Advice on Koni DA's, please...
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,072
Likes: 76
From: Casselberry FL
Advice on Koni DA's, please... I'm going to bite the bullet and install the Koni DA's which have been sitting on a shelf for a few years. They saw ~30K miles of street duty on my 95 T/A, and have been idle since 09/98.
This is what I've got on the car:
- Addco 1.25" front sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Addco 1" rear sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable panhard rod w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable boxed LCA's w/ urethane bushings
- stock springs with 70K miles
- stock shocks with 70K miles
The car is a daily driver, and I rarely visit the strip nor autox reguarly. I still have the stock bars/LCA's/Rod with their stock bushings.
What should I set the bump & rebound to on the shocks? I never tweaked them on the T/A since they were installed by an IMSA pit tech, but I'd like to know what's involved in tweaking the settings once installed. Can I access the dials without pulling off the wheels and/or shocks?
Would going back to the stock rear sway bar with stock bushings be better than the Addco unit I have now? I do plan on putting different springs on, but since the rear driver shock is making some noise, I figure I'll take care of it now.
TIA!
1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 - Navy Blue Metallic 6-speed
Best 60'/ET/MPH: 1.95/12.33/115.06, before LS6 intake.
SAE DynoJet: 402HP, 378TQ [366/344 before intake].
This is what I've got on the car:
- Addco 1.25" front sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Addco 1" rear sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable panhard rod w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable boxed LCA's w/ urethane bushings
- stock springs with 70K miles
- stock shocks with 70K miles
The car is a daily driver, and I rarely visit the strip nor autox reguarly. I still have the stock bars/LCA's/Rod with their stock bushings.
What should I set the bump & rebound to on the shocks? I never tweaked them on the T/A since they were installed by an IMSA pit tech, but I'd like to know what's involved in tweaking the settings once installed. Can I access the dials without pulling off the wheels and/or shocks?
Would going back to the stock rear sway bar with stock bushings be better than the Addco unit I have now? I do plan on putting different springs on, but since the rear driver shock is making some noise, I figure I'll take care of it now.
TIA!
1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 - Navy Blue Metallic 6-speed
Best 60'/ET/MPH: 1.95/12.33/115.06, before LS6 intake.
SAE DynoJet: 402HP, 378TQ [366/344 before intake].
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,072
Likes: 76
From: Casselberry FL
Advice on Koni DA's, please... [Cross-posting from the Handling forum, as I'm not sure which is applicable]
I'm going to bite the bullet and install the Koni DA's which have been sitting on a shelf for a few years. They saw ~30K miles of street duty on my 95 T/A, and have been idle since 09/98.
This is what I've got on the car:
- Addco 1.25" front sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Addco 1" rear sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable panhard rod w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable boxed LCA's w/ urethane bushings
- stock springs with 70K miles
- stock shocks with 70K miles
The car is a daily driver, and I rarely visit the strip nor autox regularly. I still have the stock bars/LCA's/Rod with their stock bushings.
What should I set the bump & rebound to on the shocks? I never tweaked them on the T/A since they were installed by an IMSA pit tech, but I'd like to know what's involved in tweaking the settings once installed. Can I access the dials without pulling off the wheels and/or shocks?
Would going back to the stock rear sway bar with stock bushings be better than the Addco unit I have now? Or maybe mix/match bar & bushings on the rear? I do plan on putting different springs on, but since the rear driver shock is making some noise, I figure I'll take care of it now.
TIA!
1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 - Navy Blue Metallic 6-speed
Best 60'/ET/MPH: 1.95/12.33/115.06, before LS6 intake.
SAE DynoJet: 402HP, 378TQ [366/344 before intake].
I'm going to bite the bullet and install the Koni DA's which have been sitting on a shelf for a few years. They saw ~30K miles of street duty on my 95 T/A, and have been idle since 09/98.
This is what I've got on the car:
- Addco 1.25" front sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Addco 1" rear sway bar w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable panhard rod w/ urethane bushings
- Hotchkis non-adjustable boxed LCA's w/ urethane bushings
- stock springs with 70K miles
- stock shocks with 70K miles
The car is a daily driver, and I rarely visit the strip nor autox regularly. I still have the stock bars/LCA's/Rod with their stock bushings.
