Koni Sport Adjustable question
 

If you have the Yellow Konis, I'm curious about what settings you use and what type of driving you do. I have some ready to install, and am curious how to know when I have the fronts correctly matched to the rears. Should I use the same number of turns front and rear? Going on a 2015 GT.

I think you'll find that there is only one setting suitable for the street if you have stiffer springs.

I run mine on full soft for daily driving, and turn up the rebound damping for road racing. I usually do 3 90 degree turns on the fronts (3/4 stiff) and 2-3 turns on the rears. It works well with my suspension setup listed in my sig.

On the street I would not recommend any more than 1/4 turn max. It will ride like a go cart and you'll fill every bump. Particularly the larger ones. I think a lot of it depends on your springs though.

I would start adjusting by doing the same front and rear damping settings. When you notice the car start getting loose on corner exits you know you need to dial back the rear.

Hey 5.0 Monster,
I appreciate the info. I'm just using standard springs. The only thing I plan to change are the struts. Over uneven pavement, the back end seems to shift left-right-left-right very abruptly. I'm pretty sure it's the lack of rebound in the stock shocks. Hoping this will help.

How do you like your Recaros?
-Tom

The back should always be less stiff than the front since there's a lot less weight back there.
I run about a full turn toward stiff in the front and a half a turn in the back.
Smooth, not too bad over bumps.
Springs are BMR GT500 "Performance" fronts, BMR GT rears

Hey Tom, I love them. Great support, never need to brace with my knees. They are comfortable even on longer drives.

What are your plans for using the dampers? Track? Street? Auto X?

Just trying to clean up the strange handling on rough Maine roads.
Thanks for the info on the seats.

Hi, coming back to this, I was wondering:

The Koni "yellows" (sports) are adjustable for rebound damping only, correct?

Can anyone explain how/why changing the rebound damping makes the shocks stiffer on compression, which is where it really matters?

Here is my limited understanding. It's not directly linked to one wheel or even axle, but it has an effect across the axles of the vehicle.

If the car rolls on the rear outside suspension during corner exit, increase rebound damping force at the front inside. The front inside suspension affects the car mostly on corner exit. By adding rebound damping you will loosen the car up on corner exit, thus reducing understeer.

If the car rolls on the front outside during corner entry, increase rebound damping on the rear inside suspension.

By adding rebound damping to the front on both sides equally, it will tighten the car up by increasing rear grip. By adding rebound damping to the rear on both sides equally, it will loosen the car up.

So it's not about individual corner, but about forcing the weight transfer to other wheels.

thanks 5 . . . I do get that balancing thing . . . but would I be oversimplifying to say that rebound damping is mostly about body roll; and more rebound damping keeps the inside of the car from rolling upward in a corner?

still not sure why that would make the car ride stiffer over bumps on the street, but apparently it does

Yes, I think you're right. My guess is since the shock and thus spring remain compressed longer.

The Konis have stiffer compression rates over the stock shocks/struts, which makes them ride a little stiffer. Also, most people put stiffer springs at the same time, which will give a harsher ride.

When I pulled the factory units out, the pistons could be pushed in and pulled out pretty easily by hand.

My reason for changing them out was not to make the car ride stiffer, but to get rid of the bounce (excessive rebound), which on Maine roads with deep tractor/trailer ruts/ potholes/ uneven pavement, caused the car to handle very dangerously. There is a stretch of road on my way to work that caused the back end of the car to jerk and bounce side to side while the front end tramlined. Once I changed the rear struts, it cleaned it up about 75%. Putting new tires on the front cleaned it up the rest of the way. It handles like I would expect a stock Mustang should handle now, comfortable but not sloppy.

I kept the factory standard springs because I didn't want to change the ride height.
Hope that helps.
-Tom

Thanks Tom, yes that helps.
In your case your factory struts/shocks were shot. I have steeda sport springs, which give about 1" drop and are a bit stiffer than factory. Right now I have GT500 struts/shocks which seem to be a pretty good match for them. I guess the Koni's might have a little more compression damping than the GT500's. I am thinking they are probably about worn out by now, though the ride is OK, not bouncy; and trying to make the car corner a bit better on the track. (I have other priorities right now but will come back to the struts/shocks eventually)

-- John

HI Bert,
Just to clarify, my car only had 15,000 miles on it. It road like crap since I drove it off the showroom floor.