Toss the QA1's for koni/strano??? Benefits?
#1
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Toss the QA1's for koni/strano??? Benefits?
Well i haven't bitten the bullet and bought the koni's yet as ive been doing heads/cam/nitrous/built T56 and full suspension(just need a tq arm). I bought the car with 60k and the only mods being a Borla and a set of Hal QA1 double adjustables all around.
Ive done front/rear swaybar, adj LCA, STB, double adj panhard, SFC etc...
Now i am wondering what kind of changes i could see in the car from a Hal QA1 double to koni/strano setup.
Personally i want the car to work all around for me, i see the track alot and i want to get into auto-x again, on top of that i drive it hard and a lot on the street. Given the last camaro i had was lowered on bilsteins and some eibachs and SFC's only, so the handling characteristics of both cars are dramatically different.
I also realize that a triple purpose for the car is hard to fulfill, but which setup matches my needs the best? Thanks in advance, and sorry if there are grammatical errors... 17 hours at work and im tired
Ive done front/rear swaybar, adj LCA, STB, double adj panhard, SFC etc...
Now i am wondering what kind of changes i could see in the car from a Hal QA1 double to koni/strano setup.
Personally i want the car to work all around for me, i see the track alot and i want to get into auto-x again, on top of that i drive it hard and a lot on the street. Given the last camaro i had was lowered on bilsteins and some eibachs and SFC's only, so the handling characteristics of both cars are dramatically different.
I also realize that a triple purpose for the car is hard to fulfill, but which setup matches my needs the best? Thanks in advance, and sorry if there are grammatical errors... 17 hours at work and im tired
#2
I don't know how good Koni's are but there is a lot of bandwagonning going on here for them. It's unfortunate that nobody has found a more affordable recommendation than a set of shocks that costs $800+. It would be nice if koni offered a non-adjustable shock for front/rear that was more in line with the price of bilsteins (which I would say are good enough for the majority of people on here).
I do know how bad QA1's are for anything other than drag racing. With QA1s my WS6 has a ride that is akin to an old buick. It's very soft and squishy. Not uncomfortable but you can really feel the general lack of control. Steering response is mushy, lots of nose-dive during braking (even moderate braking)...so yeah, it is bad.
I have QA1 shocks on front and rear, with stock rear springs and QA1 springs in the front. I would not think of auto-xing in QA1s but maybe drifting would work. You know what you want to do and what you can afford. IMO driving around cones in a parking lot is more fun in a go-cart.
I'm going to replace my QA1s with the SLP Level 2 kit (eibach springs / bilstein shocks). The price is right and it should offer great "all around" performance while maintaining cruise-worthy ride quality. The more roles you want your car to fulfill the more willing you need to be to compromise.
I do know how bad QA1's are for anything other than drag racing. With QA1s my WS6 has a ride that is akin to an old buick. It's very soft and squishy. Not uncomfortable but you can really feel the general lack of control. Steering response is mushy, lots of nose-dive during braking (even moderate braking)...so yeah, it is bad.
I have QA1 shocks on front and rear, with stock rear springs and QA1 springs in the front. I would not think of auto-xing in QA1s but maybe drifting would work. You know what you want to do and what you can afford. IMO driving around cones in a parking lot is more fun in a go-cart.
I'm going to replace my QA1s with the SLP Level 2 kit (eibach springs / bilstein shocks). The price is right and it should offer great "all around" performance while maintaining cruise-worthy ride quality. The more roles you want your car to fulfill the more willing you need to be to compromise.
#3
I don't know how good Koni's are but there is a lot of bandwagonning going on here for them. It's unfortunate that nobody has found a more affordable recommendation than a set of shocks that costs $800+. It would be nice if koni offered a non-adjustable shock for front/rear that was more in line with the price of bilsteins (which I would say are good enough for the majority of people on here).
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...et-shocks.html
it's exactly what you said, just a non adjustable shock. would cost somewhere around halfway between the bilsteins and current konis.
#5
[QUOTE=SsZERO;13120265]I have QA1 shocks on front and rear, with stock rear springs and QA1 springs in the front. I would not think of auto-xing in QA1s but maybe drifting would work. You know what you want to do and what you can afford. IMO driving around cones in a parking lot is more fun in a go-cart.
QUOTE]
What is the spring rate of those front springs?
QUOTE]
What is the spring rate of those front springs?
#6
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i dont want to do cones in a parking lot lol. Either harris hill or the driveway.
As for the spring rate... not sure as they came on the car. I could take them off and look for a Part # i guess.
