are Koni's any good for track?

[wil_rolla]

i own a 2002 acent sedan and i'v recently lowered it with Pedders sports ryders (35mm drop) i'm currently on stock shocks and looking to up grade soon to adjustable shocks, like koni yellows. or any thing else you guys would recomend?

i know what you are all going to tell me, if i'm going to take the car out to the tracks why not get coilovers.

but heres the thing, i'm only going to take my corolla out to the tracks once in a blue moon, 3 or 4 times a year at most. and at the end of next year i'm planing to get a propper project car which will be more track based then street. then my corolla will only ever see the track from pit lane.

i know SB swears by konis and says that koni's will handle as well as any cheap set of coils,

but how would they go on the track?

i'm not out there to brake any records, but want to do reasonably well.

and on the softest settings would they be any harder then my pedders on stock shocks like at the moment?

ultimatly my car will be a street car that my wife can drive.

BTW: i would much rather get a set of top of the line shocks then a set of entre level coilovers.

opions? thoughts? thanks in advace wil

[SuperDave]

The only advantage that coilovers have over a spring and strut combination is camber and height adjustment. Camber is easily solved via camber bolts or an upper pillow ball mount like the C-One item. Then you're left with height adjustment, which assuming your happy with what it is now you don't have to worry.

I haven't used Koni's, however I can't see the difference in lap times being anything significant between good coilovers and koni's with springs.

[SILVABULLIT]

they'll be fine mate. My wife was the major driver of mine and she never complained once about the ride. On the softest setting it'll ride like a stock car. Wind them up and add some camber bolts and away you go to the track.

[wil_rolla]

The only advantage that coilovers have over a spring and strut combination is camber and height adjustment. Camber is easily solved via camber bolts or an upper pillow ball mount like the C-One item. Then you're left with height adjustment, which assuming your happy with what it is now you don't have to worry.

I haven't used Koni's, however I can't see the difference in lap times being anything significant between good coilovers and koni's with springs.

they'll be fine mate. My wife was the major driver of mine and she never complained once about the ride. On the softest setting it'll ride like a stock car. Wind them up and add some camber bolts and away you go to the track.

thanks for the reply's,

SB can you tell me the price diffrence between the koni red's and yellows, as my funds may not allow me to get the yellows.

(budget is about $1000 mark fitted)

and is it true that the reds are softer then the yellows, even with the yellows on the softest setting.

some guys say that yellows are more likely to leak.

and what other brands make adjustable shocks that are rebuildable? Blistein? KYB? Tein?

[rolla02]

some guys say that yellows are more likely to leak.

and what other brands make adjustable shocks that are rebuildable? Blistein? KYB? Tein?

Yes KONI yellows will leak and do leak. :(

They are rebuildable but I think the price I was quoted wasn't much less then new KONIs.

I'm currently trying to decide whether to replace my KONI yellows with KONIs or KYB.

The KONIs are very good compared to stock.

Stock shocks have lousy rebound damping.

You will notice the difference just fitting KONIs with stock springs.

Cheers

T.

[SILVABULLIT]

The only advantage that coilovers have over a spring and strut combination is camber and height adjustment. Camber is easily solved via camber bolts or an upper pillow ball mount like the C-One item. Then you're left with height adjustment, which assuming your happy with what it is now you don't have to worry.

I haven't used Koni's, however I can't see the difference in lap times being anything significant between good coilovers and koni's with springs.

they'll be fine mate. My wife was the major driver of mine and she never complained once about the ride. On the softest setting it'll ride like a stock car. Wind them up and add some camber bolts and away you go to the track.

thanks for the reply's,

SB can you tell me the price diffrence between the koni red's and yellows, as my funds may not allow me to get the yellows.

(budget is about $1000 mark fitted)

and is it true that the reds are softer then the yellows, even with the yellows on the softest setting.

some guys say that yellows are more likely to leak.

and what other brands make adjustable shocks that are rebuildable? Blistein? KYB? Tein?

The difference between reds and yellows is the yellows are the sport range. Reds are OEM replacement with some dampener adjustment. Haven't bought a set of reds for a Corolla before lol. Reds will be a lil softer than yellows. As for leaks maybe after years and years of use. Then you can get them rebuilt!! you can rebuild Bilsteins but they are lil more expensive. KYB's maybe the top end stuff but the entry level stuff is just OEM replacement. Teins dunno about. I will find out prices for reds tomorrow.

