Adjusting front ARB on a 997 GT3

[braddo]

I have a stock 997.1 GT3 and both the anti-roll bars are set to full stiff. I want to try changing the front bar to the middle setting to see how it alters the handling balance (I'm assuming it reduces understeer a little).

I don't have a ramp or similar to hand and I'd like to see if I can adjust the ARB with the wheels in situ. Would it work if I turned the front wheels to full lock to gain easier access to the ARB (one side at a time)? With the big castor of modern cars would having the wheels on full lock put the front ARB under any tension?

Thanks

[VPD255M]

The car will need jacking up to unload the ARB, fairly sure it would work lifting one side at a time. Softening the front will dial out understeer. I have front ARB set 1 from soft (4/5) and rear at the middle setting (2/3) which seems pretty good. >edit< forgot to mention the above settings are with the stiffer GT2/997.2GT3 rear ARB fitted.

Edited by VPD255M on Wednesday 12th October 20:52

Edited by VPD255M on Wednesday 12th October 20:55

[Slippydiff]

Jacking up one side at a time will (in my experience) pretty much guarantee you WON'T be able to get the droplinks disconnected from the ARB.

You'll need two jacks or something to lower both front wheels on to (as close to identical heights) once you've raised the front of the car off the ground sufficiently to get at the ARB droplinks.

[STiG911]

Slippydiff said:

Jacking up one side at a time will (in my experience) pretty much guarantee you WON'T be able to get the droplinks disconnected from the ARB.

You'll need two jacks or something to lower both front wheels on to (as close to identical heights) once you've raised the front of the car off the ground sufficiently to get at the ARB droplinks.

^Anyone who's replaced an ARB drop-link with only one side lifted finds this out once they've had a spanner ping round and smack them in the face

[Cunno]

One jack, and a16mm spanner will do the job, but as others have mentioned the drop link will be under pressure. So my technique is jack car up one side, undo nut on drop link, the link should be under enough pressure to stop the bolt section of the drop link from spinning. Once nut offl lower car back on wheels drop link can now be moved to required hole. Jack car up again and install nut, pressure on drop link should stop it spinning if it doesn't you will need one of the star shaped sockets to put in the end of the drop link to stop it spinning. Then repeat above for other side, do this a lot on wet TDs

[braddo]

Thanks, that sounds like a good method. How much of a squeeze is it accessing the nut when on the jack and the drop link when the car's on the ground?

[Cunno]

braddo said:

Thanks, that sounds like a good method. How much of a squeeze is it accessing the nut when on the jack and the drop link when the car's on the ground?

Not a issue with lock on full.

[braddo]

Perfect, thanks - so having the wheels turned to full lock doesn't put tension on the bar/drop links.

[Pip1968]

Braddo, if you are SE London feel free to pop down the road. I have mulitple jacks and ramps to assist as well as sockets breaker bars and tools. I have never done it myself but tinkered with everything else such as brakes et cetera. I am just by the A2/M2 junction so not far and would be happy to help and meet another enthusiast.

Pip

[Pookster]

On stock ARBs go for front on 4/5 or 5/5 (i.e. almost and then full soft) and rear on full stiff.

[braddo]

Pip1968 said:

Braddo, if you are SE London feel free to pop down the road. I have mulitple jacks and ramps to assist as well as sockets breaker bars and tools. I have never done it myself but tinkered with everything else such as brakes et cetera. I am just by the A2/M2 junction so not far and would be happy to help and meet another enthusiast.

Pip

Cheers. I'm in SW London so it's might be a bit far. Then again, if these drop links haven't been touched since the car rolled out of the factory I might need that breaker bar.