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Thread: :: Koni adjustable struts

  1. #1
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    Default :: Koni adjustable struts

    Rears were installed a while back, set on 'halfway'. Fronts installed yesterday and set 180deg from softest. DAMN!

    When I backed out of the driveway, I had to do a doubletake... I didn't feel the curb transition! Although I had an idea of how hard the ride was before (Billie HDs on Vogtlands), I never realized it was so much.

    Even on the firmest setting, it still is a nudge or two nicer than the billies. Right now, I'm going on the softest setting and pulling back bit by bit to find a sweet spot. Of course, there is noticeably more body roll there. Didn't compare firmest setting yet though.
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  2. #2
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    Ditto, I have always loved Koni's. I went from worn stock Boges to Bilsteins to new Boges and finally to Koni's. Firm when dialed in for the twisties with M-tech springs & sways yet comfortable & civilized on our 3rd world Albuquerque city streets. What more could you want?
    gale
    92 735i 5-spd, turbo project finally underway!


  3. #3
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    Dunno - koni's are known to leak. Whats the point in adjusting them to soft when you upgrade to a "sport" suspension - that what I have always wondered. If it were in my car, it be on "firm" all the time... and then I'd wonder why I bought adjustable shocks.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon K
    Dunno - koni's are known to leak. Whats the point in adjusting them to soft when you upgrade to a "sport" suspension - that what I have always wondered. If it were in my car, it be on "firm" all the time... and then I'd wonder why I bought adjustable shocks.
    i bought mine (havent had time to put them in yet) for the reason that I dont race or drive spirited everytime I go out. It nice that you can firm them up when you know youre going out to the track...but thats my 2 cents..

  5. #5
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    I wanted to get koni too but it's only practical to adjust the front. Then I heard that they don't last that long. Plus they cost more so it gave me less incentive to try them. And most of the comparisons are of new shocks vs. beat up ones so I didn't know what the real story was. Hopefully you can compare your new koni vs. someone with new stock to give the rest of us a better idea next time we change these. Glad you are enjoying them.

  6. #6
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    Wow, there is some serious mis information about Koni's in here.

    Koni's will almost never leak. I know there was a batch of e36 rears that did but I would never ever describe koni's as prone to leakage. I would say that about Bilstien shocks though. but the average Bilstien owner won't notice. because they are a "sealed design" which just means that they leak out of the shock body and is then contained in the boot; soaking the bump stop and making the ride horribly rough. koni's are the best shocks for our car and one of the best options for damn near any car until you start to compare highly adjustble coilover setups. and even if they do leak. they have a lifetime warranty, just get it replaced.

    the single adjustables are rebound adjustable. even set on soft they are doing a great job at dampaning. my e30 m3 track/autocross car runs on Koni's and for both events I run it 1/4 turn from full soft.

    We've put koni's kyb's and bilstiens onto almost everything and the koni's are always hands down the best. (except on trucks, surprisingly rancho shocks feel the best on trucks lol).

    both my boss and I run koni on everything and we recommend it for everything. I'm picking up a 540i/6 this week and they'll be getting a set too.

    you get what you pay for. a friend with a beautiful 540ia went with the bilstiens to save a little bit, and then came back complaining about ride quality.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by paintpro21
    Wow, there is some serious mis information about Koni's in here.

    Koni's will almost never leak. I know there was a batch of e36 rears that did but I would never ever describe koni's as prone to leakage. I would say that about Bilstien shocks though. but the average Bilstien owner won't notice. because they are a "sealed design" which just means that they leak out of the shock body and is then contained in the boot; soaking the bump stop and making the ride horribly rough. koni's are the best shocks for our car and one of the best options for damn near any car until you start to compare highly adjustble coilover setups. and even if they do leak. they have a lifetime warranty, just get it replaced.

    the single adjustables are rebound adjustable. even set on soft they are doing a great job at dampaning. my e30 m3 track/autocross car runs on Koni's and for both events I run it 1/4 turn from full soft.