As for the spring rate... not sure as they came on the car. I could take them off and look for a Part # i guess.
#7
TECH Senior Member
Well i haven't bitten the bullet and bought the koni's yet as ive been doing heads/cam/nitrous/built T56 and full suspension(just need a tq arm). I bought the car with 60k and the only mods being a Borla and a set of Hal QA1 double adjustables all around.
Ive done front/rear swaybar, adj LCA, STB, double adj panhard, SFC etc...
Now i am wondering what kind of changes i could see in the car from a Hal QA1 double to koni/strano setup.
Personally i want the car to work all around for me, i see the track alot and i want to get into auto-x again, on top of that i drive it hard and a lot on the street. Given the last camaro i had was lowered on bilsteins and some eibachs and SFC's only, so the handling characteristics of both cars are dramatically different.
I also realize that a triple purpose for the car is hard to fulfill, but which setup matches my needs the best? Thanks in advance, and sorry if there are grammatical errors... 17 hours at work and im tired
Ive done front/rear swaybar, adj LCA, STB, double adj panhard, SFC etc...
Now i am wondering what kind of changes i could see in the car from a Hal QA1 double to koni/strano setup.
Personally i want the car to work all around for me, i see the track alot and i want to get into auto-x again, on top of that i drive it hard and a lot on the street. Given the last camaro i had was lowered on bilsteins and some eibachs and SFC's only, so the handling characteristics of both cars are dramatically different.
I also realize that a triple purpose for the car is hard to fulfill, but which setup matches my needs the best? Thanks in advance, and sorry if there are grammatical errors... 17 hours at work and im tired
I don't know how good Koni's are but there is a lot of bandwagonning going on here for them. It's unfortunate that nobody has found a more affordable recommendation than a set of shocks that costs $800+. It would be nice if koni offered a non-adjustable shock for front/rear that was more in line with the price of bilsteins (which I would say are good enough for the majority of people on here).
Trending Topics
#8
if there were a shock that was equally as good for less, people would recommend that. bilsteins are great for stock springs and decent with some others but really can't handle higher spring rates as well as konis. last i heard koni was actually still developing a new shock for our cars (been in the works for a loooooong time) you can read about a bit here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...et-shocks.html
it's exactly what you said, just a non adjustable shock. would cost somewhere around halfway between the bilsteins and current konis.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...et-shocks.html
it's exactly what you said, just a non adjustable shock. would cost somewhere around halfway between the bilsteins and current konis.
Honestly I could not tell you...I have the older QA1s so I am not srue if they changed it over the years, but it is very very soft. It's designed for drag racing, that is why it is so bad for anything other than drag racing.
They are really no more expensive than QA1s so how can you complain?
#9
LS1TECH Sponsor
iTrader: (41)
There is no comparison between QA1 and Koni's beyond similar pricing. None. Koni's ride better, handle better, and have a lifetime warranty. I'm sure sooner or later someone will chime in here, I know Mario Tillery has had both and everytime this pops up he says the same thing--that there is no comparison. I've got a lot of others who've had both and they all agree too.
Koni's aren't cheap, but they won't be getting any cheaper when the sale ends, in fact expect about $150-200 more per set, depending on which set when the sale ends. I'll add that you do get what you pay for. In fact someone said just that earlier in this thread.
You are comparing apples and oranges. Like comparing a GT3 to a ZR1 in a way. They might cost the same, they don't drive the same and aren't built the same way either.
Koni's aren't cheap, but they won't be getting any cheaper when the sale ends, in fact expect about $150-200 more per set, depending on which set when the sale ends. I'll add that you do get what you pay for. In fact someone said just that earlier in this thread.
You are comparing apples and oranges. Like comparing a GT3 to a ZR1 in a way. They might cost the same, they don't drive the same and aren't built the same way either.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
#10
12 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I used to live in Austin-And ran QA1s on the street. And my handling coming off 183 to I 35 south sucked big time. I lived in Cedar Park at the time and drove to my Facility south of BIA. Lots of curvy roads-lots of fun. Not on QA1s. With the SA konis-I drive casual where as with the QA1s I would be pushing them hard. If you like to drive in the country say on 16 near Kerrville? You will not like the sloppiness of a drag shock even tho its double adjustable. And as for a triathalon for your car? You will plow thru cones-working your front brakes due to shock fade, You will really like the way the SA koni band wagon rides over other shocks. So go ahead and pull the trigger.
Last edited by tillery; 04-02-2010 at 01:22 AM.