900NG handling improvement suggestions

Hi all,

Having recently gotten my entire brake system redone for free -- thanks, extended warranty :) -- I'm feeling inspired to spend a little bit of money improving the handling of my '95 900SE/V6. I've done a bit of searching & don't feel like I have any better idea where to start.

Right now I believe all suspension is factory. My rims are "15 non-factory Ronal rims which are really quite nice & my tires are also quite new (so not keen to change wheel size unless it'll make a significant difference).

I've seen some spring kits out there for my car. I know that I could replace the shocks and that a thicker anti-sway bar would probably help. I suppose bigger rims would be good, but would it make that much difference to buy "16 rims? I think "17 is asking for trouble (from potholes) in my area, I suppose that depends on the rims though. (had a volvo s60t5 for awhile & never had bent rim trouble, but friend's bmw rims got bent up on the same roads).

The main thing I'd like to improve is the car's ability to take corners without so much roll. It could also be a little more rigid / stiff going over gentle road depressions, etc. I really like the way my '91

900S handles in general & would like to give some of those qualities to my 900NG.

So, from a bang-for-buck perspective, where should I start? Springs, shocks, sway bar, wheels? Does anyone know if there is a "sport suspension" package for my car (V6) available from the dealership?

Thanks in advance, Hans

Reply to
Hans L
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The wheels/tires would make a big difference. But, if your tires are not worn, you'd be throwing away a bit of money. To start, I'd replace the stock shocks with adjustable Koni's. They made an incredible difference in my NG900. Fully adjustable, so you can dial in the ride/handling you want. $550 USd + labor.

You will be doing the same labor as the springs, so you want to think about that a little. Most of the kits are very stiff. The Eibach kit will lower the CoG about 1" and is progressive so that's usually my suggestion. I didn't do the springs and I am very happy with just the shocks. YMMV. About $300 USd. You can get them from Boge, Abbott (below), Eibach, and Swedish Dynamics. Don't do stiffer springs without improved shocks, that's a no-no.

Another major improvement for the NG900 is the steering brace kit. You can get one from Abbott and one from Talfario.

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Most folks report significant increases in steering response and a reduction of torque steer/tramlining (may not be a problem with a non-turbo).

The rear sway bar is improvable but personally I'd do the other stuff first.

So, I'd suggest shocks first, wheels/tires if you want to spend the cash. Springs if you want to go for extra handling, steering kit next. Sway bar last. MHO.

Bob

Reply to
Bob

I appreciate the advice. I had seen references to the steering brace, but handn't thought of that when thinking of upgrades. 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).

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?

Thanks again.

Hans

Reply to
Hans L

The hazards of lowering a car for better handling is the possible damage from speed bumps and other road hazards. I have a 900S and a lowered 900 Turbo. The 900S handles the pot holes and speed bumps better because of the softer springs and higher ground clearance. The turbo has no body roll in the turns but the CD player skips when I hit bumps fast enough because of the stiffer springs.

But then who needs a CD player when you have the muted roar of the turbo as you power through the turns of a back country road :-)

Reply to
ma_twain

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.

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.

Reply to
Bob

My CD skips too on the turbo's slightly stiffer suspension. But, I just attribute it to a poorly designed CD player. It can't be the car or my driving, both are top notch. :-)

Reply to
Bob

Thanks, Bob! -- This is all very helpful info!

Hans

Bob wrote:

Reply to
Hans L

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