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Gatornapper · Joined: 23 Oct 2021 Posts: 294 Location: VA

Ok, just drove my 931 for the first time yesterday. Love it! Except for one thing. The manual steering is extremely heavy, especially at parking speeds.

I've done the Google search on extremely heavy steering effort required on my '80 931 but can only find info on 924's and 944's with power steering that do not apply.

Is extremely heavy steering the inherent nature of a 931?

Or could it be a result of the car being in storage for 17 years?

Any tips on what I can do about it?

Are there known ways to lighten the work required?

As always, TIA for the help.

GN
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'87 944 S, looks & runs like new - sold my sweet 931; '76 914 2.0 mostly restored; 2011 Porsche Cayman S in Meteor Grey, 3.4L, Softronics ECU tune 355+hp , PDK w/Sport Chrono. Got this thing for Porsche's.......

Cedric · Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Posts: 2801 Location: Sweden

Not sure that rack is fully ok, i find the steering pretty ok even on 245 race tyres. As long as its not fully stationary of course. On narrow rosd tyres i don't find it heavy at all. Everything is relative though.
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anthonimartini · Joined: 17 Feb 2020 Posts: 240 Location: portland oregon

i second that cedric. i have never found any early 924 to have heavy steering. i would jack the front off the car up and move the rack boots out of the way to inspect clean and regrease. i use redline cv joint grease. its very low viscosity and last a very long time. after greasing work the steering back and forth a whole bunch with the front off the ground. you will hear squeaking from the upper strut mount seal rubbers ( you can spray them with silicone spray to quiet them). the steering should have essentially no resistance at this point. if it feels heavy then i would probably pop the tie rods out of the struts and check every thing independently. could be the rack, the ball joints, upper strut bearings or even the steering column. or maybe some weirdo fabbed a 944 rack on it with no power steering ( very unlikely).
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morghen · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 9095 Location: Romania

Its in the 924 manual guys…if steering feels too heavy, eat a big steak….and take your 924 for a proper 4 wheel alignment…change the top struts bushings/bearings things..and do a check on the steering rack..somebody may have over-tightened that pressure bolt to compensate for extensive wear..that would result in heavy steering as well.
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Gatornapper · Joined: 23 Oct 2021 Posts: 294 Location: VA

Gentlemen -

Thank you all for the feedback. The heavy steering did not feel normal.

I'll put the car on the lift and check out the rack, tie-rods, etc., clean, re-grease as suggested.

Greatly appreciated.

GN
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'87 944 S, looks & runs like new - sold my sweet 931; '76 914 2.0 mostly restored; 2011 Porsche Cayman S in Meteor Grey, 3.4L, Softronics ECU tune 355+hp , PDK w/Sport Chrono. Got this thing for Porsche's.......

Fasteddie313 · Joined: 29 Sep 2013 Posts: 2595 Location: MI

Does it return to center normally as you would expect when coming out of a corner? Or does the steering want to stick to where you put it?

With the front wheels of the ground the steering wheel should turn EXTREMELY easily.. If not, their is a problem..

I once had a problem with the U-joints in my steering shaft getting incredibly stiff over a winters sit, but piling them up good fixed them..
Check those..
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80 Turbo - Slightly Modified

924RACR · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 10:58 pm Post subject:

Definitely make sure you don't have any notable resistance to turning the wheels with the front end in the air.

Tire pressure is definitely key; I got caught out by this on my Turbo, as they'd bled down low while sitting.

Tire construction has a significant impact too; some tires have a much higher steering effort than others.

Finally - and this is gonna sound stupid, but really - if you have the car rolling at all, even just a little, vs. dead stop, the effort comes down substantially... you can't readily parallel park these cars like a car with power steering. You have to nudge them with the clutch while reversing the steering wheel, or you're gonna be beat by the time the car's against the curb.
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peterld · Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 12:12 am Post subject:

Heavy steering is relative.
If you've just jumped out of your Cayman, it'll feel like it's broken.
If it feels heavy with the front in the air....then something is wrong; otherwise check pressures, tyres and alignment.
Non assisted Porsche steering IS heavy at standstill, but lightens up remarkably once rolling.
Even late 944s/968s with power steering are heavy at standstill compared to moderns.
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Gatornapper · Joined: 23 Oct 2021 Posts: 294 Location: VA

Again, thanks guys. Something is definitely wrong. Even at low speeds (parking lot speeds), it almost takes 2 hands to turn the wheel.

