Feedback on Koni yellow inserts please

[2StepsAhead]

I would think the only way would be if the perch for spring was higher or lower, I'm not sure of the physical differences on the gxp vs gt struts, just that some people noted the gxp sits a hair higher in the front. Possibly the perch could be a little higher up or maybe their stock struts were gone and allowing the suspension to sag a little?

[68rustang]

Normally the spring, or spring mounting location, controls ride height and the dampers dampen the motion of the spring. In theory anyway. Then you can add in stiction, worn bushings, etc...

[dandragonrage]

The spring perch can be located differently. It's how coilovers work... Koni shocks for the 4th-gen Camaro even have two different spring perches so you can lower the car by 10mm using the shock if you want to. Lovells has some struts for the G8 that will lower it by 10mm (IIRC) as well.

[todds87ss]

Just wanted to comment on a few things, are you sure the bc's are the ones reported to leak? I only read about the old pedders coilovers doing this and the bc's being the same design as the second generation pedders coilovers which don't have the same failure rate.

Also a few guys noted that putting gxp struts on a gt raises the front ride height a little.

As far as stiffer struts being a band aid to fight roll I don't know if I agree with that, I thought pedders specifically recommends struts and springs before sway bars. On every other car I've owned springs and struts came first and then sway bars, some road racers prefer stiff dampening and soft bars or medium dampening with stiff bars but it tends to lead towards snap oversteer. I think sway bars are just cheaper and easier to install than shocks and struts so more people tend to do them first.

You will get less roll with a higher rate spring. However your jounce/rebound rates just increased as well. Some racers require some roll for weight transfer without oversteer (so they would use less bar) but still need the bump response of higher rate springs. As to why someone would recommend struts/springs before sway bars...I can think of three reasons.
1. You are unhappy with the ride characteristics, and want a firmer ride. Go with a new damper setup first, then fine tune with bars.
2. You want to change the ride height. New springs and dampers. Don't worry about bars until you re-evaluate the ride.
3. You sell those components. Spring/damper packages are much more expensive than bars.

If you like the current ride characteristics, but just want more roll resistance, get sway bars first. After re-reading the OP post, I'm not saying that the OP should go this route. He wants to change how it dampens.

[WhatNext]

The GXP struts/shocks are gas charged so there is a little gas pressure from the frt struts lifting the front end. Oil in the strut/shock forced through orifices is what resists motion. A gas charge over the oil limits the amount of oil foaming when beating on the struts/shocks. Hissing when stroking the struts/shocks can come from just the oil going through the orifices and not indicative of gas.

The Koni-s really caught my eye. But since they will be over $700 for a set, I'm setting sights on the GXP struts/shocks for around $300.

The concept for setting up your suspension (if starting from scratch) is: 1st to get your springs to set the desired height and stiffness, 2nd get the dampening to control the springs, then 3rd add sway bars to tune the roll stiffness and the desired amount of under or over steer. If you changed your springs for whatever reason, you have to start from step 2. If you are OK with your current springs and dampers then jump to 3) sway bars. If you put staggered rims or fat tires on the rear, then the rear is going to stick more in turns and you will under steer (not going to get into slip angles and the such). To compensate you need more roll stiffness on the rear.

[locrzn#92]

My springs sagged, not the struts, Eibach had some issues with the early g8 springs on the rear, mine were right on there specs when we installed them. After about a 6 months or so they started to drop a bunch, probably another 1" which made the total drop close to about 2"s, not the 8 tenths they stated. I wasn't the only one on this board or the other that had this problem. I really don't want to ride height to change so I"m not changing the springs unless I do the bc's, thats why I want a strut that I can change for drag racing and street. You can change as you said the stiffness of the strut, that would help on the street, then when I'm going to the track I can soften it up a little to get it to plant the tires better. I do believe it was the BC's that leaked on the rear of one of our members. They had replaced at least one and I think he had another leak and they were in the process of replacing the other. Did you replace the top strut bushing also? If so, that will raise the car a little as the new bushing is taller and your old on was probably shot as most of the have been. I don't really plan on road racing or autocrossing very much, just want to try it sometime, I'm a straight liner.

[locrzn#92]

Forced thru the orfice, thats sounds dirty. LOL

[WhatNext]

Yeah, tech can get kinky

[WhatNext]

locrzn - thinking about what you are looking-for for your "straight liner", coilovers on the rear will give you height adjustment plus separate dampening adjustment. I believe you said you are looking for the rear to squat down when drag racing. A soft setting on the dampers will help that transition. But that setting will be too loose any other time so on-car dampening adjustment lets you drive to the drag track, set the the dampers loose, then after set them back to the desired road setting.
btw - I also read about the instances of BC coilovers leaking in the rears. Also you have to drill small holes in the trunk to get at the dampening adjusters. Pedders you don't.
I'm waiting to hear of Rustang's progress going the GXP strut/shock route as the Koni's are a bit pricey. But then, if I were road tracking the car adjustable Koni's would be the way to go (vs GXP struts/shocks)

[locrzn#92]

I think BC might be changing that so you can adjust without drilling the hole, side mount adjusting is what I had heard they might be doing so you can adjust like most others can. Thats exactly what I'm thinking as you stated.