1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
OK - best year is probably as late as possible. The '98 manuals have the Aero turbo and software and may have suspension improvements, or not, as reported. By '97 Saab had got most things right.
Suspension: fit at least 16" wheels and proper tyres, 205/55-16 is standard. I like Goodyear F1 GS-D3s but there's bound to be something better now. Fit poly "butterfly bushes" for the front control arms.
Try and find an original Saab "Sports Chassis" suspension kit, but these are like hen's teeth. There is also a Koni kit but I don't know what springs come with it. Add SAS bars front and rear, not just at one end. If leaving the standard bars on, replace the busings with poly ones. Suggest you avoid really stiff springs and concentrate on decent dampers/shocks even if the springs are standard.
Consider upgrading the front brakes a little, just by using good rotors (Saab ones are actually fine, but I prefer Brembos) plus your choice of fast road pad - I like Ferodo but as always there are many flavours and reccommendations out there.
Not many people seem to add 9000 versions of the various braces you mention but whatever floats your boat. Several people make braces for the front strut towers. Rear strut braces get in the way of using your trunk.
Huge numbers of potential tuners, talk to genuinesaab, also look at Maptun.se, Nordic, whatever. Look at the Performance board too. Suggest you avoid playing around with manual boost controllers as these bypass the sophistication and safety built into the Trionic system.
A 3" exhaust is a good mod, seems to help both breathing and torque, but to get much effect you should go turbo-back. I had a JT system some years back, not stainless but worked fine - whatever you have aim for the full 3" at the downpipe connection, not something that starts at 2½ and widens out. Take care with sensor connections, you may have check engine light issues.
You already know that before you do any mods you need to make sure the basics are right, and that means pressure/vacuum hoses, the BPC valve, the "hooter" bypass valve, wastegate and so forth. And don't forget the plugs - always use the correct NGK resistor plugs, BCPR7-ES, accept no substitutes. Gap somewhere between .9 and 1.0mm depending on whom you believe.
Now read the other posts - if not here already, they will come!
, Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:13:36
, Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:30:06
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