[KaizerG]

I'm looking at replacing the Spiders shocks to give it a better ride and handling on our not so smooth roads (also don't think they've been replaced in the last 3 years)...

Been reading up on past threads and it seems that Gas Shocks are the way to go.

Anyone have them fitted to their car?
What brand did you choose?
Was it worth the money and was the difference noticable?

I was checking out whats readily available and it seems Gabriel make a Gas shock...

 

[springbok]

What about Koni's?

 

[KaizerG]

What about Koni's?

Would love Koni's but I get the feeling they are out my price range

 

[GTVDAD]

I had Koni's on the GTV and would pay the extra few rand for them. The car just sits better on the road.

 

[KaizerG]

I had Koni's on the GTV and would pay the extra few rand for them. The car just sits better on the road.

Thanks Dirk... Did it improve the ride I.e. actually absorb the shock?

 

[Ian Lusso]

i have Koni's and eibach's on my Gtv. They are not easy to set up to your specific taste though and will require some experimentation. My previous Gtv rode the bumps much worse so the new setup is better but because my car is lowered the ride is still compromised. Much less suspension noises though. I'd have the Koni's over standard shocks every time. Some guys on the Gtv forum prefer gas shocks though.

 

[guiliasuper]

I had Koni's on the GTV and would pay the extra few rand for them. The car just sits better on the road.

+1 Konis and standard springs have transformed the GTV.

Don't know prices in SA . This is a UK site :
Alfa - Koni Adjustable Sport Shock Absorbers - UNBEATABLE PRICES - larkspeed.com

 

[Gertie]

Would love Koni's but I get the feeling they are out my price range

Yeah sure they (koni sport) are just less than double the price of Armsweak, Gabriela or Marilyn shocks... but you get what you pay for they are worth more than double in performance you get over the life of the shock.

I had Koni's on my 146 and I will replace the 156's with Koni or Bilstein the day my shocks are deemed worn - to replace with something better when it needs replacement anyway :thumbs: but in the middle of the current shocks life then the cost could be prohibitive.

From Steve @ koni for 156:
Sports (the adjustable yellows) R7800 for all 4's
STR (decent but non-adjustable) R5400 for all 4's

 

[Eric Metz]

Just a confirmation from my side on the Konis...... I also did them on my old 147 , my 156 Sw, and I will always replace worn standard shocks with Konis....
Its the last shock absorber you will buy for that car.... they last long, and even if they do wear out, they can be serviced....

 

[turbonutters]

Get the Koni’s and set them to the softest setting if you still have OE coils in the car.
If the car is fitted with Eibach coils you can move them to the 2nd or 3rd setting and getting normal shocks will be a absolute waist of time.

 

[KaizerG]

Get the Koni’s and set them to the softest setting if you still have OE coils in the car.
If the car is fitted with Eibach coils you can move them to the 2nd or 3rd setting and getting normal shocks will be a absolute waist of time.

Thanks Turbo/Eric... Seems a like the way to go judging from all the comments. If the shock is servicable then it more thanmakes up for the difference in price.

I'll start trying to get my hands on some Koni's then! Anyone got some they want to sell

 

[Eric Metz]

They do transform the handling of the car too, especially the V6 cars that tend to nose-dive a bit because of the weight...... I could not believe the difference it made on my 156 SW..... with standard couils, just a set of Koni yellows..... completely different car, and actually more comfortable to drive.

 

[KaizerG]

R8950.00 for a set of 4 from Koni direct.... eish that is outside my immediate budget. Guess I'll start saving up

 

[masonGTA]

R8950.00 for a set of 4 from Koni direct.... eish that is outside my immediate budget. Guess I'll start saving up

Are the current shocks that bad that you need to change them?

Can you use the Koni's with the standard shock?

 

[Gertie]

Can you use the Koni's with the standard shock?

You mean "use with the standard spring?" as the koni is a shock . The answer is a definite yes. The shock does most of the work - the spring merely keeps the car from hitting the road surface.

Eibach and HS springs are stiffer, but it is mostly to compensate for the lower stance, hence there is less travel in the wheel before the bodywork hits the road.

If you fit uprated springs to standard shocks you are wasting money - the benefit is not that great other than the more aggressive stance. Uprated shocks to normal springs is a good benefit and then adding uprated springs will benefit more.

 

[Ian Lusso]

Get the Koni’s and set them to the softest setting if you still have OE coils in the car.
If the car is fitted with Eibach coils you can move them to the 2nd or 3rd setting and getting normal shocks will be a absolute waist of time.

TN, my front Konis don't adjust in this manner, they turn without clicking in 2 full rotations and are adjusted in degrees. According to Autodelta, the fronts should be set to 1.25 turns (450 degrees from the softest setting). I have mine on 1.5 turns (540 degrees) and it really is a bit harsh but the handling is superb!:wow: At 1.25 turns, there was too much bounce over uneven roads so high speed driving was scary!

 

[turbonutters]

Strange I will have to check since I am sure my fronts had definite positions like the rears but then again my memory could be a bit diluted with Windhoek.
On the track I found that they were best set to their softest with the rears on the 2nd setting since I was too lazy to change the rear settings at the track. But then again I am using a 2.5 156 front anti role bar so you might need the front shocks set a bit more aggressive. With my fronts set more aggressive I encountered more under steer that was remedied by turning it on its softest.

 

[corriedw]

If you set the Konis anywhere but on the softest setting your ride will be harder than standard. Eibach springs allow more initial travel and thus ride softer than standard springs.

The Koni shocks can be rebuild by Steve at the prize of a normal shock. Gas in shocks maintain a pressure on the oil to stop the oil from boiling at hard use, like the pressure cap on your radiator. It does nothing else for handling.

 

[Ian Lusso]

With my fronts set more aggressive I encountered more under steer that was remedied by turning it on its softest.

I have Q2 so my understeer was drastically reduced (I know you may have one fitted too) but compared to the normal diff, i could play around with the fronts and gave it a quarter turn to accomodate, Maybe I should turn it 45 degrees back?

Here's the original mail i received from Koni when I enquired about a set for my 3.0 at the time:

Hi there Ian

The dampers are R8490.00 incl vat per set 4

Koni is arguably the finest shock on the market anywhere in the world

Apart from the competitive pricing the adjustability and serviceability make it a no brain choice

The dampers firm the chassis up nicely for the fast cornering but with the use of clever valving it is more comfortable too

Koni: Welcome to have a look

There is only one choice from us , but it is the perfect choice of damper for this sporty car

Steve Hurley
KONI South Africa
Director
011 918 2293 (Tel)
011 918 2292 (Fax)
082 894 0947 (Cell)
[email protected]

 

[turbonutters]

Q2 is brilliant Konis are brilliant especially when combined with Eibach and when you put your car on the track you can play with the damping rate to get it better.
What seems perfect on the road doesn’t always work when you are going around the track.

Like Corrie said Konis with oe coils can be a bit harsh unless you set the damping rate low.