Anyone using or have info on mix-matched struts/shocks?
09-26-2008, 02:59 PM
#2
Honestly Intercooler2.... Why? It's the front Koni's that cost so much more. If you were to run Koni fronts and Bilstein rears you save yourself about $80 in total vs. running a set of 4/3 Koni's. Further the Koni's have adjustment, and if you buy at the right time (like now) Koni's have free shipping on a set of 4. Split them up and you pay freight on both front and rear offsetting a bunch of your "savings".
Let me put this in perspective a bit, ok? Add up what your cheap LT's, your pulley, SFC's, ported TB and springs cost you. Hell add your Lakewood loop too if you want. When do the headers really help? Full throttle. When does the pulley really help? Full throttle. When does the DS loop help? Never unless you break a u-joint which is super rare. But it can happen. Yet you spent money on that.
A suspension is working ALL THE TIME. Speed bumps, corners, on-ramps, braking, accelerating, potholes, railroad crossings, even just rolling down the interstate. The car has mass, that mass is moving anytime the car is moving. The engine isn't always pulling the car (downhill for instance). And you certainly aren't using near all the power near all the time. And the difference something like a pulley makes is pretty damned small, but you spent money on that.
Bottom line, folks don't like to spend money on shocks because they don't understand or have any clue most of the time what they do. That's why you see the folks that have ponied up raving about good dampers. They now get it.
And in the end, again.... Bilstein's aren't intended for lowering springs. It's not that the fronts only are like that, it's the rears too.
Let me put this in perspective a bit, ok? Add up what your cheap LT's, your pulley, SFC's, ported TB and springs cost you. Hell add your Lakewood loop too if you want. When do the headers really help? Full throttle. When does the pulley really help? Full throttle. When does the DS loop help? Never unless you break a u-joint which is super rare. But it can happen. Yet you spent money on that.
A suspension is working ALL THE TIME. Speed bumps, corners, on-ramps, braking, accelerating, potholes, railroad crossings, even just rolling down the interstate. The car has mass, that mass is moving anytime the car is moving. The engine isn't always pulling the car (downhill for instance). And you certainly aren't using near all the power near all the time. And the difference something like a pulley makes is pretty damned small, but you spent money on that.
Bottom line, folks don't like to spend money on shocks because they don't understand or have any clue most of the time what they do. That's why you see the folks that have ponied up raving about good dampers. They now get it.
And in the end, again.... Bilstein's aren't intended for lowering springs. It's not that the fronts only are like that, it's the rears too.
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09-29-2008, 11:01 AM
#4
Intercooler2....
You need to think about this rationally for a second. The "best deal" often isn't. I say this knowing I'm not the cheapest guy on Koni's (because I don't ignore their MAP pricing). But adjustable shocks if you don't know what to do with them can be a problem. That's why I spend the time with each customer going over not only setup, which is important as the instructions are quite poor, but also how changing the shocks changes how the car drives. That's information you will not get from the guy with the "best deal".
Further, if you buy used there is no warranty. And I don't see anyone with the best deal having popped in here to try and explain things (which takes both time and money). I urge you to consider those things.
You need to think about this rationally for a second. The "best deal" often isn't. I say this knowing I'm not the cheapest guy on Koni's (because I don't ignore their MAP pricing). But adjustable shocks if you don't know what to do with them can be a problem. That's why I spend the time with each customer going over not only setup, which is important as the instructions are quite poor, but also how changing the shocks changes how the car drives. That's information you will not get from the guy with the "best deal".
Further, if you buy used there is no warranty. And I don't see anyone with the best deal having popped in here to try and explain things (which takes both time and money). I urge you to consider those things.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
09-29-2008, 11:31 AM
#5
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09-29-2008, 04:02 PM
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I don't have any experience with that, but if the latest Bilstien HD's are still valved like decarbons in the rear, then picture using konis up front with decarbon shocks in the rear.
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09-29-2008, 06:10 PM
#8
Well, I've partially addressed that.... I don't sell "those" DeCarbon wanna be HD's. I use an older valving (new shocks, not left overs though). Might not be the best for lowering springs but is by far better suited than the current HD rears. That's what the Bilstein set listed on my site is all about.
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
09-30-2008, 11:11 PM
#10
I have the old-style, well-valved Bilsteins on the rear with Konis up front. The ride and everything is fine, but in some circumstances, I can tell the rebound is slower with the Bilsteins in back than the front Konis. As Sam says, the price difference between his (properly valved) Bilsteins and the 3rd Gen Konis is such that it doesn't make sense to do the Bilsteins. Just get the Konis for the rear, too.