ARB bush size help to finish this job

[diabloam]

Have successfully managed to strip my front suspension off and install 968 castor mounts, new standard sachs turbo shocks and new track rod ends. However the track rod ends I aquired some time ago came without nuts and they aint drilled for castelated nuts like the old ones I took of do. I think they are a metric fine thread M12, which I cannot locate locally in nyloc style so am going to have to order new ones by mail order or something, can anybody confirm the size to me so I can order the correct ones and perhaps suggest a good fastner supplier.

Also suspension alignment values I obtained before stripping were as follows: Drivers side Camber +1/4 degree, Castor +2 degrees and on Passenger side Camber -1 degree and castor +2 degrees. I will be using the same longacre gauge after so can play with the adjustment, what is the best values for road use, what should I try to be getting them to.

Finally since I snapped one anti roll bar link, did somebody previously mention OPC were good for this part (Porscheshop seem bit steep for this) and I might as well change all the anti roll bar bushes since I have taken the bar off and cleaned and painted it, whats these poly bushes (like the ones all over ebay) like, any recommendation on this? Thanks for any help guys, cheers

 

[eddieedmo]

I rebuilt my S2 anti-roll bar with floflex bushes and added the SAR additional support brackets.What a fantastic difference it has made the front end just sits in corners, no roll and not a harsh ride.There are different bar diameters so make sure you get the right size bushes,The bushes are quite hard to fit even with lub. Nick []

 

[diabloam]

Am I right in that my 86 turbo will have a 23mm bar

 

[eddieedmo]

I would measure it too make sure.My S2 is 26mm and there were 2 different sizes of bar fitted. Nick

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Measure it, with some sort of tool (micrometer, callipers, even a G clamp) Think about 6 different ARB thickness's fitted from 19 to about 30mm over the lifetime / model variations!

 

[diabloam]

hmm, have painted bar now but should still be able to measure it roughly to guge size. Wasnt sure on the nut front so have actually ordered some M12 1.5 nuts and M12 1.75 nuts, I think its the former though. Also using the workshop manual I think I have found some alignment figures to go by although I am surprised nobody in here had any recommendations for me. As a last request what is the best of these anti roll bar bushes and does anybody know where best to get the drop link at reasonabable cost, thanks all

 

[Fat Albert]

I bought my droplink and complete set of 8 ARB bushes from OPC, but the quoted £46turned into £82 when I got there[].....I think Porscheshop were quoting £62 for the same set

 

[Oct]

I paid around 60 recently from OPC.

 

[diabloam]

I tried measuring roughly what my bar is (I dont have a micrometer so had to do it fairly roughly) and think the inner part is round about 23mm and the outer is 14 or 15mm so from that and given my car is a Turbo registered on 1st Jan 86, can anybody suss out exactely what ARB is fitted to my car, or send me to a link listing the various sizes, thanks all

 

[diabloam]

managed to read a serial numer off one of the inner bushes and figure it is 477.411.053.k which I think is a 24mm bush, can anybody confirm this for me. Cant read the outer eyelet bush number though so not sure about that one, any pointers greatly appreciated, cheers

 

[Hilux]

However the track rod ends I aquired some time ago came without nuts and they aint drilled for castelated nuts like the old ones I took of do. I think they are a metric fine thread M12, which I cannot locate locally in nyloc style so am going to have to order new ones by mail order or something, can anybody confirm the size to me so I can order the correct ones and perhaps suggest a good fastner supplier.

Are you sure they are metric fine? I`d be very very surprised. Also there are nyloc`s and there are chinese nyloc`s so dont skimp on them Try Googling Namrick and use good quality nuts with Loctite

 

[diabloam]

Well right now I have had to put on my old track rod ends and use some M12 1.5pitch nyloc nuts I ordered from internet. Fully torques down the nyloc part was just starting on the thread, i,e nut was flush with top track rod end, so to be extra sure I put some loctite on as well and then when tightened down I marked a line with paint onto nut and steering knuckle so can keep an eye on it with quick glance. I now have no idea what type thread is on these new track rod ends, Have tried normal M12 and also a M12 1.5 and a M12 1.75 and neither goes on, bit of a conundrum as would like to use them since got them, although it aint too bad as old ones had no play in them. Going to post some pics of all this when get a chance, used Longacre camber/castor gauge to set -0.5 degrees camber on both sides and stuck with original castor settings. All I need now is to get anti roll bar sorted, anybody concur that my car likely to have 24mm bar? Cheers

 