What should I set the bump & rebound to on the shocks? I never tweaked them on the T/A since they were installed by an IMSA pit tech, but I'd like to know what's involved in tweaking the settings once installed. Can I access the dials without pulling off the wheels and/or shocks?
Would going back to the stock rear sway bar with stock bushings be better than the Addco unit I have now? Or maybe mix/match bar & bushings on the rear? I do plan on putting different springs on, but since the rear driver shock is making some noise, I figure I'll take care of it now.
TIA!
1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 - Navy Blue Metallic 6-speed
Best 60'/ET/MPH: 1.95/12.33/115.06, before LS6 intake.
SAE DynoJet: 402HP, 378TQ [366/344 before intake].
TECH Addict
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 1
From: LaConner WA
Re: Advice on Koni DA's, please... On the fronts I would start with about 4 clicks from soft. With 30,000 on them the adjusters might be frozen and you won't be able to adjust them without sending them in for a rebuild, but maybe not . On the rears I wouldn't know what to tell you since I run Bilstein H/D's . Start with the same as the fronts if you get no other better advice from anybody
Re: Advice on Koni DA's, please... I have Koni DA's on my 2002 Z-28, but I'm also running H&R springs. I am running 8 sweeps of rebound on the front shocks and 5 clicks of compression. On the rear I am running 1/2 turn of rebound and 4 clicks of compression. I am still running stock sway bars but heavier spring rates than you. I have BMR "race" (with heim joints) lower control arms with matching panhard rod on the rear as well. You can adjust compression on the rear by laying next to the car. The fronts can be done by pulling the wheels (you may get away with turning it against the lock, havent tried yet) and the rebound is a tight fit with a long allen key (or similar) between the front spring coils (I set mine so the rebound slot faced straight out towards the wheel)...it's tight in there. These settings feel pretty good so far, but I need to get track time to verify this setup (on race rubber). Hope this helps...good luck.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,072
Likes: 76
From: Casselberry FL
Re: Advice on Koni DA's, please... SFA the adjusters, they all appear to work. I was able to reset everything back to soft easily(not installed yet). The rear rebound adjust seemed to want to turn the shaft under the black plastic collar instead of changing what it was supposed to. I removed the collar and held the shaft, then was able to only turn the adjuster back to full soft.
Thoughts on the rear sway bar? Stock or 25mm solid? Stock or urethane bushings?
Racehead: 4 clicks from soft for bump...what about rebound?
Thoughts on the rear sway bar? Stock or 25mm solid? Stock or urethane bushings?
Racehead: 4 clicks from soft for bump...what about rebound?
Launching!
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Re: Advice on Koni DA's, please... Depends on the ride you want.
I have all the LG parts, so mine is stiffer than yours, but I only run 2 sweeps over 1 click up front, and between 1/4-1/2 turn over 1 click in the rear.
On a tight autox, I don't change anything. On an open one I stiffen up the rebound some on the front.
You have the big sway bars, almost to big. That's going to handle most of the sway, so just use the shocks to tune the ride. I wouldn't go over 4-5 sweeps/2-3 clicks and 1/2-3/4 turn over 2-3 clicks.
Compression is adjustable as well as rear rebound without jacking. Front rebound can be done with the wheel on while jacked up. I use a 5/16 allen wrench, I believe.
I have all the LG parts, so mine is stiffer than yours, but I only run 2 sweeps over 1 click up front, and between 1/4-1/2 turn over 1 click in the rear.
On a tight autox, I don't change anything. On an open one I stiffen up the rebound some on the front.
You have the big sway bars, almost to big. That's going to handle most of the sway, so just use the shocks to tune the ride. I wouldn't go over 4-5 sweeps/2-3 clicks and 1/2-3/4 turn over 2-3 clicks.
Compression is adjustable as well as rear rebound without jacking. Front rebound can be done with the wheel on while jacked up. I use a 5/16 allen wrench, I believe.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,072
Likes: 76
From: Casselberry FL
Re: Advice on Koni DA's, please... I think based upon what I've read that I'll put the stock rear bar back on, and I guess that means the stock bushings as well due to different bar diameter.
I guess I could just leave them all full soft, and tweak based upon what it feels like on the street.
I guess I could just leave them all full soft, and tweak based upon what it feels like on the street.
