944 Control Arm Failures

[Knestis]

...Comp board really should consider this.[/b]

...and be prepared for the flood of requests that they can't argue against on the same grounds, if they approve it. Whee!

K

[Team SSR]

If you are racing a 944 it is a race car, not a street car and needs to be maintained like a race car, not a street car. Aluminum or steel control arms need to have a consistent and frequent inspection and a scheduled replacement interval. I don't think there are many cases of a catastrphic failure that didn't give any warning signs.

[lateapex911]

...and be prepared for the flood of requests that they can't argue against on the same grounds, if they approve it. Whee!

K [/b]

It seems like there is a request like this every other month or so, and the ITAC has been pretty unanimous in it's response.

Sorry, but it's one of those things that goes with the turf in IT. I know there are allowances in PCA for it, but if it were allowed, the floodgates would open. Marque clubs have considerabley more freedom to make such allowances than the SCCA does with the hundreds of cars in the IT category. The weird GM thing is very very old, and nobody today really knows how and why it got there. We'd love to eliminatate it, but.......well, thats another story.

[ChrisCamadella]

The (aluminum, I have no experience with steel) control arms do not break, if you care for them correctly. You DO need to inspect them for each session - if there's ANY play in the ball joint, you change the arm.

I think most of the failures are the result of lowering to the point of the ball joint being bent past its normal limit (you fix this by not lowering the car that much), or by the use of a very big sway bar with stock (or the like) springs.

I never had one fail catastrophically, and I once finished a three hour enduro with a loose ball joint...

YMMV, of course.

[KC944]

PCA club racing recomends Charlie Arms - replacement A arms, for stock classes. This is a safty issue not a preformance enhancment.

KC944

944 S2 ITR or PCA F Stock

[dj10]

PCA club racing recomends Charlie Arms - replacement A arms, for stock classes. This is a safty issue not a preformance enhancment.

KC944

944 S2 ITR or PCA F Stock [/b]

The Porsche Club will not let 944 Turbo's race unless they have the control arm replaced.

[lateapex911]

The Porsche Club will not let 944 Turbo's race unless they have the control arm replaced.

[/b]

Which isn't an indication of a faulty part per se, but perhaps more of a systematic issue, and as a 13/13 club, they are very sensitive to such issues. Also, as a marque club, they have more luxuries in their rules writing than other clubs.

[dj10]

Which isn't an indication of a faulty part per se, but perhaps more of a systematic issue, and as a 13/13 club, they are very sensitive to such issues. Also, as a marque club, they have more luxuries in their rules writing than other clubs.
[/b]

Jake, you are correct. The control arms are a high maintenance item. Porsche found this out rather quickly when they started to race the 944 NA/ 944 Turbo's. Don't forget they came with about 247 hp in the 944 turbo s while the 944 turbo Escort/ World Challange cars started with 250 hp in there light weight configuration. When I raced mine, I think I was around 340 hp @ rwhp and with 17" wheels. As you can see, there would have been an enormous amount of additional stress placed on the suspension points.

So all you 944 drivers be careful, to break a control arm @ a high speed turn would probably not turn out good.

[Knestis]

Apropos of nothing (I LOVE that!) is it true that the A-arms in question are the same as on a Golf? I'm thinking I could run me some of those dangerous pieces on something like a NASA GTS car and save some poundage.

K

[Team SSR]

The aluminum arms are not so bad if you are allowed to put a good ball joint in them or use the bronze bushing track kit from Rennbay. I don't think they would fit a Golf. However, the early steel ones very well may and they are about $24 apiece.

[jsilverman]

However, the early steel ones very well may and they are about $24 apiece.
[/b]

The early arms are the same as a rabbit.

[Bill Miller]

I believe it has happened twice:

1. Volvo 142 valve springs and

2. Rear hub/disc conversion on the GM Quad 4 cars.

The others as Greg mentioned were shot down.

Seems like a lot of 944 guys do fine --- what are they doing? Loading the suspension differently?
[/b]

And no one has yet been able to explain how/why/when this came about. Seems there's no documentation on it in Topeka, just what's in the ITCS.

[RacerBill]

The early arms are the same as a rabbit.
[/b]

Early = <85 1/2
Late = >=85 1/2

My luck, I have the later model

[timo944]

Man, ask a simple question ....

Doesn&#39;t hurt to ask. I watched a Turbo at the PCA enduro come down 12 straight into the tires underneath the start/finich line. Musta gone 6 feet in the air. Lesson: Check the ball joints

Thanks for y&#39;alls input.

[Knestis]

If the early 944 A-arms are the same as the Rabbit, are the later ones the same as a later Golf? That year break above corresponds pretty closely with the Rabbit/Golf II split.

K

[loopracing]

No, they are not like the Golf control arms. They are cast aluminum versions of the Rabbit control arms. The ball joint is cast into the arm and is larger dia. than the Rabbit ball joint.

[Knestis]

Sorry - I wasn&#39;t nearly precise enough with my question. Are they the same dimensions as the VW part? Length, bushing size, etc.?

K

[JamesB]

Kirk they are the SAME part number on the 924 and early 944 from what I can tell searching 3 different parts databases. Its the late model that are a different part number (and much more expensive.)

Front Control Arm, Left or Right, 2 Per Car, 924S/944 (1983-1/85), Each $28.25

171-407-153D-M6069 Front Control Arm, Left or Right, 2 Per Car, 924S/944 (1983-1/85), Each $28.25

951-341-027-00-M100 Front Control Arm, Cast Aluminum, Left, 944/944 Turbo (02/85-86), Each $417.00

951-341-028-00-M100 Front Control Arm, Cast Aluminum, Right, 944/944 Turbo (02/85-86), Each $418.50

944-341-027-02-M100 Front Control Arm, Cast Aluminum, Left, 944/944S/944 Turbo (1987-88), 944S2 (1989-91), 968 (1991-95), Each $608.00

944-341-028-02-M100 Front Control Arm, Cast Aluminum, Right, 944/944S/944 Turbo (1987-88), 944S2 (1989-91), 968 (1991-95), Each $411.75

[/b]

Ball joints are only seperate on early non aluminum control arms. The rest look cast or pressed in.

[924Guy]

Now&#39;s a great time for a reminder that 924&#39;s are cheap and competitive!!! No $10k Milledge engines!!! No pricey timing belt failures! Same great brakes and chassis, same great dynamics! Donors and parts cars are stupid cheap! Cheap steel suspension arms, they bend, don&#39;t break!

LOL

[JamesB]

yeap. Jason bought his for that reason. hes doing HPDE now but eventually move to club racing with a 924.