[diabloam]

a bit of a faff but got castor unchanged from figures i started with before stripping off and after much playing about I got anegative half degree on both sides for camber. The longacre gauge I borrowed was excellent for me as can attach it to my new discs (think it be inaccurate on old ridged discs) and it fitted through the spokes on my alloys so wasnt as bad as it could be, took car for quick spinand seems good, no pull or anything funny, can notice the new shocks even just on the short run I took it. I still havent got anti roll bar sorted, surely somebody can let me know if I am right with 24mm size? The nyloc nuts I had to use (for those following my antics on this post) just get onto the nylon section so used thread lock and also marked line with paint to eyeball easily any movement as you can see in the picture. Any pointers on roll bar sizes so can get this car finished before I go back to work at end of the week, thanks all

 

[944Turbo]

I measured mine with an adjustable spanner (batteries were flat in my calipers), I think there are a few mm between sizes so you don't have to be very accurate. Looking good worth checking camber again after some miles, mine moved, I think the thread got tight before they were fully clamped up.

 

[diabloam]

Could do with some advice here guys, from the bush that came off (inner one) which was code 477.411.053.k which in a google search says it is 24mm, although when I roughly measured it, I thought it was 23mm. I was looking at getting these and ordering a drop link from somewhere else. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Porsche-944-968-Front-Anti-Roll-Bar-Bush-Kit-Poly-/280611740183?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4155c35a17 However it does not list the 24mm size and so I am really confused what size ARB I have, is anybody clued up on this as want to try find them to order online as away at work the now offshore but am back this weekend and wanted them sitting waiting for me to throw on. I am now totally unsure which anti roll bar is on my 1986 turbo as when I look at usual online outlets, Berlyn, design911, porscheshop etc I cannot see my size listed, have I got a weird size that is another part for 86 turbos only or is the old bush I took off with that code been wrongly fitted in the past and I actually have a size up or down from 24mm, any help greatly appreciated. I am worried I wont be off long and I want to get car back on road for the time I am at home, thanks all

 

[diabloam]

Can nobody give us a quick pointer on this, should I just get 23mm ones, what bush is this I have cause as far as i can see there doesnt exist a 24mm inner arb bush, well perplexed now, anybody halp please? Thanks

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Have you tried calling a Porsche Centre with your chassis number? They are likely to be cheapest, and might well be able to get you the correct ones. Assuming your car is standard, of course.

 

[sulzeruk]

Your steering arm also looks a bit bent there Alex, Alasdair

 

[diabloam]

Car is standard so assuming its the normal bar that was fitted from new then maybe I should ring Porsche centre, have ordered stone chip guards from an OPC before (exeter maybe) so looks like I will just need to wait till I get home, am home on friday so guess I'll to suss it out then, was wanting to order some online so they would be sitting waiting for me to fit when I get back but prob not going to manage it now as on chopper off rig later today, is there actually a 24mm bar I am wondering, was there such a size ever fitted as I cant find any references to it online? Alasdair - yeah there is a slight bend in that arm, its been like that since I got the car, when I had it in for tracking the last time the guy doing mentioned it, but since it doesnt massively affect length it tracked up fine for him and he said it wasnt worth worrying about guys since there was no play on the inner or outer joints. Whilst I had the car in bits there, I was going to change them as I aquired a couple of arms off ebay ages ago, however when I fished them out I discovered I got one wire ring thingy with them and assumed I needed two (they were new and cheap but guess the guy I got them off had misplaced one or I have lost one myself - can they be bought seperately?), assume they go on the inside joint somewhere. I backed out of putting them on as wasnt sure how they went on and assumed I might bugger the seals on the rack trying to crack the old ones off where they attach to the rack. The rack on my car was fairly new (reciepts with car) so I was reluctant to go for this. Have you done this before Alasdair, is it easy or am I likely to damage the seals on the rack trying to get the old ones off (this has happened to me on my Clio 16v)? Is it kinda a shear off kinda fitment (like on my Clio) or different, any pointer on this welcome as could still go for it, thanks all

 

[diabloam]

Got the inner and outer bushes from Porsche OPC exeter, thanks guys for the advice, still waiting for the drop link to come from them as it wasnt there when they sent the bushes out, all very reasonably priced I was surprised as always assumed Porsche dealer parts would be crazy priced. Anybody else notice the slight bend in my steering arm, anybody tackled arms whilst the rack is on the car, as have always worried about tackling it, see my previous post for my worries, any pointers always welcome, thanks all