Center of Gravity?

[RedFive]

Hi,

I'm trying to convince my parents to let me buy a 944 to replace my old Cherokee (it's a great truck, but after 210,000 miles of hard driving it just needs a rest)...so I thought I'd write a physics paper comparing the two cars to (a) show my parents why the porsche is safer and (b) maybe also show them that I am actually learning things in college.

Anyways, my question is how high is the center of gravity in the 944? If nobody knows, is there someplace I can write to to find out...or perhaps just another 944 forum I can post at?

Then I just have a quick second question...how much would it cost me in parts to replace the clutch in a 944...and would I be crazy to do it in the parking lot (that's where I work on the Jeep, so why not?!)?

Thanks!

[JumpJet19]

I'm not sure what the exact measurement is, but it's obviously lower than the Cherokee. Common sense says which one would have a higher probability of flipping over. I do know that the Porsche has a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution due to the rear trans axle. Also, you sit nearer the center of the car, closer to the drive train than you do in the Cherokee. And lower. Need I say more.
Hey, I'm in college, too, and own a pristine '84 with 50k on it. Good luck!

And as far as the clutch, haven't had any 'sperience. I take mine in to get fixed. I'm too afraid to mess with it, except the easy stuff...
Jimmy
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[aeronautica86]

rough estimate : center of grav on a 944 prob about 18 inches off the ground.

The clutch....costs about $1700 parts and labor (and about 2-3 days minimum) for a mechanic to do it. Yes, I had my clutch replaced recently when I found its rubber inards all over the floor of the garage.
Do it in the parking lot? LOL Hell NO!!! you have to get the car up on a lift, take the exhaust off, disconnect the transaxle from the engine, and take the tranny off the car; so no, no you can't replace a 944 clutch in the parking lot, sorry.

But good luck on getting that 944. I'm 17 and have had my '87 N/A for about a year and love it. Beautiful car. I would recommend you pay a little bit more for it, and get one that has already had its water pump and clutch replaced. The clutch disc on these cars has a rubber center which drys out and crumbles over time (exactly what happened to mine), so it would be good to find one that already had it replaced. The earlier water pumps aren't that great, so getting one that has already been updated to the turbo water pump would be a good idea.....and get the timing belt replaced as soon as you get the car...

[930guy]

wow $1700 for a clutch-thats alittle outrageous!

[aeronautica86]

900 for OEM clutch kit....10 hours labor at $80 an hour.......maybe if I had a mechanic friend I could have gotten the clutch kit for less....but w/e

[matt944pca]

I can't imagine the center of gravity is that high, probably no more then a couple feet off the ground.
As far as the clutch, they are NOT that hard to replace in a weekend, and they do not cost $900 for a kit. Spring centered clutch kits from Sach's can usually be found for around $500-$600 at the very most. If you have any amount of basic mechanical knowledge about a 944, you should easily be able to take it yourself, and save around $900 to put towards the timing belts, rollers, water pump, and maybe get a new CD player or something fun like that. Buy a repair manual and study away

[aeronautica86]

Lol...18" < couple feet