Koni SA Shocks for Street/Occasional Strip?
12-22-2004, 01:33 AM
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Koni SA Shocks for Street/Occasional Strip? I was just wondering, does anyone that drag races their car at all use Koni SA shocks on all 4 corners? I am thinking about getting some as my car will be a daily driven vehicle that will only see the strip occasionally (even after I get heads/cam for about 450 rwhp). Will these transfer weight better than stock? Are they that much worse than Hal/QA1 or Strange Adjustables? Will they be "bouncy" when landing if I am able to get the front end off the ground? Has anyone compared stock vs. Koni vs. Hal? Anything you can tell me or help influence which direction I should go? Thanks!
12-22-2004, 11:47 AM
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I bought Koni SA's for mine because it's an all purpose car. I've drag raced it, autocrossed it, done a couple of 20 minute road course sessions, and street drive it...
The SA allows rebound (extension) adjustments only, where the DA also allows bump (compression) adjustments.
I set the front rebound stiff for handling (usually 7 sweeps), and loosen the front rebound all the way for drag racing, so the front will lift easier. They're not ultra soft drag shocks though.
They won't be bouncy on landing because the bump setting is stiffer than stock.
The SA allows rebound (extension) adjustments only, where the DA also allows bump (compression) adjustments.
I set the front rebound stiff for handling (usually 7 sweeps), and loosen the front rebound all the way for drag racing, so the front will lift easier. They're not ultra soft drag shocks though.
They won't be bouncy on landing because the bump setting is stiffer than stock.
12-23-2004, 01:52 AM
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I don't think that you will like the Koni SAs for the strip {unless they are revalved}. Even at their lowest rebound setting I believe that they are stiffer than the DeCarbons. They do handle well and would work better than say,,, a Bilstein for racing if set on the lowest rebound setting. They are nowhere as good as a Hal for the strip.
Saying that, I do occasionally drag race my car. I set the front on the lowest rebound and compression setting and remove the front sway bar. I set the rears to the minimum compression {they are set on the minimum all the time}. I can easily get 1.70s on my sixty foot and I have the stock clutch {40K miles now} and the stock 10 bolt with 4.10 gears. I'm also running the stock torque arm. Tires are MT ET Streets with somewhere between 10-20lbs of air, depending on how sticky the track is.
I get a bit worried for my axle when I dip into the 1.70s and generally add more air to the tires so they will spin a bit more. In plain terms,,,, I try not to get too far into the 1.70s because I'm worried that my axle will break. Hey that logic has worked so far,,, I've got around 200 odd 1/4 mile passes on it now.I'm sure that if I were to get a good clutch, a good 9 inch or 12 bolt and pick a aftermarket torque arm, I could get the times down even further.
To answer your question,,,, the Koni SAs are not drag shocks but if you are willing to sacrifice a smidge in 60ft,,, you will have a car that can do more than one thing well. I like being able to have several different events that I can participate in. Get Hals or a similar drag type shock,,, and they are not going to handle near as well. Probably handle better than the stock DeCarbons but anything's better than those. Unless you have a drag only car,,,, I think the Koni SAs are a great choice.
Saying that, I do occasionally drag race my car. I set the front on the lowest rebound and compression setting and remove the front sway bar. I set the rears to the minimum compression {they are set on the minimum all the time}. I can easily get 1.70s on my sixty foot and I have the stock clutch {40K miles now} and the stock 10 bolt with 4.10 gears. I'm also running the stock torque arm. Tires are MT ET Streets with somewhere between 10-20lbs of air, depending on how sticky the track is.
I get a bit worried for my axle when I dip into the 1.70s and generally add more air to the tires so they will spin a bit more. In plain terms,,,, I try not to get too far into the 1.70s because I'm worried that my axle will break. Hey that logic has worked so far,,, I've got around 200 odd 1/4 mile passes on it now.I'm sure that if I were to get a good clutch, a good 9 inch or 12 bolt and pick a aftermarket torque arm, I could get the times down even further.
To answer your question,,,, the Koni SAs are not drag shocks but if you are willing to sacrifice a smidge in 60ft,,, you will have a car that can do more than one thing well. I like being able to have several different events that I can participate in. Get Hals or a similar drag type shock,,, and they are not going to handle near as well. Probably handle better than the stock DeCarbons but anything's better than those. Unless you have a drag only car,,,, I think the Koni SAs are a great choice.