[Kenneth]

while you are at it do u think you will be able to churn up some prices for Koni Yellows too :D

Thanks SB!!!!

[Kevsta]

With all this discussion about koni yellows, I couldn't help but remember the opening scene of "The Transporter" starring Jason Statham. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293662/

If you haven't seen this movie, then watch it asap... :D

[wil_rolla]

some guys say that yellows are more likely to leak.

and what other brands make adjustable shocks that are rebuildable? Blistein? KYB? Tein?

Yes KONI yellows will leak and do leak. :(

They are rebuildable but I think the price I was quoted wasn't much less then new KONIs.

I'm currently trying to decide whether to replace my KONI yellows with KONIs or KYB.

The KONIs are very good compared to stock.

Stock shocks have lousy rebound damping.

You will notice the difference just fitting KONIs with stock springs.

Cheers

T.

so what do you plan to replace your koni yellows with? koni reds? or do they have another range that i don't know about?

The only advantage that coilovers have over a spring and strut combination is camber and height adjustment. Camber is easily solved via camber bolts or an upper pillow ball mount like the C-One item. Then you're left with height adjustment, which assuming your happy with what it is now you don't have to worry.

I haven't used Koni's, however I can't see the difference in lap times being anything significant between good coilovers and koni's with springs.

they'll be fine mate. My wife was the major driver of mine and she never complained once about the ride. On the softest setting it'll ride like a stock car. Wind them up and add some camber bolts and away you go to the track.

thanks for the reply's,

SB can you tell me the price diffrence between the koni red's and yellows, as my funds may not allow me to get the yellows.

(budget is about $1000 mark fitted)

and is it true that the reds are softer then the yellows, even with the yellows on the softest setting.

some guys say that yellows are more likely to leak.

and what other brands make adjustable shocks that are rebuildable? Blistein? KYB? Tein?

The difference between reds and yellows is the yellows are the sport range. Reds are OEM replacement with some dampener adjustment. Haven't bought a set of reds for a Corolla before lol. Reds will be a lil softer than yellows. As for leaks maybe after years and years of use. Then you can get them rebuilt!! you can rebuild Bilsteins but they are lil more expensive. KYB's maybe the top end stuff but the entry level stuff is just OEM replacement. Teins dunno about. I will find out prices for reds tomorrow.

so koni yellows will leak, whats the average price to get them rebuilt? and can any suspension shop rebuild them? or only koni specialist/dealers?

i thought that koni's are better then kyb's

sorry for all the noob qestions, i just wanna know what i'm getting my self into, and the best way to spend my money.

it's a shame that it's not one of those things that we can try before we buy. we can only give them all our money and hope for the best. :(

[wil_rolla]

i'v read somewhere that koni reds are also adjustable, but you have to take them off and twist them, true? (what a pain <_< ) and how effective is their adjustablity?

[SILVABULLIT]

Reds are adjustable and yes you have to remove them to adjust. Like the Yellow Sport rears. As for getting them Koni's new 2008-09 part book doesn't even list them. checked it today. All that is listed is the yellow sports and the FSD kit. they also now list springs which I'm curious to look into. they might on the website but for AU market doesn't list the numbers for the reds.

Anyhow prices for the Koni Yellows (sports) are as follows....

Fronts - $260 ea ; retail is $310(ZZE122/3 are same price)

Rears - $210 ea ; retail is $252

cheers SB

[Kenneth]

only thing holding me back is how the koni with low springs will look in terms of height... i want it to sit low but not too low but currently stock + low springs does not rly cut it..

would koni + low sit lower then stock shock + low/

[SILVABULLIT]

about the same height as you are using the same spring. If you want to get the look right then you go super lows in the rear and lows in the front. tyre to arch gap is just nice without being so low that you are dragging your guts everywhere.

[wil_rolla]

only thing holding me back is how the koni with low springs will look in terms of height... i want it to sit low but not too low but currently stock + low springs does not rly cut it..

would koni + low sit lower then stock shock + low/

yeah as SB said i think that your hight is determined by the hight of the springs. i agree the 35mm drop isn't that low. but i think the sportivo body kit helps them look abit lower aswell.

but i pretty happy with the hight i got now, cause i freqently carry a full load.

are the koni's hard to install? they need the OEM strut mounts is that right? and to adjust the rear's is it as simple as unbolting the bottom and twisting them or do they have to come compeletly off? (i think this will be the decider for me)