From Koni to bilstein. I've seen the light. Thanks vorshlag!

[csamsh]

European monotube. That's all you need to know. That and you'll break your konis.

 

[jmauld]

Not sure why the "European" is significant. KONIs are European, and they are nothing more than polished turds.

 

[csamsh]

Because "Chinese monotube" sends me running away

 

[jmauld]

Because "Chinese monotube" sends me running away

That's true.

 

[white86hatch]

Because "Chinese monotube" sends me running away

Sounds like kinky fetish video waiting to happen.

 

[kcbrown]

European monotube. That's all you need to know. That and you'll break your konis.

He won't get a chance to break his Konis. They'll break during installation!

 

[5.0 Probie]

Hell, the STOCK suspension does that when you really push the car.

True... In our opinion though, stock you had a lot of body roll/movement. That is no longer the case with this setup and that forces the tires to have a far more active roll.

They fail.

Can we keep it on the road? Yes of course. But when you are in situations that require a little "English" to keep the car safe from the idiots on the road (Or go around crazy bicyclist in the mountains). I like to have traction and not a "Drifting" car causing unnecessary activity.

 

[Norm Peterson]

So stock type struts will bottom with stock springs? If not, why not (i.e., what's so special about stock springs that they keep the struts from bottoming)?

If they do, then that's a design flaw for sure, one that I'm happy that Bilstein has corrected.


Let me put it another way. The stock spring rate up front is 131 lb/in. If you lower the front by an inch, and you originally had 4 inches of compression travel, then that means that the new springs have to have a rate of 175 lb/in (131 * 4/3) in order to achieve exactly the same force at full compression. If the stock-type strut isn't bottoming with stock springs, then it won't bottom when lowered with springs of at least 175 lb/in. That assumes, of course, that the stock springs aren't getting into coil bind or something during compression.

And the more compression travel you started with before lowering, the less additional spring rate you'll need in order to get the same spring force at full compression once you've lowered the car.

Spring stiffness only "completely" governs bump travel caused by car loading and inertial responses (i.e. roll, pitch, heave). It does not completely control displacement-caused events (such as when a wheel hits a speed bump or a badly mismatched driveway entrance . . . or possibly a track curbing). Proper spring design means that both situations need to be addressed in some way.


Norm

 

[Lucky_13]

$900 seems like a lot, but there's not much other game in town. You can go with the Koni's and lose shock travel, or jump up to the entry-level name brand coils and gain damping/height adjustment for the extra $$.

 

[ArizonaGT]

Folks pushing beyond this level of spring rate (ie: BIG levels of grip) will still need to look at other options with more aggressive, adjustable valving like MCS.

 

[white86hatch]

$900 seems like a lot, but there's not much other game in town. You can go with the Koni's and lose shock travel, or jump up to the entry-level name brand coils and gain damping/height adjustment for the extra $$.

Until you've spent $2,100 between two sets of Koni's and the eventual bilstein set up I've got now.... If I had listened to the advice I was given from the start I could've spent that money elsewhere.

 

[Lucky_13]

Agreed, I'd like to think we've all made similar mistakes in our car enthusiast lives, sadly. I know I sure have

Until you've spent $2,100 between two sets of Koni's and the eventual bilstein set up I've got now.... If I had listened to the advice I was given from the start I could've spent that money elsewhere.

 

[sheizasosay]

Until you've spent $2,100 between two sets of Koni's and the eventual bilstein set up I've got now.... If I had listened to the advice I was given from the start I could've spent that money elsewhere.

Yeah I got money that says if you had that $2100 you wouldn't buy the koni's or the Bilsteins.

 

[white86hatch]

Yeah I got money that says if you had that $2100 you wouldn't buy the koni's or the Bilsteins.

If I had that $2,100 back I'd most definitely be putting it towards mcs tt1's.

 

[Norm Peterson]

We love ours. Well once we got our alignment where the car responded accurately we loved them =]

We have a tad to much hyper activity in bouncing as a DD. But loves corners and makes the Pirelli's act like the cheap ass tires that they are. We plan to get Michelin Pilot's as replacements...

This is very much the same review I'd give the Bilsteins that are now on my wife's LGT. Including the bouncing as you go over certain road contours, which my wife isn't too happy with.

But they do make that car a whole lot more composed if you're pushing it at all and I can see them easily being the top choice in non-adjustables.


Norm

 

[mike4.0]

Are there any other options out there for a shock/strut that has a shortened body other than the Bilsteins? something to allow for more of a drop than K springs? I love the look of our cars lowered, just wondering if there is a way of having my cake and eating it too so to speak

 

[csamsh]

Good coilovers

 

[white86hatch]

Got the brembos, vorshlag lines, and carbotech pads, and rbf 600 fluid on the car yesterday with the help of Csamsh. Can't wait to get these pads bedded in. Big thanks to Mark for the assistance. And the chance to fart in his driver seat! Lol

 

[Boaisy]

Is it hard to put the SS lines on? I want to replace mine, but was thinking I should let a shop do it.

 

[white86hatch]

Is it hard to put the SS lines on? I want to replace mine, but was thinking I should let a shop do it.

Not at all. The copper washers are a little annoying when trying to remove them from the banjo bolts before you swap to the new lines but overall it's not a hard job.