Koni STR.T/Strano Spring Review
07-03-2017, 01:09 PM
#1
Koni STR.T/Strano Spring Review While looking for feedback on this combo, I didn't find much out there, so I wanted to take the time to review it.
THE CAR
1994 25th Anniversary Trans Am hardtop - 100% bone stock, 135k miles.
THE PARTS
-Koni Str.t shocks
-Strano springs
-UMI on-car adjustable panhard
-UMI rubber bumpstops
-Moog control arm bushings in all arms
-Moog front shock mounts
BUYING EXPERIENCE
The shocks and springs were purchased from Strano on 4/28. Within 15 minutes of placing the order online, his assistant called to get my card info, and had the springs on my doorstep the next day (I'm in Ohio.) I got the fronts a few days later, and then the waiting game began. Due to the national back order on Str.ts, I didn't end up getting the rears until 6/22. Sam was good about getting back to me every time I asked for a status update. All in all, I found the customer service on their end to be good.
Everything else came from Summit, simply because I live a half hour from them and picked up most of the parts before I'd decided on shocks. An added benefit is that I can confirm order accuracy and part condition before leaving their parking lot.
INSTALLATION
The installation's been covered in other threads, so I'll skip the step-by-step. Due to lack of availability of the Moog front isolators, I ended up disassembling my stock assemblies. Since the car spent most of its life in Texas, the top shock nuts came off with one quick shot from the impact, and both the dogbones and the lower spring indexers were in perfect shape. I probably could have reused the shock mounts, but since I already had new ones on hand, I swapped them out anyway.
Regarding some claims that the Moog shock mounts are a different size and won't work with the stock dogbones, I didn't find this to be the case. The inside dimensions of the mount accepted the stock isolator just fine. I did need to clearance the lower one to get it seated in the (smaller than stock) perch of the Str.ts. A couple minutes with some 80-grit by hand did the trick. I also didn't have trouble with the mounting holes being off on the Moog mounts that some have experienced.
No tweaks or adjustments were needed beyond shaving the lower spring isolator, centering the rear with the new panhard, and notching the UMI bumpstops to avoid needing to cut the lips off the mounting points.
RESULTS
In terms of the amount of drop I saw, it was pretty much spot on. Starting measurements, taken from the ground to the centers of the wheel arches, were:
LF 26.75
RF 26.75
LR 27.75
RR 27.25
After the swap:
LF 25.5
RF 25.5
LR 26.5
RR 26.0
The "after" numbers were taken after about 20 miles of driving to get everything settled - the front, in particular, didn't show much of a change straight off the jackstands; I attribute most of this to having used new shock mounts. After a drive, it came down considerably.
As far as performance, the initial break in miles were done on the stock 16" wheels, which quickly established themselves as the weak link during hard cornering. Despite the less than ideal tire size, the car did show an improvement in grip. The most noticeable difference is the predictability of the rear end; it no longer dances all over the road on hard impacts, doesn't feel like it's playing catch-up with the front in turns, and doesn't feel like it's about to be ripped from underneath the car at the slightest hint of road imperfections.
After riding in some poorly set up cars (competitor's springs with non-adjustable KYBs, Sportlines with stock DeCarbons
), I was worried that I'd end up with either a harsh/jarring ride or a car that bounced down the road. Neither of these ended up being the case with this combo; in fact, the ride is actually smoother than stock. You feel the road, and there's no question that you're driving a performance car, but there is no jarring over stretches of road that I previously went out of my way to avoid. I finally feel like I can put my 17's back on without feeling like the car is about to split in half over every crack in the road.
Overall, I'm very impressed with this setup. Now I just need to get a set of Sam's bars and some new tires on my WS6 wheels to round out the combo.
THE CAR
1994 25th Anniversary Trans Am hardtop - 100% bone stock, 135k miles.
