Suspension
Yes, the koni shocks have a knob that you turn to adjust the stiffness. The difference is definitely noticeable. I hesitate to say night and day, but lets just say that full soft is firm but friendly, and full stiff = very uncomfortable on city streets. If you plan on autocrossing or doing track days, the adjustability will come in handy for tuning the cornering attitude of the car. For instance, I would not use my autocross settings for normal driving because emergency maneuvers would become pretty hairy. I honestly think the difference between "full soft" (a.k.a. daily driver mode) and my autocross settings (25% firm in front, 100% firm in back) is enough to warrant a completely different driving approach.
Yes, the koni shocks have a knob that you turn to adjust the stiffness. The difference is definitely noticeable. I hesitate to say night and day, but lets just say that full soft is firm but friendly, and full stiff = very uncomfortable on city streets. If you plan on autocrossing or doing track days, the adjustability will come in handy for tuning the cornering attitude of the car. For instance, I would not use my autocross settings for normal driving because emergency maneuvers would become pretty hairy. I honestly think the difference between "full soft" (a.k.a. daily driver mode) and my autocross settings (25% firm in front, 100% firm in back) is enough to warrant a completely different driving approach.
$200 should get strut tower bar, front camber kit, rear washer trick for camber, and maybe some other odds and ends if you find deals
its at least a start, but yes more money would be better, suspension work is a slippery slope, there is always a weakest link and something to upgrade
well i have 1000 budget right now and trying to find out where i can get a;l; that... i want koni yellows with ground control coil overs if you guys say they are everything they are suppose to be. I alwaysheard they are horrible for boune.. i plan on 450F 550R for spring rate ( i might tell you i dont care about ride quality at all if it handles better and more responsive then i dont care how harsh it is. but i just can see all the rest for only 200.. i mean the skunk2 pro plus kits are 265 and the lesser ones are 206
well i have 1000 budget right now and trying to find out where i can get a;l; that... i want koni yellows with ground control coil overs if you guys say they are everything they are suppose to be. I alwaysheard they are horrible for boune.. i plan on 450F 550R for spring rate ( i might tell you i dont care about ride quality at all if it handles better and more responsive then i dont care how harsh it is. but i just can see all the rest for only 200.. i mean the skunk2 pro plus kits are 265 and the lesser ones are 206
:edit: to put that in a more constructive way: those rates would be fine for the track, but throw in potholes, pavement cracks, gravel, rain, etc. and you're looking at a marginally safe vehicle for transportation use. If you can keep all your driving shenanegans on the track/autox course, go for it, but if you plan to do "canyon runs" or whatever, an unexpected bump in the road could lead to a wadded civic. Those spring rates aren't insane, I have definitely seen higher, but I wouldn't go that high on a car that'll be used for transportation, personally.
Last edited by white_n_slow; Mar 6, 2008 at 06:24 PM.
I agree with white_n_slow. I'm running 350F, 450R with the GC/Yellow setup right now and it is pretty raw over bumpy roads, so I can't imagine bumping the rates up another 100 lbs. I also don't recommend OTS Koni Yellows for rates above 500 lb/in...you should really look into re-valved SPSS Koni's to provide proper damping for rates that high. You mentioned comfort, so you really have no business thinking about rates that high.
If you don't race, you don't have a need for custom rates and you should stick with off the shelf rates.
If you don't race, you don't have a need for custom rates and you should stick with off the shelf rates.


