Koni people! What settings are you using? - Focaljet

**Dwainedibbly** · 02-19-2001, 07:26 PM

Subject says it all. If you have the Koni adjustables, what settings are you using, front & rear? How is the handling? And which springs & swaybars are you using?

Thanks!

Brian
'01 ZX3, Eibach springs/swaybars in garage, Koni's on order.

**3DWhiteLX** · 02-20-2001, 03:22 PM

H&R coil springs.
Eibach Sway bar kit.
FocusSport Stress Bar.
Koni Shocks

Front and Rear at the firmest state for now

I will tell you my impressions when we will have a better temperature here in Montréal.

------------------
2000 3Door Cloud-9 LX
mods : FocusSport + Ford Racing Inside.

Proud member of the "FU*%?NG Noisy Tranny Club"

**Dwainedibbly** · 02-22-2001, 05:30 PM

Thanks for the reply!

(a nicer way of saying "bump")

**Popkorn** · 02-23-2001, 12:30 AM

Yeah I would like to know how the firmest setting feels. I'm using the Ground-Controls right now, and having my KONI's installed tommorow. I'm going to try the firmest setting, and see how it goes. BTW, I'm dropping ground-controls to the lowest setting after I install the shocks.

------------------
Proud member of DSCR, and Focus-IT (The Focus In Toronto Club)
www.dscr.net

**3DWhiteLX** · 02-23-2001, 07:07 AM

**** !

This will be a real "pain for the neck" car

------------------
2000 3Door Cloud-9 LX
mods : FocusSport + Ford Racing Inside.

Proud member of the "FU*%?NG Noisy Tranny Club"

**kkm** · 02-23-2001, 09:32 AM

One drive around the test loop quickly convinced me that full stiff was not going to work for me. It actually hurt your kidneys to go over compression dips! Now set full soft.

------------------
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Warren
<LI> www.kustomz.com
<LI> focus@kustomz.com [/list]

[This message has been edited by kkm (edited 02-23-2001).]

**vavenom** · 02-23-2001, 04:03 PM

even full soft is about 10% stiffer then stock.

------------------
01 silver ZX3, Intrax 3 inch drop springs, Koni shocks, Vibrant cat back with dual DTM tip, FS flex pipe, B&M shifter w/carbon fiber knob, clear corner lites, platinum window tint, eibach sway bars, poly bushings, FS 8mm plugwires, Esslinger intake cam, cam gears and UDP
on the way: Esslinger CAI, RS rear spoiler

When in doubt, gas it!

**Dwainedibbly** · 02-23-2001, 05:17 PM

Sounds like full soft will be a good place to start. The rears have to be removed to change settings, right?

**kkm** · 02-24-2001, 10:12 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Dwainedibbly:
The rears have to be removed to change settings, right?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Correct, the adjustment, or swap out time for the rears is about 20-30 minutes with basic hand tools.

------------------
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Warren
<LI> www.kustomz.com
<LI> focus@kustomz.com [/list]

**focusownerskid** · 02-24-2001, 02:25 PM

Wait....Are you saying that the rears have to be phiscally removed to change the settings.....Or do you mean you have jack up the car and twist a nut or something....

If you have to take out the rears to change them,sounds like we'll be leavin ours on full soft (when we get them and can afford them) unless we go to an autocross or road race...

drew
fok

------------------
FocaljetTEAM:NorCal/CD Silver ZX3/5 Speed/KKM Intake/Esslinger Underdrive Pulley/Ground-Control Coilovers/Focal Center Caps/50% Tint,14% Mirror/Euro Grilles/Custom Exhaust/B&M Shifter
Best ET-15.97@88 MPH
'98 SVT Contour,Fully Loaded
It's not mine,it's Y2K's
Catch Me On AIM - focusownerskid
Focaljet Stands Alone!!!!!

**focusfanatic** · 02-24-2001, 10:21 PM

Anyone tried them on full soft rear and full stiff front? Can you get some nice oversteer with those settings? I wanna get these real bad...

**CTB** · 02-24-2001, 11:50 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by focusfanatic:
Anyone tried them on full soft rear and full stiff front? Can you get some nice oversteer with those settings?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Focusfantastic,
You have that backwards. You stiffen the rear and soften the front to get oversteer.

------------------
******

CTB

**P-51** · 02-25-2001, 08:50 AM

Hey, mah man Chris! Good to see you. Guys, let me introduce CTB: he was around in the days of the old CF. He's gonna be a third guy here (teamDFL and myself) who really know their stuff when it comes to suspension.

Guys, you can tune the shocks for oversteer/understeer, but only while in a transition.

I believe the Konis are adjustable only in rebound damping, that is the damping rate to extend the shock is adjustable, but the damping rate to compress the shock is not adjustable.

