For review : Koni STR.T absorbers, combined with neuspeed sport coils (one coil cut up front.)
Old stuff for benchmark: Bilstein TC absorbers with stock springs (rear springs sagged)
I am comparing to the Tc's which are a bit stiffer than stock.
TIRES: 185/70/R13 (balloons)
Conclusion: The Koni's are awesome, especially for the price. If you can pick up your coils used like I did for $50, you can spend less than racelands, and have a good performing static drop.
Sorry no install pics, they are on my buddy's camera and he has yet to email them. They were crap pictures anyway. Hope this review helps guys.
Keep dubbin.
Old stuff for benchmark: Bilstein TC absorbers with stock springs (rear springs sagged)
I am comparing to the Tc's which are a bit stiffer than stock.
TIRES: 185/70/R13 (balloons)
REVIEW
KONI's w/ neuspeeds:
Lowered 2-2.5" total
Bound feels a lot stiffer than the TC's, by 20-25% estimate. Rebound seems about equal to bound, they jump back quick and the car doesn't float or feel malibu at all.
Semi Rough road (washington standards) gets chewed up and spit out, like any mk1 you can still feel the road very well, but my immediate impression is that they actually handle the semi-rough roads a bit better than the TCs did Probably due to the bad springs.
I imagine the road might feel pretty crap if I did not have balloon tires on the car, they are in a sense the first part of a suspension feel, so keep in mind they might be bone rattlers on low profiles.
Smooth road: who could ask for more? it feels like the car is on rails, all it needs is a front lower stress bar (already have a 28?mm rear sway)
Potholes and super rough road: as can be expected with a lowered car the car hates it, the travel is short and can't seem to handle large bumps at a decent speed. I have not bottomed the car. My bump stops are about 1/4 of the original height and I have not hit them while rallying around on the roads.
Corner dive isn't so bad while cornering hard, in fact it is a vast improvement over the TC's. I regularly take a 90 degree turn at the posted speed limit without tapping my brakes, with the new suspension I have to relearn how to enter the corner, the suspension used to bounce/roll and cause front end slide a bit, today after an alignment I took the corner once and it felt like it was glued to the ground. (before the alignment it had slight under steer slide.)
Note: I can fit a pack of regular length cigs under the oil pan without touching it... I'd estimate it is between 4" and 4.5" off the ground.
KONI's w/ neuspeeds:
Lowered 2-2.5" total
Bound feels a lot stiffer than the TC's, by 20-25% estimate. Rebound seems about equal to bound, they jump back quick and the car doesn't float or feel malibu at all.
Semi Rough road (washington standards) gets chewed up and spit out, like any mk1 you can still feel the road very well, but my immediate impression is that they actually handle the semi-rough roads a bit better than the TCs did Probably due to the bad springs.
I imagine the road might feel pretty crap if I did not have balloon tires on the car, they are in a sense the first part of a suspension feel, so keep in mind they might be bone rattlers on low profiles.
Smooth road: who could ask for more? it feels like the car is on rails, all it needs is a front lower stress bar (already have a 28?mm rear sway)
Potholes and super rough road: as can be expected with a lowered car the car hates it, the travel is short and can't seem to handle large bumps at a decent speed. I have not bottomed the car. My bump stops are about 1/4 of the original height and I have not hit them while rallying around on the roads.
Corner dive isn't so bad while cornering hard, in fact it is a vast improvement over the TC's. I regularly take a 90 degree turn at the posted speed limit without tapping my brakes, with the new suspension I have to relearn how to enter the corner, the suspension used to bounce/roll and cause front end slide a bit, today after an alignment I took the corner once and it felt like it was glued to the ground. (before the alignment it had slight under steer slide.)
Note: I can fit a pack of regular length cigs under the oil pan without touching it... I'd estimate it is between 4" and 4.5" off the ground.
Conclusion: The Koni's are awesome, especially for the price. If you can pick up your coils used like I did for $50, you can spend less than racelands, and have a good performing static drop.
Sorry no install pics, they are on my buddy's camera and he has yet to email them. They were crap pictures anyway. Hope this review helps guys.
Keep dubbin.
