Help ts|s soften his ride

**third_shift|studios** · 05-24-2008, 07:06 PM

Ok, i just drove 300+ miles today on my new suspension and hated it!

Koni shocks | Eibach Prokit | Suspension Technique's 35mm FSB | UMI front + rear control arms + brackets | J&M SFC's + Adjustable Panhard bar

I have my koni's on next-to-softest setting but the ride is still extremely harsh-simple bumps on the road feel like craters. It was just not enjoyable at all. IF i go to full-soft will that make a difference? OR should I think about returning to stock springs-or a different set of springs?

I want the car to be predictable in turns not competition firm at all times...any help, would be appreciated!

**Mr. Luos** · 05-24-2008, 07:15 PM

Stiffen up the shocks. One sweep from full soft is too soft.

**9T8W66** · 05-25-2008, 05:34 AM

I agree
As a good starting point the fronts should be set at 4-5 sweeps from full hard and the rears should be full soft.
I have mine set close to this way but I have Strano's Springs.

**third_shift|studios** · 05-25-2008, 08:30 PM

whoa...what? you're saying to stiffen them would make a more pleasureable cruise? I find that hard to belive...i mean..it feels stiff as is, and i'm on near-soft...help me understand here?

**third_shift|studios** · 05-25-2008, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by 9T8W66

I agree
As a good starting point the fronts should be set at 4-5 sweeps from full hard and the rears should be full soft.
I have mine set close to this way but I have Strano's Springs.

wouldn't that cause for a lot of under steer?

**Eugenio_SS** · 05-25-2008, 10:08 PM

koni SA or DA ?
if DA... are those settings the bottom or top settings ?
are you talking of front or rear shock settings ?

**third_shift|studios** · 05-25-2008, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Eugenio_SS

koni SA or DA ?
if DA... are those settings the bottom or top settings ?
are you talking of front or rear shock settings ?

SA's
i'm talking about all 4 corners, considering that 4 cranks= 1 position, total of 4 positions: full stiff, 1 from stiff, 1 from soft, full soft. I"m on "1 from soft"

**Eugenio_SS** · 05-25-2008, 10:15 PM

rear, put full soft -1 click (1/4 turn from full-soft)
front, try around half-way between full-soft and full-stiff.. maybe even 1/2 turn stiffer than the middle ground.
should be a better starting point.

**third_shift|studios** · 05-25-2008, 10:18 PM

and that won't cause under steer?...dumb ass question: do the front tires have to come off to adjust them, or can they stay on when i jack up the car?

**Eugenio_SS** · 05-25-2008, 10:27 PM

i use a 2.5mm allen key without removing the wheel... just jack enough so that the spring isn't in the way of the allen key. I've been able to adjust without even jacking the car... it gets some getting used to, to access it.
it will not make it understeer...

**third_shift|studios** · 05-25-2008, 10:31 PM

thanks man

...now i can go to sleep. I have your number, so if i spin out b/c a little bump in the road caused me to rocket into a ditch-you'll be the first one i call

**Eugenio_SS** · 05-25-2008, 10:35 PM

no problem.
remember... you need proper damping, not bouncing (underdamped) nor overdamped, impeding the spring to do its job.
When hitting a bump, the car should recover it with the shock going up/down and that's it... not doing it a few times, kind of thing.
Ideally, start soft and work your way to stiffer until it does that.

**Zedicous** · 05-25-2008, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by third_shift|studios

Ok, i just drove 300+ miles today on my new suspension and hated it!

Koni shocks | Eibach Prokit | Suspension Technique's 35mm FSB | UMI front + rear control arms + brackets | J&M SFC's + Adjustable Panhard bar

I have my koni's on next-to-softest setting but the ride is still extremely harsh-simple bumps on the road feel like craters. It was just not enjoyable at all. IF i go to full-soft will that make a difference? OR should I think about returning to stock springs-or a different set of springs?

I want the car to be predictable in turns not competition firm at all times...any help, would be appreciated!

I went with the BTS kit and the car rides like stock but handles much better.

**9T8W66** · 05-26-2008, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by third_shift|studios

wouldn't that cause for a lot of under steer?

No
The front springs obviously will have a much greater spring rate then the rears, So the fronts must be stiffer.

**SexOnWheels** · 05-26-2008, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by 9T8W66

No
The front springs obviously will have a much greater spring rate then the rears, So the fronts must be stiffer.

That and all the weight is in the front on our cars.

Is it better now ts|s?

Where are the install pics? Am I missing the thread?

**third_shift|studios** · 05-26-2008, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by SexOnWheels

That and all the weight is in the front on our cars.

Is it better now ts|s?

Where are the install pics? Am I missing the thread?

http://www.ls1.com/forums/album.php?albumid=50

lol, the wife wouldn't let me adjust it until AFTER we returned home...for fear of my cursed leprechan luck-i'll update this thread later once i do so =)

**third_shift|studios** · 06-12-2008, 08:44 AM

finally reporting back on this, now that the car has had a few miles on the new settings. I'm getting a "sprung" feeling from the rear. Almost like a catapulting feeling after the car rolls over a bump.

Do i just stiffin up the rears to cease that?

side-note: has anyone ever cut the carpet in the back to reach the rear adjusters so you don't have to detatch the interior panels and roll the carpet back-that's such a hastle. I ended up having to remove my front tires to get to the shocks too

**Eugenio_SS** · 06-13-2008, 09:48 PM

if you have a catapult feeling in the rear, i'm assuming that is when you hit a bump.
What is your present setting of the rear ?
If anything, you better off softening the rear, so it doesn't do that... by softening it, you'll allow the shock to absorb the bump... if it's too stiff, it won't do it's job and just raise the whole rear of the rear... hence giving you the catapult feeling.
Try full soft in the rear see if it helps.

**third_shift|studios** · 06-14-2008, 07:01 PM

actually, i stiffened it to 1 sweep from hardest and now it's stiff and not catapulting me at all. So now all four corners are 1 sweep from hardest-car feels super sturdy and bumps aren't AS BAD b/c it's such a pretty firm ride.

I had my first autoX event this weekend with KillerBlueBird-he taught me a few things for the track. I kept the fronts the same and softened the rear a lot so that the car would lurch forward more while breaking/deselerating giving me more control on the front tires. The whole event is worth another thread. I won't lie, i did horribly [best time was a 51 while other f-bods were cutting low 40s]. So i'm excited to get more into the sport!

**Mr. Luos** · 06-14-2008, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by third_shift|studios

I had my first autoX event this weekend with KillerBlueBird-he taught me a few things for the track. I kept the fronts the same and softened the rear a lot so that the car would lurch forward more while breaking/deselerating giving me more control on the front tires. The whole event is worth another thread. I won't lie, i did horribly [best time was a 51 while other f-bods were cutting low 40s]. So i'm excited to get more into the sport!

I need to try that shit out myself.
Might help me if I had a front sway bar on the car.