replacement shock inserts, the fairly simple process of installing can begin. To remove your front shock absorber you must first jack the front of the car up off the ground and remove the wheels. As always make sure that the car is firmly stable on jack stands before beginning your work. Once the car is up, open up the hood and remove the large nut and washer located at the top of the shock tower. For those of you with Bilstein struts, you should first drive out the roll pin described above before removing the shock tower nut. With the nut and washer removed, reach in and compress the shock so it will come down out of its hole, and gently pull on it to allow it to clear the fender well. Note: Be careful not to bend the metal brake lines or let the strut hang freely during this step, as you could damage your delicate brake system. Next, remove the dust shield on the top of the shock and inspect the rubber O-ring on the top of the insert, making sure it is not damaged or cracked. If it is in good working order, it can be reused on the new shock insert; if not it needs to be replaced. The actual act of replacing the inserts is quite simple. For some strut types you just have to pull out the old insert and slide the new one in, but for others you must first loosen the large nut holding the cartridge in place before it can be removed. With my Boges I was able to get a firm grip on the nut and loosen it with a pair of channel locks. An additional step for those with Bilsteins is that you must re-install the roll pin into the bottom of the strut. When you do this, make sure that the pin’s orientation is correct; the open slot of the roll pin must be facing away from the center of the strut. Another step for all shock replacements is to clean out any excess oil present in the strut housing before sliding in the new insert. Shock tower nut tightened properly. Note: Some washers have their sides bent up to keep the nut from moving or loosening. If this is the case on your car, simply bend the metal back down to gain access to the nut. When the shock insert is firmly seated in the strut, replace the dust cap (I painted mine red while it was out, just for fun) and compress the shock while pushing it back into the fender well guiding it up to the hole in the shock tower. Re-install the washer and tighten the shock tower nut, and you’re done! Join me next month when I tackle my 914’s brake pads and rotors. 13
Page 1: http://mav.pca.org Upcoming Events
Page 4 and 5: Shifting Gears: Your Club Wants You
Page 6 and 7: President Jim Falgout president@mav
Page 8 and 9: Gimme a Minute: January Board Meeti
Page 10 and 11: “ . . . it’s the people”: Sli
Page 12 and 13: 10 February
Page 16 and 17: The Art of Paint Protection After I
Page 18 and 19: PCA Palooza 2015: Autumn in Eureka
Page 20 and 21: YOU BUILT THE CLUB. WE BUILT THE CL
Page 22 and 23: 2015 Maverick Autocross Series: An
Page 24 and 25: Sunday Drive: The Frick’n Toy Run
Page 26 and 27: For hassle free information on any
Page 28 and 29: Maverick Monthly Social: Blue Mesa
Page 30 and 31: 28 February
Page 32 and 33: PRINTER OF SLIPSTREAM SINCE 1982 27
Page 34 and 35: Unclassifieds Unclassifieds are ava
Page 36: Hiram Saunders, Slipstream 155 Jell

Slipstream - February 2015

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?