So, if you tune rebound damping for oversteer/understeer, it will only come into play when you are changing direction. As the car is phyically rolling.

If you are going around a huge circle, shock tuning will not effect the oversteer/understeer characteristics of the car.

It will only affect it, when you turn in to a corner, and when you turn out of a corner. When the body is actually moving.

Rebound damping will have a much larger effect on over/understeer while exiting a corner than it will while entering a corner.

**CTB** · 02-25-2001, 10:31 AM

Rob,
Good points to make. Dampers are used to tune transitions, generally not steady state. Your bars and springs will dominate the steady-state characteristics, and then you can use the dampers to speed up or slow down how fast the car will move toward its natural limit behavior.

Rebound damping will also have an effect on corner entry - it changes how quickly a wheel is unloaded (namely the inside wheels). If you pack on a lot of rebound damping, then the inside wheels will unload quicker than if you leave them soggy on rebound. And then, as you said, the rebound damping will affect how quickly the outside tires unload on corner exit.

Thing get fuzzier when you introduce independent control of compression and rebound - since I've never had the money for dampers with that much adjustment, I've never gotten experience with playing with compression on its own. Point of note: Tokico Illuminas change BOTH rebound and compression when you change the setting. However, Konis are rebound-only until you buck up for the high dollar double-adjustables (and triple-adjustables).

------------------
******

CTB

**Popkorn** · 02-27-2001, 08:57 AM

I have a question, I've heard that the KONI yellows should be set to full soft, when you first use it, to allow it to break in for about 300 Miles or so. Is that true? If so, isn't it a pain in the ass since our rears aren't externally adjustable?

------------------
Proud member of DSCR, and Focus-IT (The Focus In Toronto Club)
www.dscr.net

**S. on Da 5** · 09-21-2001, 03:30 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Popkorn:
I have a question, I've heard that the KONI yellows should be set to full soft, when you first use it, to allow it to break in for about 300 Miles or so. Is that true? If so, isn't it a pain in the ass since our rears aren't externally adjustable?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You heard?

I don't think what you heard is true. The pressure is internal. I don't think there is a break in period.

I have my Koni's set to full on the rear and about 120 degrees from the firmest position on the struts.

I really like how if rides. I love to feel the road.

[This message has been edited by S. on Da 5 (edited 09-26-2001).]

**riceman** · 09-26-2001, 02:06 PM

I have mine set to full soft. It really is the best way to go for daily driving.

S. on Da 5, if you really want to feel the road, put on polyurethane bushings.

Although, I haven't been keeping up with your mods lately, so I'm not too sure if you already have them on or not.

------------------
-Riceman

'00 ZX3: FS CAI, FS Wires, Kent Cams Adj. Cam Gears, AFX UDP, Superchip, Borla Exhaust, Eibach Pro-Kit, Eibach Anti-Sway Bars, Energy Suspension Master Kit, Koni Yellows, OZ Superlegerras w/ Pirelli PZero Assymetricos, B&M Shift Kit, and MOMO Pedals.

**S. on Da 5** · 09-26-2001, 02:20 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by riceman:

S. on Da 5, if you really want to feel the road, put on polyurethane bushings.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've got em!!

Going to be going out for a ride in a few!

**Rocko** · 09-27-2001, 09:33 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by focusfanatic:
Anyone tried them on full soft rear and full stiff front? Can you get some nice oversteer with those settings? I wanna get these real bad...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually This will get you crazy understeer. You'll be pushing through everything.

I have Eibac Sway Bars (F/R) and Eibac Pro kit springs with my Konis... For daily driving I stick with full soft all around to because that is what I have read is recomended. But this gets me a buch of oversteer (I was way loose all over the place when I tried it that way at an autocross) so becuse you have to take the rears off to adjust them I leave them on soft and crank up the fronts to get rid of the oversteer when I am Autocrossing/at Track time... But next summer I am going to start playing with the rear settings to see if I can quicken my times up...

Rocko
www.conecrusher.org

**P-51** · 09-27-2001, 10:09 AM

Hmmm... that's weird.

I have Konis, with Eibach springs, and the rear Eibach bar (stock front).

I have half stiff on the rear, and full soft up front.

I get crazy *understeer*!

What did you do with the bumpstops?

I don't know how our setups could be so different...

**TRUenemy00** · 09-27-2001, 10:26 PM

I have the sportlines which arereally soft and koni's set to full soft...ride is really nice, wouldn't know is lowered

i set the front to full firm for drag racing

------------------
01' Yellow ZX3

02-19-2001, 07:26 PM	#1
Dwainedibbly TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 277	Koni people! What settings are you using? Subject says it all. If you have the Koni adjustables, what settings are you using, front & rear? How is the handling? And which springs & swaybars are you using? Thanks! Brian '01 ZX3, Eibach springs/swaybars in garage, Koni's on order.

