DrewSG

iTrader: (1)

Earlier this year I bought a set of Koni SA, and while they made the car handle a lot better, the ride is too harsh for my liking. If I were to go to something like Bilsteins, would it improve ride quality? I'm on stock springs, and I'm not into any autocrossing or things like that, but I do want the car to feel and handle better than stock.

JD_AMG

What are the konis set at, and what are your tire pressures set at?

DrewSG

iTrader: (1)

Right now it's 3 sweeps from soft, my tire pressure are at 30psi

JD_AMG

Front right? Have you tried any higher (for me 3 sweeps is way too "loose" and causes a "crashing-like" feeling into big bumps).
Whats rear set at?

DrewSG

iTrader: (1)

Yeah that's the front. When I make the fronts firmer, it just seems to tighten up the car, doesn't help with the ride quality.

The rears have 3 settings right? It's in the middle if I remember correctly.

qwikz28

iTrader: (12)

stock wheels? people don't realize tires have a huge affect on ride quality. low profile tires make your car ride like poop

DrewSG

iTrader: (1)

stock tires yep

245 16 inch wheels

JD_AMG

Theres one of the problems. Adjust the rear to full soft and report back to us (these are 3rd gen rears correct?).

DrewSG

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, they are 3rd gens

How does the the settings in the rear impact how the car behaves? If that's possible to explain.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

Tires sidewall construction has a big say on ride quality. When I went from stock 16s to 18s, I had a hard time telling the difference in ride quality. Going from Goodyear GS-C(245/50/16s) to Dunlop 8000s(273/35/18s).

What 16" tires do you have on the factory wheels now, Some Brand/Model otires just don't offer a good ride quality.Do your research (tirerack has a lot of good info) and be willing to pay for what you really want!

And I'll have to agree; set those rear koni's to full soft. I bet you'll notice the improvement.

JD_AMG

Behaves in handling?
Generally the higher you set the rebound, the quicker that end of the car is to react.
I have had the rears on full soft, and 1 up from full soft(20%) on stock springs. With full soft the rear was slower to react to turning, but not that much and the grip was still there. Ride quality definitely improved, rear was smoother and less abrupt over bumps.
Your setup seems to be more of a tail happy one, I would try full soft rear and atleast 5 sweeps from full soft front.
And as the above posts say, tires do make a huge difference with ride quality(and handling).

Flaring Afro

i have michelin pilot sports and the ride quality was noticeably better than the other 4-5 T/As i drove. i wish i had better traction sometimes though, on rolling starts in first in the winter. suspension is 100% stock.

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Try dialing down those rears to either the lowest setting or the next one up and let us know how it works for you.

A502slo

iTrader: (4)

Ill trade you my Bilsteins, and i will even pay for shipping. lol just trying to help this guy out some.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

Do you have the fronts on the lower perch? I have them on the lower perch. When I've mentioned in this forum that my ride got much harsher going from Bilstein to Koni on the front, I've been told that having them on the lower perch makes it harsher - less suspension travel.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Let's look at this practically for a moment.

You have adjustable shocks, but we aren't even sure where they are adjusted. And it seems you can go softer at both ends anyway. Why are we talking about changing whole dampers when apparently you haven't even turned what you have down?

And fwiw no rear Koni has 3 settings... you can't be in the middle. I'm not sure where you are, but first thing I'd say is set them full soft back there. And you need to make sure you are @ 3 off soft and not 3 off firm in front, because that's a big difference. And then why not just try softer there?

And yes, the lower perch has some effect on feel as you are lowering the car and shortening shock travel somewhat. If ride is what folks are after above all, they should be running stock height.

my01ws6

iTrader: (16)

Ive had both Koni/Strano and Bilstein/Prokit. I found that the Koni shocks made for a much harsher ride.

Just my input...I actually just sold my Koni/Strano and will be going Bilstein with stock springs for a better ride.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

We don't need to drag that up again... but for the record I think what you said what you didn't think the Koni/Strano rode any different (or words to that effect) than the Pro-kit/Bilstein's. Which is odd since the shocks and springs are both very different. And you made two changes at once, with springs and shocks and now are doing so for the third time. That muddies the water, quite a bit. I suspect you shouldn't have lowering springs, and believe it's smart for you to be moving back to stock springs, period.

In the end, here's the deal. If you want 'ride', you don't want lowering springs. If you want the car lower, you better understand that firmer comes with the territory of shorter and stiffer springs.

That said, if you are running more damping than you need of like, you have to turn it down.... And from what I can gather the OP hasn't (and like other threads we haven't even confirmed what settings).

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Yeah whatever happened to that thread anyway? Ironhead gave the best description I've ever seen on describing ride quality with lowering the car based upon the stiffness of springs as well as hitting the bumpstops. That sucks that I can't access that post anymore because it was very well described, and made you understand that the fbody suspension "is what it is"

Oh well there must have been a reason why that thread disappeared so I won't go any further with this

bowtiekid

iTrader: (2)

Tire pressure is key also. 30 seems awful low... Run 35psi