Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Of course Koni has a lifetime warranty they are good about, if you need it. I have not needed that and just sold some 10 year old shocks that work just fine. Meanwhile I read lots and lots about QA1's springing leaks and such after 1000 street miles. The fact they don't have a bumpstop is problematic (and most likely why so many break).

Riding great is in the eye of the beholder. I certainly do not agree they are anything special for ride. Though compared to the not so right stockers with a lot of miles on them, they can look pretty good.

*IF* QA1's and KYB AGX's were the only two shocks on the fact of the planet. I'd be running AGX's. Thankfully that's not the case.

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

I tend to like a shock with more rebound also, I think these were QA1's R models which would be drag racer friendly. I did not know Kyb made a DA replacent type shock (I never checked though) but I would like more info on them.

Enforcerws6

iTrader: (1)

Sam what hours are you open to take calls. I dont have the ambition to drive accross town so I llikely wont be driving over there but I would like to know when I can reach you.

2001z

iTrader: (32)

I think most people on here are not as serious as you are about road racing most of us drag alot more than we do road racing and that is a totally diffrent setup. To get a car to launch right is gonna be hard to get it street friendly . well atleast to a point. To me my qa1s ride great and are not that hard to adjust before you hit the track and alot of my friends love the ride too that have had a mix of everything out there. Myself i like konis but i know some that think otherwise. But that is my opinion and you not likeing qa1s is yours .

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

And you are entitled to your opinion. I don't agree, and have stated the reasons why about 100,000 times it seems. If you like what you have, great. But you have stated nothing to back it up. "like" is an arbitrary idea that has much to do with the frame of reference that's all. I have probably driven more cars and more combinations than anyone else here. Yes, I like handling. I like cars that perform. And racing has nothing to do with it really. A car driving down the road is more like "road racing" than it is drag racing. And the car is dumb. It has no clue if the corner went around, or the bump you hit is on a race track or an I-95 off ramp.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I'm always quite swamped. 11-7 is when I'm open, but most of the time I can't even answer the phone because it rings so much. Yesterday I had 17 voice-mails at one point. Just call, leave a message....

2001z

iTrader: (32)

Yes but you cant set up a car for roadracing or street car and then expect it to work good at the drag strip. What i was getting at is that some people who drag race alot more than they do road racing wont see the little things that you do in ride quality! I for one dont have a problem with konis or your work . I have read and met many people who have konis and they can barely squeek 1.9 60s with them and are having a rough time trying to set them up to me that is not to great when a stock suspension can do that on street tires! But like i said im not bashing konis im just saying there not as perfect as you make them out to be and either is qa1s they have the faults too.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

What's your definition of "work good"? I think 1.6's and 1.7's is not at all bad for cars with lowered suspensions, real dampers, bigger bars.

While I agree that there is no perfect answer for drag and handling, it's much more feasible to launch a car that handles well than it is to get a great launching car to handle and drive well. If for no other reason than drag racing mimics NOTHING on the street. Drag strips aren't usually bumpy. Real-world driving requires turning more than getting onto the return road. Fact is the dynamics involved in handling, ride and stability are more similar between autoxing, road-courses and the street than the drag strip is with the street.

I'm also not saying anyone has to build a "road-race" car, no am I advocating it. Frankly too many folks lower their cars (based only on looks) who drag race all the time. Gee, they're willing to make that sacrifice (lowering and heavier springs aren't as good @ transferring weight)..............

And to close. Just because Bobby-Joe can't cut a 1.9 on Koni's doesn't mean he'd be able to on QA1's either. That point has been made time in and out. And if you turn the front Koni's way down, they have rebound similar to stock shocks and HD's. Yes, more than QA1's, and QA1's are DRAG shocks, that's what they do. There's a reason you see some fast old stuff on 30 year old stock shocks. I'm sure there's a local Nova or something on junk shocks, because they are trash, have no damping and transfer weight. That's what drag shocks do. That's NOT what street shocks do (or are supposed to). Koni MAKES drag shocks, and they are so different that there is a BIG disclaimer stating that they should not be used on the highway or personal injury can result. So who's wrong?

If you want a drag shock, fine. If you want the car to handle and work correctly, fine. But don't tell me that QA1's are in any way, shape or form even on the same level as Bilsteins, let alone Koni's.

2001z

iTrader: (32)

Thats your opinion and your wecome to it.

Beat98TJ

Those are the ugliest dyno curves I have seen in a while.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I concur....

Beat98TJ

For those who do not know what I am talking about, here is an example of a cleaner dyno curve for an adjustable shock (and yes the formatting is slightly different, but I already had this one made)

Please realize that the damping reflected here is not correct for an F-body.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The format is very different on those two examples, and most folks won't understand it.

The issues on the QA1's was that you were getting a lot of stiction on the bump side, along with huge changes and huge amouts of bump damping. And the rebound damping curve was a wacky combination of progressive and digressive, and what's worse is that as the damping increased (the orange line for instance) the rebound curve got even more messed up. Softer in the very low-speed range, stiffer up high.

You don't want or need equal amounts of bump vs. rebound, that just wrecks the ride and tire compliance. Bump is only there to control the unsprung weight, which is much less than the sprung weight of the car.

Those curves are a mess, Frank and I complete agree on that. As it shows, there is too much bump when you get any amount of rebound to damp the car correctly, and there is ALWAYS way too much stiction in the shocks on bump. I'll add that not being gas charged shocks makes them much more prone to shock fade with heat, which means those curves an hour down the road wouldn't be the same, especially the hotter the weather.