    We've put koni's kyb's and bilstiens onto almost everything and the koni's are always hands down the best. (except on trucks, surprisingly rancho shocks feel the best on trucks lol).

    both my boss and I run koni on everything and we recommend it for everything. I'm picking up a 540i/6 this week and they'll be getting a set too.

    you get what you pay for. a friend with a beautiful 540ia went with the bilstiens to save a little bit, and then came back complaining about ride quality.

    With 3 posts you're saying there is misinformation in this thread? I have put Koni's on 3 bmws one was an E34, 2 of them failed. There have been NUMEROUS posts on here about leaking Koni's. Search bf.c's track thread and you'll find the same.

    I hardly consider bilstein suspension a means to "save a few". KYB shocks, monroes, etc., yeah they are attempting to save a few bucks... but bilstein is a LONG-trusted brand and I have only ever seen 1 blown bilstein shock in all of my endeavors. Rebound dampening shocks are great for... well... 1/2 of the control you actually need. And, setting an adjustable shock to a setting while not matching it to a spring is a good way of having a car that is not very well balanced. Bilstein has a lifetime warranty as well. Koni shocks are not the end-all be-all shock for our cars... in fact, given the past failure rate and the reluctance of users to actually adjust the suspension much I always advise friends who ask me to stick to a fixed valve shock.

  8. #8
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    I've said this in the past, the the manufacturer koni recommends to set them on soft and to stiffen them up when they start wearing out. The only person on here I can remember with leaking shocks is Anthony M5 in Calgary. They are the best shocks for the e34. I would definitely buy them again.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by gale
    comfortable & civilized on our 3rd world Albuquerque city streets.
    I finally know where the famous gale is from...

    Big wavey from the EPT gale! :wave:

    I'm perfectly happy with my Billies and UUC progressives.
    Firm enough to feel the road well, yet cushy enough NOT to beat me up when I drive 1200 miles to the 'rents, especially over the quite uneven pavement in Louisiana or down on the Gulf coast post Katrina.
    YMMV though.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon K
    With 3 posts you're saying there is misinformation in this thread? I have put Koni's on 3 bmws one was an E34, 2 of them failed. There have been NUMEROUS posts on here about leaking Koni's. Search bf.c's track thread and you'll find the same.

    I hardly consider bilstein suspension a means to "save a few". KYB shocks, monroes, etc., yeah they are attempting to save a few bucks... but bilstein is a LONG-trusted brand and I have only ever seen 1 blown bilstein shock in all of my endeavors. Rebound dampening shocks are great for... well... 1/2 of the control you actually need. And, setting an adjustable shock to a setting while not matching it to a spring is a good way of having a car that is not very well balanced. Bilstein has a lifetime warranty as well. Koni shocks are not the end-all be-all shock for our cars... in fact, given the past failure rate and the reluctance of users to actually adjust the suspension much I always advise friends who ask me to stick to a fixed valve shock.
    I don't post here often. I'm a member of 10 or so other forums, and I've been on forums for almost 8 years. but thanks for pointing that out.

    you don't see bilstiens blow out the same way other shocks do. as I already stated they internally leak. it doesn't leave the body but the shock has failed. the oil soaks and hardens the bump stop. you just don't visually see it. Their dampening is inferior incomparison to koni's for ride comfort while still providing performance. From our Distribution center that supports performance tuner shops we ship out 1 set of bilstiens for every 100 koni's if even that. We are the place they get sent back to when they go bad (customer gives to shop, shop gives to us, we give to koni). its a very rare occurance.

    I would consider bilstiens since they are cheap and I may through them on my daily driver be for I sell them, but on my good cars I put koni. By all means get bilstiens, they feel very different though. I just won't sit here listen to people say there is no need for adjustment and that they leak, because they are uninformed.

    if it's only coming down to price comparison because a buyer has no experience with the products and no other reasonable features to compare then they go with seems to be forum gossip.

    If you'd want koni's but the price is your consern then please PM me and maybe I can help you out.

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