Will these fit?
- Thread starter DavidL
- Start date
Neil Haughey
New member
Amazed. I tried to buy a set a few years back only place I could find anywhere that said they had any was Pelican parts in the US and then they informed me they couldn't get them either. That price is amazingly low, I wonder how old these shocks are, they look new but AFAIK you couldn't buy these new for the past 3 years. Perhaps Koni have started making them again. Still though at 400 quid a bargain for a near stock car and likely advantageous for the insurance since they are a Porsche upgrade package (ISTR M474 is sports shocks on the options codes)
Having checked now you're right, but I don't believe there is any diference between 944T suspesion in terms of fitment from 1987 until the end of production, and only minor differences for 1986. I am not aware of any change between 1989 and 1990 for certain, other than M030 became optional for 1990 after being standard in 1989.
I'm confused - these M474 parts are complete struts minus the springs and top mounts, so they have a fixed perch attached as part of the body. The inserts that people such as Oli have used are different again and I have no experience with them. I also don't know how the M030 refurbishment that is available is done and if it uses inserts or the original units are reconditioned. It is possible I know who this seller is, and if I'm right and he's OK with it I will confirm here. If it's who I think it is then he knows his Porsches, but that doesn't tally with the 1989 part - unless he knows more than I do of course, which is more than possible.
diabloam
New member
so quick question would these fit on my 1986 Turbo, as I have been looking at them also, I am bit confused about whats different on my car as somebody said the 86 model year was different from later and earlier cars and kinda a unique fit for that year. Or am I wrong in this. Whats my best option for upgrading, dont want to go as far as KW's, just a slight upgrade to replace my probably tired standard setup. Is the Koni inserts my best option or bilsteins or something like that? Thanks all
What's different in your car is that you have the early geometry used for pre-ABS vehicles, but with alloy lower arms rather than pressed steel ones like pre-ABS NA cars had. Although I had an '86 Turbo myself and I believe there are more differences than just the hubs and lower arms but I don't know what they are. It might be that struts and springs from a later car would work fine, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be quite right, and that could equate to not being able to set the suspension up properly. Certainly the body is not different and neither is the crossmember, but I think you would need the lower arms, hubs, struts and maybe springs / top mounts from an '87 on car to successfully use later struts.
The fixing to the hub is a different thickness and hole spacing on a non turbo 86 car - no experience of the turbo. The 90 turbos did have smaller diameter springs, so the top mounts and perches are a different dia. The M030 had conical springs to allow more clearance as well, so dont know if there is an issue with the bigger brakes of later cars and the larger dia springs. So for a 90 car these might need the larger springs and top mounts which may or may not fit with the bigger brakes. Tony
That has clarified my thinking. What I meant to say [:-] is that there is no difference between stanndard S2 from launch in '89 to end of production that I am aware of, and non-M030 Turbo in '90 and '91 is interchangeable with S2 (spring rates and damper valving being the differences). Did I get away with that?
Fen, Your last statement fits with my understanding of what were the similarities between the S2 and the various turbo models. The different spring diameter is something that is not often mentioned, and people should be more aware of when upgrading suspension parts. It caught me by surprise (slightly) when I did mine - I was all set up to buy some aftermarket springs, second-hand from a chap on here, but it turned out that they wouldn't have fitted. (I can't remember who the chap in question was, but I felt slightly bad for him as he bought them to fit his '90 Turbo, but had never fitted them. It turned out that they wouldn't have fitted anyway, on account of the wrong spring diameter ... ) The various suspension options get discussed on here often enough, and perhaps someone ought to write it up and make it a sticky. I've never played with M030, and have experience only of the bolt-in Konis, and the standard system. These M474's look different to the bolt-in Konis as I don't think they are top adjustable. In fact, I can't see how they adjust at all. The bolt-in Konis have the usual Koni knurled knob to attach to the tab at the top of the front strut, and the rear adjusts by compressing it all the way and twisting one half of the damper (so can't be adjusted on the car.) Oli.
DavidL
Active member
I didn't really give all the facts did I! I did see the up to '89 bit but part of my thinking was what difference would there be from a non MO30 89 turbo to a 90 model. I wasn't aware of any but equally I'm no expert. Still tempted but they would have to go on with my existing springs. I have a feeling my car might be 474 equipped but the current dampers have done fat too many miles so they may have been great at the beginning but they aren't now! I'll see what the seller knows. Pelican offer a new set at something like 1200$ but there are a few more bits included.
TTM
Well-known member
According to PET the front units were fitted from new on the late offset 944 NA (87, 88, 89) and 944 turbo 220 (87, 88). This means they will work with big diameter springs only. Original Koni M474 front units such as those do not feature the adjusting tip at the top of the piston, only inserts do.
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