02-20-2001, 03:22 PM	#2
3DWhiteLX TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada Posts: 494	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? H&R coil springs. Eibach Sway bar kit. FocusSport Stress Bar. Koni Shocks Front and Rear at the firmest state for now I will tell you my impressions when we will have a better temperature here in Montréal. ------------------ 2000 3Door Cloud-9 LX mods : FocusSport + Ford Racing Inside. Proud member of the "FU*%?NG Noisy Tranny Club"

02-22-2001, 05:30 PM	#3
Dwainedibbly TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 277	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Thanks for the reply! (a nicer way of saying "bump")

02-23-2001, 12:30 AM	#4
Popkorn TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 474	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Yeah I would like to know how the firmest setting feels. I'm using the Ground-Controls right now, and having my KONI's installed tommorow. I'm going to try the firmest setting, and see how it goes. BTW, I'm dropping ground-controls to the lowest setting after I install the shocks. ------------------ Proud member of DSCR, and Focus-IT (The Focus In Toronto Club) www.dscr.net

02-23-2001, 07:07 AM	#5
3DWhiteLX TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada Posts: 494	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? **** ! This will be a real "pain for the neck" car ------------------ 2000 3Door Cloud-9 LX mods : FocusSport + Ford Racing Inside. Proud member of the "FU*%?NG Noisy Tranny Club"

02-23-2001, 09:32 AM	#6
kkm TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: kc,mo. usa Posts: 291	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? One drive around the test loop quickly convinced me that full stiff was not going to work for me. It actually hurt your kidneys to go over compression dips! Now set full soft. ------------------ <UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI>*Warren* <LI> www.kustomz.com <LI> focus@kustomz.com [/list] [This message has been edited by kkm (edited 02-23-2001).]

02-23-2001, 04:03 PM	#7
vavenom TEAM Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: va beach Posts: 673	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? even full soft is about 10% stiffer then stock. ------------------ 01 silver ZX3, Intrax 3 inch drop springs, Koni shocks, Vibrant cat back with dual DTM tip, FS flex pipe, B&M shifter w/carbon fiber knob, clear corner lites, platinum window tint, eibach sway bars, poly bushings, FS 8mm plugwires, Esslinger intake cam, cam gears and UDP on the way: Esslinger CAI, RS rear spoiler When in doubt, gas it!

02-23-2001, 05:17 PM	#8
Dwainedibbly TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 277	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Sounds like full soft will be a good place to start. The rears have to be removed to change settings, right?

02-24-2001, 10:12 AM	#9
kkm TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: kc,mo. usa Posts: 291	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dwainedibbly: The rears have to be removed to change settings, right?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Correct, the adjustment, or swap out time for the rears is about 20-30 minutes with basic hand tools. ------------------ <UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI>*Warren* <LI> www.kustomz.com <LI> focus@kustomz.com [/list]

02-24-2001, 02:25 PM	#10
focusownerskid Administrator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Monroe, MI Posts: 15,407	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Wait....Are you saying that the rears have to be phiscally removed to change the settings.....Or do you mean you have jack up the car and twist a nut or something.... If you have to take out the rears to change them,sounds like we'll be leavin ours on full soft (when we get them and can afford them) unless we go to an autocross or road race... drew fok ------------------ FocaljetTEAM:NorCal/CD Silver ZX3/5 Speed/KKM Intake/Esslinger Underdrive Pulley/Ground-Control Coilovers/Focal Center Caps/50% Tint,14% Mirror/Euro Grilles/Custom Exhaust/B&M Shifter Best ET-15.97@88 MPH '98 SVT Contour,Fully Loaded It's not mine,it's Y2K's Catch Me On AIM - focusownerskid Focaljet Stands Alone!!!!!

02-24-2001, 10:21 PM	#11
focusfanatic TEAM Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 606	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Anyone tried them on full soft rear and full stiff front? Can you get some nice oversteer with those settings? I wanna get these real bad...

02-24-2001, 11:50 PM	#12
CTB TEAM Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 585	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by focusfanatic: Anyone tried them on full soft rear and full stiff front? Can you get some nice oversteer with those settings?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Focusfantastic, You have that backwards. You stiffen the rear and soften the front to get oversteer. ------------------ ****** CTB

02-25-2001, 08:50 AM	#13
P-51 [FJ] Addict Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Brighton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 14,940	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Hey, mah man Chris! Good to see you. Guys, let me introduce CTB: he was around in the days of the old CF. He's gonna be a third guy here (teamDFL and myself) who really know their stuff when it comes to suspension. Guys, you can tune the shocks for oversteer/understeer, but only while in a transition. I believe the Konis are adjustable only in rebound damping, that is the damping rate to extend the shock is adjustable, but the damping rate to compress the shock is not adjustable. So, if you tune rebound damping for oversteer/understeer, it will only come into play when you are changing direction. As the car is phyically rolling. If you are going around a huge circle, shock tuning will not effect the oversteer/understeer characteristics of the car. It will only affect it, when you turn in to a corner, and when you turn out of a corner. When the body is actually moving. Rebound damping will have a much larger effect on over/understeer while exiting a corner than it will while entering a corner.