And I just read this in a great new article on the 931 out of England:

One pleasant side effect in this particular example is the far lighter steering than you would expect; a combination of those longer steering arms reducing gearing and the larger non Lux steering wheel, but this is not common to true UK spec 924 Turbos. The steering in those should still feel lighter than a naturally aspirated Lux owing to the gearing, though by less of a margin. We found this car perfectly communicative – while Motor would have preferred more direct gearing in period, we didn’t push David’s beautiful example hard enough to appreciate the benefit for which they might have hoped. Article is so good I'm posting it under 931 Discussion - a must-read.

Tire pressure is not the problem - 32 psi in them. Tires ARE 20 years old, 195/65R15.

No, not comparing manual steering to power (Cayman) but am biased from the 914. I know it has to be heavier with the engine up front - but mine is way too heavy.

I'll start digging into it in the next few days. Fixing lots of other things currently.

GN
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'87 944 S, looks & runs like new - sold my sweet 931; '76 914 2.0 mostly restored; 2011 Porsche Cayman S in Meteor Grey, 3.4L, Softronics ECU tune 355+hp , PDK w/Sport Chrono. Got this thing for Porsche's.......

jacobroufa · Joined: 18 Nov 2016 Posts: 531 Location: Belvidere, IL

If your strut tower mounts/bushes are wrecked, you'll hear a popping and meet resistance there also in your turns of the wheel, as they'll attempt to bind up and turn with the wheels if the bushings are shot..
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Gatornapper · Joined: 23 Oct 2021 Posts: 294 Location: VA

Jacob -

You nailed it.

With car on lift, steering still very difficult, and we noticed rubber scraping noise at the tower mounts - and top bolt AND large top washer turning with the wheels. Never have seen this before. No popping, but lots of resistance and rubber scraping noise.

We pulled shocks and re-installed, which improved steering effort (tires off ground) by about 75%, but still shock shaft/bolt rotate with wheels, large top washers/plates not quite as much as before.

New shocks and bushings on order soon.......

Thanks again.

GN

Gatornapper · Joined: 23 Oct 2021 Posts: 294 Location: VA

Jacob -

Please find me a EURO front bumper like yours......

GN

Cedric · Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Posts: 2801 Location: Sweden

Gatornapper · Joined: 23 Oct 2021 Posts: 294 Location: VA

Cedric -

Funny. Even if I wanted a cracked one, it would cost a fortune to ship from Sweden.

New Koni front shocks and top bushings ordered but won't be here for 10 days......can't wait.

GN
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'87 944 S, looks & runs like new - sold my sweet 931; '76 914 2.0 mostly restored; 2011 Porsche Cayman S in Meteor Grey, 3.4L, Softronics ECU tune 355+hp , PDK w/Sport Chrono. Got this thing for Porsche's.......

Fasteddie313 · Joined: 29 Sep 2013 Posts: 2595 Location: MI

With the front wheels completely off of the ground the front strut mounts will be resting on their rubber bump stops under the hood, because your wheels are now hanging from them..

They don’t really ride like that.. If you notice, lift the front while watching the strut mounts and you will see the end of your shock sticking up through them sink into them and rest on the rubber bump stops..

Perfectly normal..

While their is weight on the wheels the strut mount rests against the strut on the underside where it rises on the bearing.. In normal riding condition..

So long story short, with your front wheels OFF of the ground, the strut mounts are rubber to rubber/rubber to metal or whatever.. Not sitting on their bearings..

So this doesn’t necissisarrally mean your strut mounts are bad by your description IMO..

It’ll take you 30 seconds to spray your steering shaft u joints with your favorite WD-40/PB blaster while working the steering back and forth..

I would atleast just try that to rule that out..
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80 Turbo - Slightly Modified