THE PARTS
-Koni Str.t shocks
-Strano springs
-UMI on-car adjustable panhard
-UMI rubber bumpstops
-Moog control arm bushings in all arms
-Moog front shock mounts
BUYING EXPERIENCE
The shocks and springs were purchased from Strano on 4/28. Within 15 minutes of placing the order online, his assistant called to get my card info, and had the springs on my doorstep the next day (I'm in Ohio.) I got the fronts a few days later, and then the waiting game began. Due to the national back order on Str.ts, I didn't end up getting the rears until 6/22. Sam was good about getting back to me every time I asked for a status update. All in all, I found the customer service on their end to be good.
Everything else came from Summit, simply because I live a half hour from them and picked up most of the parts before I'd decided on shocks. An added benefit is that I can confirm order accuracy and part condition before leaving their parking lot.
INSTALLATION
The installation's been covered in other threads, so I'll skip the step-by-step. Due to lack of availability of the Moog front isolators, I ended up disassembling my stock assemblies. Since the car spent most of its life in Texas, the top shock nuts came off with one quick shot from the impact, and both the dogbones and the lower spring indexers were in perfect shape. I probably could have reused the shock mounts, but since I already had new ones on hand, I swapped them out anyway.
Regarding some claims that the Moog shock mounts are a different size and won't work with the stock dogbones, I didn't find this to be the case. The inside dimensions of the mount accepted the stock isolator just fine. I did need to clearance the lower one to get it seated in the (smaller than stock) perch of the Str.ts. A couple minutes with some 80-grit by hand did the trick. I also didn't have trouble with the mounting holes being off on the Moog mounts that some have experienced.
No tweaks or adjustments were needed beyond shaving the lower spring isolator, centering the rear with the new panhard, and notching the UMI bumpstops to avoid needing to cut the lips off the mounting points.
RESULTS
In terms of the amount of drop I saw, it was pretty much spot on. Starting measurements, taken from the ground to the centers of the wheel arches, were:
LF 26.75
RF 26.75
LR 27.75
RR 27.25
After the swap:
LF 25.5
RF 25.5
LR 26.5
RR 26.0
The "after" numbers were taken after about 20 miles of driving to get everything settled - the front, in particular, didn't show much of a change straight off the jackstands; I attribute most of this to having used new shock mounts. After a drive, it came down considerably.
As far as performance, the initial break in miles were done on the stock 16" wheels, which quickly established themselves as the weak link during hard cornering. Despite the less than ideal tire size, the car did show an improvement in grip. The most noticeable difference is the predictability of the rear end; it no longer dances all over the road on hard impacts, doesn't feel like it's playing catch-up with the front in turns, and doesn't feel like it's about to be ripped from underneath the car at the slightest hint of road imperfections.
After riding in some poorly set up cars (competitor's springs with non-adjustable KYBs, Sportlines with stock DeCarbons
), I was worried that I'd end up with either a harsh/jarring ride or a car that bounced down the road. Neither of these ended up being the case with this combo; in fact, the ride is actually smoother than stock. You feel the road, and there's no question that you're driving a performance car, but there is no jarring over stretches of road that I previously went out of my way to avoid. I finally feel like I can put my 17's back on without feeling like the car is about to split in half over every crack in the road.Overall, I'm very impressed with this setup. Now I just need to get a set of Sam's bars and some new tires on my WS6 wheels to round out the combo.
07-03-2017, 09:42 PM
#5
10 Second Club
Nice write up, and nice looking ride!
07-04-2017, 12:12 AM
#6
Thanks guys. I read a ton of threads on the STR.Ts, but no one really went into depth with feedback, regardless of spring choice. I believe the results would be similar with BMR, given that the listed spring rates are nearly identical.
My goal for this car is sort of a "WS6 on steroids" approach - improved cornering and handling performance in a package that doesn't significantly increase NVH and could pass for stock, if stock didn't suck.
My goal for this car is sort of a "WS6 on steroids" approach - improved cornering and handling performance in a package that doesn't significantly increase NVH and could pass for stock, if stock didn't suck.
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07-05-2017, 12:32 PM
#8
Thank you for time you spent to pass along your thoughts. It is truly appreciated.
I have bars in stock if that's the next move.
And the bars were developed hand in hand with those springs so I'm sure you'd like the total result.
