944 Ride Height & Spring-Strut Angle — Factory Adjusting Values
The factory ride-level-height and rear spring-strut-angle figures for the 944, sorted by torsion-bar diameter, sport package (M030/M637/M031) and model year. These are the values you set before checking wheel alignment. USA and Canada figures are given in brackets; dimensions are millimetres and angles are degrees, so there is no metric/imperial toggle.
The factory ride-height and rear spring-strut-angle figures for the 944. Ride height is set before you check wheel alignment — a car sitting at the wrong height reads camber and toe off, so the height comes first. The correct figure depends on the torsion-bar diameter, whether the car has a sport package (M030, M637 or M031), and the model year. USA and Canada figures, where they differ, are given in brackets. Dimensions are in millimetres and the strut setting is an angle, so none of these values switch between metric and imperial.
Measuring conditions
All figures apply at curb weight to DIN 70020 — a full fuel tank, the spare wheel and the tool kit aboard, no driver or load — with correct joint and wheel-bearing play, the specified tyre pressures and even tread. Roll the car forward and settle the suspension before measuring. The maximum left-to-right difference in ride height is 10 mm. If a car needs both ride height and alignment set, do the rear height first, then the rear alignment, then the front.
Front axle ride height
Front ride height is only adjustable on cars with the height-adjustable sport struts. It is measured as the distance the lower edge of the rear control-arm mounting bolt sits below wheel centre.
| Car (height-adjustable struts) | Ride height |
|---|---|
| 944 / 944 S — M030 / M637 | 146 ± 10 mm |
| 944 S2 — M030 | 130 ± 10 mm |
Standard (non-sport) front struts are not height-adjustable, so they carry no front ride-height figure — the front sits where the struts set it.
Rear axle — spring-strut angle & ride height
The rear is set two ways: the angle of the spring strut (its inclination), and the resulting ride-level height, measured as the distance the spring-strut mounting centre (torsion-bar centre) sits below wheel centre. A negative value means the torsion-bar centre is above wheel centre by that amount. The correct row is chosen by the torsion-bar diameter and model year.
Until end of 1988 models (924 S / 944 / 944 S):
| Variant | Strut angle | Ride height |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (steel + alloy arms), torsion bar Ø 23.5 mm | 23° (24°30′ USA/Canada) | −3.5 ± 10 mm |
| M030 / M637 until end of 1986, torsion bar Ø 24.5 mm | 20° | −18.5 ± 10 mm |
| M030 / M637 87/88 models, torsion bar Ø 25.5 mm | 18° | −18.5 ± 10 mm |
Since 1989 models:
| Variant | Strut angle | Ride height |
|---|---|---|
| 944 standard, torsion bar Ø 23.5 mm | 23° (24°30′ USA/Canada) | −3.5 ± 10 mm |
| 944 S2 standard, torsion bar Ø 24 mm | Conv. 23° / Coupé 22° | −10.5 ± 10 mm |
| 944 / 944 S2 — M030 / M031, torsion bar Ø 25.5 mm | 18° | −18.5 ± 10 mm |
The maximum left-to-right difference in strut angle is 0.5°, and a 1° change in strut inclination moves the ride height by roughly 5 mm — which is how the height is trimmed. Rear height is corrected at the two-part spring brace by loosening its mounting bolt and turning the eccentric; the torsion bars are indexed to set the baseline, and the rear-suspension fasteners are torqued to spec afterwards.
Bumper height — USA & Canada
For USA and Canada cars the bumper height is the deciding measurement. Measured from the road or a level floor to the upper edge of the bumper:
| Position | Distance |
|---|---|
| Rear axle | 522 ± 20 mm |
| Front axle | 526 ± 20 mm |
| Front axle — 944 S2 | 533 ± 20 mm |
These bumper distances are the legal ride-height check for those markets; set the car to them and the suspension figures above follow.