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Date: Mon, 05 Jul 2004 09:58:56 -0400
From: Hans L <hplnospam>
Subject: Re: 900NG handling improvement suggestions


Thanks, Bob! -- This is all very helpful info! Hans Bob wrote: > On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 13:20:09 -0400, Hans L <hplnospam> wrote: > > >>I think I will >>start with the Koni shocks then do wheels when my tires have worn a bit >>more. & then we'll see after that. Will the shocks make a significant >>difference in cornering or would I want to look into the springs for >>that? I suppose lowering always helps in corners (but probably not in >>snow). > > > The shocks will make a big tremendous difference in the corners. > Strictly speaking, shocks do not matter in the corners since the > springs of a car are what holds the weight, the shocks just slow the > action of the springs. However, on a practical basis, you'll find that > a stiffer shock will make a big difference. I think it has to do with > the fact that you car is never going into the corner flat and the > shocks do come into play as soon as you start to change the balance > and fight gravity and centrifugal force. But, I've never studied > it at that level. It works, that's all I can say :) > > The only major point of consideration is that you will be doing the > same labor. If you decide > you want stiffer, you will pay for the job again. If I (you :-) had > the money for the springs, I'd buy the Eibach set and have them > installed. They are progressive so the ride should be "normal" until > you start to push them when they should push back harder. They also > drop you about an inch. I would not do one of the stiffer kits. MHO. > If you don;t like them, you can always pay the labor to pull them out. > I guess it depends on how much "handling" you really want. > > As to the snow, the Saab is already a fairly high car. Installing the > Saab factory sport exhaust will buy you a bit more clearance (no > center muffler hanging down) on a turbo. I don't know if that works > on the V6 so you'd need to check. Still, when the snow gets deep, > the extra height is nice. All the kits out there will drop you > .75 to 1 inch (18-25mm). Your decision. > > >>Also, do you have a rough idea how many hours of labor I should budget >>for changing the shocks? I probably wouldn't do that project myself. >>And lastly, after changing the suspension will I need to have my wheels >>re-aligned? > > > I think the fronts are probably a 3 hour job (total) in the book. If > you DIY, budget 4 hours and if you've never done strut cartridges > before,budget 6 with a lunch break and time to run out and buy a > tool or two you don't have. > > There might be a few minutes more labor if you change the front > springs but it is literally a few minutes more, like, 15 at the most. > The only thing you have to do is remove your spring compressors from > the springs, crank down the new springs, and use them instead of the > old ones. > > The rears shocks are a breeze. You can DIY in a half hour without a > jack. The only catch is that you have to open up a little plastic > interior panel in the trunk area with a razor to get to the top of > the tower (at least on the convertible). I can give you better > directions to that if you are going DIY for that part. Takes all of > 15 seconds once you see where to cut. > > The rear springs are also DIY if you want. A lot of folks have done > them and had a pro do the front. I'd guess an hour should handle both > rear springs. > >

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