944 aluminum rear trailing arm info

[Bugnutz]

Zen,

Thanks a lot for sending the photos. I am working on exactly the same problem- I don't have enough fender clearance, and will need to change from the late "dished" hubs and wider hat section rotors to early flat hubs and the rotors like your new ones. The photos will help out a lot when I go for the parts.

Regards, Mark.

[zen]

Originally Posted by Tim

Hello Zen,

As you've got both early and late alu arms side by side, does it look ok that the hub of the early alu arm can be used on the late alu arm?

Thanks
Tim

i've never had them apart so can't speak for bearing, stub and hub interchangeability. some others here might be able to. attached is a better pic of the hub comparison. not much of a help, but better than nothing.

[Tim]

Thanks Zen. The lock nuts look the same but not sure if the number of splines and the diameter of the stubs are the same.

Regards
Tim

[zen]

Originally Posted by Tim

Thanks Zen. The lock nuts look the same but not sure if the number of splines and the diameter of the stubs are the same.

Regards
Tim

i will try to get some measurements on that, but am in a bit of a scramble. remind me in a couple weeks if i haven't done it. will try to do it in the next coupld of days though.

[LOAF]

Question to all,

Is it possible to limit the travel on the rear (regardless of whether it is an early or late alumn. set up by using a Macpherson Strut (Bump stop) Bushing. Like most new cars have on the front. But for our application install it on the rear strut?

If possible this would seem like a much easier solution than finding a place to install the vw stop..

Now that I have my assembly (late alumn) and am ready for the install, I am noticing more and more issues..

But that is life

ALex

[boygenius]

Bump stop pics...

I used some summit universal bump stops an ddrilled and tapped the shock tower at the correct angle so they would hit the top of the trailing arm. On the right side I screwed up the angle and broke off a tap in the shock tower. I wnet to home depot and bought a .06 cent nut and welded it into the shock tower at the correct angle...

[LOAF]

Sorta what I was thinking.. but your idea is better..

Thanks again.. and nice...
Alex

[boygenius]

Just a simple way to get your trailing arms pretty straight when bolting them up. I used a 3/8" drive extension and a 16mm craftsman socket to hold the trailing arm in place while the bolts were tightened down. At least that way your rear end would be straight enough to get to the alignment shop.

[Humble]

that's a pretty high tech alignment tool

i just picked up a second set of trailing arms to do a straight up swap. they guy says they're off an 87 944 turbo. 4 pot calipers all around, but the rear arms are funky.

they have the early cast in bumpstop, but the late wider track. just when i though everything was making sense :P

[boygenius]

Hmmmm. Can you post some pics. I know that the 1986 turbo had the early aluminum trailing arms with less track increase.
Well since they have the bump stop area in the arm that should make for one less challenge in installing them. :agree:

[Humble]

no prob, i'll have to get a camera from work so it won't be till mon or tues. basically it looks like the early alu. arm with a late turbo hub. i'll measure the caliper bolt spacing and see if there's a difference in the 2 sets of arms also

[boygenius]

Maybe someone switched rear hubs to get more track for their car.

[Supa Ninja]

I got the complete rear suspension from a '86 NA and I measures the track from the spring plate and it was the later style as well as it uses the longer half shafts. I wonder if they went to the wider setup mid 86?

[jonnyspatter]

Thought you might like this pic.
On the right is a standard 1303 seni-trailing arm, in the centre is a steel 944 arm (which I think is identical bar the wheel hub assembly), while on the left is an ally 944 arm.
I was going to use the ally job on my '03 until I saw the extra width it'll add to the rear wheels!

Another point to note is that the bolt pattern for the ally arm will not fit the 1303 spring plate, where the steel will.

Hope this helps.

[wrenchnride247]

I need the wide trailing arms for my bug. The wheels i've got are 993s the fronts are 7x16 with 55mm offset and 150mm backspacing, while the rears are 9x16 with 70mm offset with 190mm(wow!). I have 2 inch wider fenders front and rear, so i need to push the wheels out to the fender lips. Will the front hubs from'92-'95 968 add more track like the rear arms will?