As for results being similar with other things that look to be the same.. Maybe, maybe not. Some springs are better quality than others, just like some springs sag over time, and some don't. Some tires are better than others, even though you might compare two tires that are both 275/40-17 and listed as living under the same performance category.
I fight this over and over, but it pains when people say that, while as the same time knowing other knockoffs aren't up the specs of originals. But the myth that they are the same is perpetuated and it's simply not true. I cannot stop someone from magically changing their springs to mimic mine, it does not make them the same.
I have bars in stock if that's the next move.
And the bars were developed hand in hand with those springs so I'm sure you'd like the total result.As for results being similar with other things that look to be the same.. Maybe, maybe not. Some springs are better quality than others, just like some springs sag over time, and some don't. Some tires are better than others, even though you might compare two tires that are both 275/40-17 and listed as living under the same performance category.
I fight this over and over, but it pains when people say that, while as the same time knowing other knockoffs aren't up the specs of originals. But the myth that they are the same is perpetuated and it's simply not true. I cannot stop someone from magically changing their springs to mimic mine, it does not make them the same.
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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!
07-05-2017, 01:32 PM
#9
Thank you for time you spent to pass along your thoughts. It is truly appreciated.
I have bars in stock if that's the next move. And the bars were developed hand in hand with those springs so I'm sure you'd like the total result.
As for results being similar with other things that look to be the same.. Maybe, maybe not. Some springs are better quality than others, just like some springs sag over time, and some don't. Some tires are better than others, even though you might compare two tires that are both 275/40-17 and listed as living under the same performance category.
I fight this over and over, but it pains when people say that, while as the same time knowing other knockoffs aren't up the specs of originals. But the myth that they are the same is perpetuated and it's simply not true. I cannot stop someone from magically changing their springs to mimic mine, it does not make them the same.
I have bars in stock if that's the next move.
And the bars were developed hand in hand with those springs so I'm sure you'd like the total result.As for results being similar with other things that look to be the same.. Maybe, maybe not. Some springs are better quality than others, just like some springs sag over time, and some don't. Some tires are better than others, even though you might compare two tires that are both 275/40-17 and listed as living under the same performance category.
I fight this over and over, but it pains when people say that, while as the same time knowing other knockoffs aren't up the specs of originals. But the myth that they are the same is perpetuated and it's simply not true. I cannot stop someone from magically changing their springs to mimic mine, it does not make them the same.
Bars are definitely part of the overall plan, as I do want more roll stiffness and flatter cornering than I'm getting currently.
As far as tires, I've been running the 1st generation Nitto 555 for a while on a different car, and been happy with them.
Regarding the competitor's springs, I'm only speculating about how similar they may or may not be, based solely off the published rates. I don't run them and never have, although I did briefly drive a friend's car with them. I can't give a fair comparison, as they were paired with $25 non-adjustable KYBs, and the car was bouncy. I can only definitively say that I like the springs I bought.
At the end of the day, I've got a car that is infinitely more fun to drive, with the parts I selected. Hopefully the review helps out the next guy that goes looking for info on this setup - as I said before, there just wasn't much depth to the little feedback I found on here, despite these shocks being on the market for a couple years.
07-10-2017, 08:39 AM
#10
Awesome to hear! I looked for a while at different set ups and constantly came back to the str.t and stano's. The parts are just sitting at the moment while I source some rear's and finish my engine build/gen1 conversion from the LT1. Can't wait to hopefully get it on the road next month!!
10-08-2017, 08:43 AM
#13
Opting not to do subframes. I have a set of UMI boxed ones that I bought 5 years ago and never used.
I'll give updated feedback after I go drive it with the bars today.
10-08-2017, 05:28 PM
#14
Took the car out for some evaluation on the local back roads, and the difference with the bars added is incredible. At low speed, turn-in is much quicker and flatter. Long sweepers at speed are flat and composed, with virtually no body roll. Brake dive is greatly reduced, allowing the car to get through sharp turns without either end washing out. Under throttle, it goes whwre you point it, with little complaint from the tires.
I drove a bit conservative due to the 245/50/16s that are on it, but got it into tire squeal a few times to see where the approximate limit is. Once I get it back on some stickier 275s, it's really going to be a blast.