02-25-2001, 10:31 AM	#14
CTB TEAM Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 585	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Rob, Good points to make. Dampers are used to tune transitions, generally not steady state. Your bars and springs will dominate the steady-state characteristics, and then you can use the dampers to speed up or slow down how fast the car will move toward its natural limit behavior. Rebound damping will also have an effect on corner entry - it changes how quickly a wheel is unloaded (namely the inside wheels). If you pack on a lot of rebound damping, then the inside wheels will unload quicker than if you leave them soggy on rebound. And then, as you said, the rebound damping will affect how quickly the outside tires unload on corner exit. Thing get fuzzier when you introduce independent control of compression and rebound - since I've never had the money for dampers with that much adjustment, I've never gotten experience with playing with compression on its own. Point of note: Tokico Illuminas change BOTH rebound and compression when you change the setting. However, Konis are rebound-only until you buck up for the high dollar double-adjustables (and triple-adjustables). ------------------ ****** CTB

02-27-2001, 08:57 AM	#15
Popkorn TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 474	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? I have a question, I've heard that the KONI yellows should be set to full soft, when you first use it, to allow it to break in for about 300 Miles or so. Is that true? If so, isn't it a pain in the ass since our rears aren't externally adjustable? ------------------ Proud member of DSCR, and Focus-IT (The Focus In Toronto Club) www.dscr.net

09-21-2001, 03:30 PM	#16
S. on Da 5 Moderator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: S. Cali., USA Posts: 12,316	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Popkorn: I have a question, I've heard that the KONI yellows should be set to full soft, when you first use it, to allow it to break in for about 300 Miles or so. Is that true? If so, isn't it a pain in the ass since our rears aren't externally adjustable? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> You heard? I don't think what you heard is true. The pressure is internal. I don't think there is a break in period. I have my Koni's set to full on the rear and about 120 degrees from the firmest position on the struts. I really like how if rides. I love to feel the road. [This message has been edited by S. on Da 5 (edited 09-26-2001).]

09-26-2001, 02:06 PM	#17
riceman TEAM Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Alpharetta, GA Posts: 248	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? I have mine set to full soft. It really is the best way to go for daily driving. S. on Da 5, if you really want to feel the road, put on polyurethane bushings. Although, I haven't been keeping up with your mods lately, so I'm not too sure if you already have them on or not. ------------------ -Riceman '00 ZX3: FS CAI, FS Wires, Kent Cams Adj. Cam Gears, AFX UDP, Superchip, Borla Exhaust, Eibach Pro-Kit, Eibach Anti-Sway Bars, Energy Suspension Master Kit, Koni Yellows, OZ Superlegerras w/ Pirelli PZero Assymetricos, B&M Shift Kit, and MOMO Pedals.

09-26-2001, 02:20 PM	#18
S. on Da 5 Moderator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: S. Cali., USA Posts: 12,316	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by riceman: S. on Da 5, if you really want to feel the road, put on polyurethane bushings. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I've got em!! Going to be going out for a ride in a few!

09-27-2001, 09:33 AM	#19
Rocko Rookie Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Norwalk, CT Posts: 41	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by focusfanatic: Anyone tried them on full soft rear and full stiff front? Can you get some nice oversteer with those settings? I wanna get these real bad...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Actually This will get you crazy understeer. You'll be pushing through everything. I have Eibac Sway Bars (F/R) and Eibac Pro kit springs with my Konis... For daily driving I stick with full soft all around to because that is what I have read is recomended. But this gets me a buch of oversteer (I was way loose all over the place when I tried it that way at an autocross) so becuse you have to take the rears off to adjust them I leave them on soft and crank up the fronts to get rid of the oversteer when I am Autocrossing/at Track time... But next summer I am going to start playing with the rear settings to see if I can quicken my times up... Rocko www.conecrusher.org

09-27-2001, 10:09 AM	#20
P-51 [FJ] Addict Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Brighton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 14,940	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? Hmmm... that's weird. I have Konis, with Eibach springs, and the rear Eibach bar (stock front). I have half stiff on the rear, and full soft up front. I get crazy understeer! What did you do with the bumpstops? I don't know how our setups could be so different...

09-27-2001, 10:26 PM	#21
TRUenemy00 [FJ] Specialist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 5,191	Re: Koni people! What settings are you using? I have the sportlines which arereally soft and koni's set to full soft...ride is really nice, wouldn't know is lowered i set the front to full firm for drag racing ------------------ 01' Yellow ZX3

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