Unexpected poor handling with Konis

7877 Views 30 Replies 7 Participants Last post by AlanBDahl, May 9, 2015

AlanBDahl

Discussion Starter · Apr 14, 2015

I ran my first event of the season yesterday with my newly-installed Konis and the results were poor. I'm now trying to figure out what to do next.

Setup: 2014 ST with Dirizza ZII 225/45-16 on OZ wheels. Porterfield R4S brake pads. Koni yellows front and rear.

1st run: Shocks full stiff rear, 1/2 turn from soft front. 38 psi front/42 rear.

Car was all over the place, I could not keep the rear end planted. All I can do to make it through the course with just one cone. 3 seconds behind Des in his ST.

2nd run: Shocks the same, pressures 38/38.

Much better to begin with but still eager to rotate. Entered a fast three-cone slalom with a short braking area into a right-hander. Car snap spun on me and sent me off course into the grass and a side taxiway. Day over per our 4-wheels-off rule with a DSQ on the score sheet.

From my perspective the common wisdom of Koni shock settings is way off. I'm thinking the middle setting rear and half-way to 3/4 front. Am I right and everyone else is wrong or did we goof up our install some way?

Des does have a Cobb front bar but that doesn't explain the 4 second difference between us. I road with Des and his car had very good turn-in but tended to loose grip in hard sweepers. My goal is the best of both worlds, high grip with good turn-in. I think it's doable, it's just figuring out how...

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Smokin

· #10 · Apr 14, 2015

AlanBDahl said:
You said you had the rears set 1/8 turn off full stiff rear. The normal Konis are click-to-turn with three settings so they can't be adjusted in the way you describe, they are either soft, medium or hard. Which of these did you use?

You agree with me that the Porterfields just don't work, correct? My previous experiences (admittedly 10 years ago) with the HPS were not good and I dumped them for Carbotechs in a couple of months because of so-so performance and massive brake dust. At this point I know the Ford pads work so I think I'll just go back.

That's not right.

The Koni Yellow rear dampers are 2 turns soft to hard. There is no click stop. They ARE a bugger to set though, I almost gave myself a hernia.

Clamp the rod in a vise, push in ALL the way (very hard to do) and keep it there.
Rotate body left until you feel an indent and twist until the rod twists or stops the rotation.
That's full soft.
Stop and mark that point on the rod and body with a sharpie.

Push in again (very hard to do) and hold it there while rotating the body right and count turns (2 times around until it stops or the rod twists).
That's full stiff.
From there I back it off 1/4 turn and let it extend.
If you let off the pressure at any time while rotating you have lost the indent and have to start all over.

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