As far as ride, the additional wheel rate made it a bit harsher on broken pavement, but it actually rides better despite this. You feel every crack in the road, but it doesn't beat you up. In a word, connected. I initially liked it with just the STR.Ts and Sam's springs, with the only real complaint being the lazy steering response. The addition of the 35/22 combo makes the shock/spring combo alone feel like garbage by comparison.
Overall, I have it pretty close to what I hoped it would be, although I really need to get it back on 275s and get an alignment to round out this exercise. Despite the budget Konis, it's a good combo. I think most people would find it to be a worthwhile improvement, but definitely recommend doing the sway bars, as they really bring everything together. Hats off to Sam and UMI for making this old pig drive like it should've off the lot.
I drove a bit conservative due to the 245/50/16s that are on it, but got it into tire squeal a few times to see where the approximate limit is. Once I get it back on some stickier 275s, it's really going to be a blast.
As far as ride, the additional wheel rate made it a bit harsher on broken pavement, but it actually rides better despite this. You feel every crack in the road, but it doesn't beat you up. In a word, connected. I initially liked it with just the STR.Ts and Sam's springs, with the only real complaint being the lazy steering response. The addition of the 35/22 combo makes the shock/spring combo alone feel like garbage by comparison.
Overall, I have it pretty close to what I hoped it would be, although I really need to get it back on 275s and get an alignment to round out this exercise. Despite the budget Konis, it's a good combo. I think most people would find it to be a worthwhile improvement, but definitely recommend doing the sway bars, as they really bring everything together. Hats off to Sam and UMI for making this old pig drive like it should've off the lot.
08-15-2021, 10:01 AM
#15
Bottom out I bought the str.t and Strano spring combo as well. It was my second or third purchase from Sam and he is always super helpful and knowledgeable obviously. For this purchase though I just placed the order and didn’t speak to Sam personally this time. The is a huge improvement in cornering and the rear feels so much more stable cornering over bumps. My only issue is that it bottoms out pretty hard in 2 spots on my way to work and 1 other that’s a bit softer. The other side of the road on the way home isn’t as bad but it still bottoms out in a couple spots but if traffic allows I can avoid most of them. I plan to replace my bump stops to help soften it up some, but I don’t yet know what I want to do about it overall. I’ve wondered if I should just go to a different shock which is disappointing because most people seems to like this shock but it hits hard enough that I have to readjust my rear view mirror every day lol. Everything else is stock but in good shape, except my bump stops of course. What do you guys suggest I do?
08-15-2021, 02:41 PM
#16
Launching!
I've had Strano's for a bit now, no bottoming out, but I have the koni adjustable shocks. I've not heard of people having problems like you're describing. I'd probably start out w/ new bumps, they're relatively cheap, and make double sure that all the rest of your suspension is in good shape.
08-17-2021, 11:33 AM
#17
I bought the str.t and Strano spring combo as well. It was my second or third purchase from Sam and he is always super helpful and knowledgeable obviously. For this purchase though I just placed the order and didn’t speak to Sam personally this time. The is a huge improvement in cornering and the rear feels so much more stable cornering over bumps. My only issue is that it bottoms out pretty hard in 2 spots on my way to work and 1 other that’s a bit softer. The other side of the road on the way home isn’t as bad but it still bottoms out in a couple spots but if traffic allows I can avoid most of them. I plan to replace my bump stops to help soften it up some, but I don’t yet know what I want to do about it overall. I’ve wondered if I should just go to a different shock which is disappointing because most people seems to like this shock but it hits hard enough that I have to readjust my rear view mirror every day lol. Everything else is stock but in good shape, except my bump stops of course. What do you guys suggest I do?
08-22-2021, 06:48 PM
#19
TECH Regular
Beautiful car man! I love the stance on my Strano/Koni setup but man my right rear bangs hard on bumps! I forgot how bad it was since I hadn’t driven my car this year until I got in my MWC rear a month ago. Still doing heat cycles on gears, but I have to give Sam a call to see if there are any options. I’ve already changed bump stops and even did heater hose mod last year.