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      12-12-2014, 10:58 AM   #1
dc_wright
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Initial Settings for Koni Sports

I'm getting ready to install Koni Sport (yellows) on my '06 3.0si with M-Sport suspension. I'm keeping the OEM sport springs for now so I can stay in SCCA Street for autocross. Just looking for what settings people are using on the Koni's, particularly in the rear? Looking for a reference starting point and I'll adjust to my liking from there. Just trying to shorten the dialing in process a bit....

Thanks in advance for your inputs!
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      12-12-2014, 11:24 AM   #2
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I don't recall the setting for the rear-- don't have the info here, but Dinan was recommending a turn and a quarter from full soft on the Konis they sell with their suspension upgrade.
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      12-13-2014, 07:20 AM   #3
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got the spec sheet

Front - 1 1/4 from full soft
Rear - 3/4 from full soft
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      12-13-2014, 01:04 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karacticus View Post
got the spec sheet

Front - 1 1/4 from full soft
Rear - 3/4 from full soft
Thanks for digging up that info!
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Last edited by dc_wright; 12-21-2014 at 12:07 PM..
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      12-21-2014, 12:08 PM   #5
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I'm starting the install tomorrow. I'm going with 1 1/4 turns to start with in the rear which is mid range, and then if I don't like that I'll try adjusting down first before I adjust up. I'm installing the Rogue Engineering mounts so I can take the rear shocks on/off without having to remove the top compartment tray and mechanisms every time.
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      12-28-2014, 09:14 AM   #6
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Interesting. I didn't realize Dinan had recommended settings, but I guess it makes sense. I might try them.

My method was less scientific. I told the shop to set them in the middle, and I would adjust from there. The handling improved so much from my old blown shocks that I haven't bothered to fine tune them. If anything, they may be a little too firm in the rear, as the front seems to have more grip while the rear skips on certain bumps, but I'm splitting hairs here.
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      12-28-2014, 01:16 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pokeybritches View Post
Interesting. I didn't realize Dinan had recommended settings, but I guess it makes sense. I might try them.

My method was less scientific. I told the shop to set them in the middle, and I would adjust from there. The handling improved so much from my old blown shocks that I haven't bothered to fine tune them. If anything, they may be a little too firm in the rear, as the front seems to have more grip while the rear skips on certain bumps, but I'm splitting hairs here.
I'm doing the same. I used the Rogue Engineering rear mounts to make it easier to remove the rears if I decide to adjust them, but currently the car feels really good at the mid points front and rear. Definitely firmer, but not harsh. Car feels much more connected than it did.
I've got an AutoX scheduled Saturday so I'll get the first real test.....
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      01-01-2015, 01:15 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_wright View Post
I'm getting ready to install Koni Sport (yellows) on my '06 3.0si with M-Sport suspension. I'm keeping the OEM sport springs for now so I can stay in SCCA Street for autocross. Just looking for what settings people are using on the Koni's, particularly in the rear? Looking for a reference starting point and I'll adjust to my liking from there. Just trying to shorten the dialing in process a bit....

Thanks in advance for your inputs!
dc_wright,
I just bought the koni yellow sport to be used on the stock M sport springs. Would you recommend the Dinan settings 3/4 turn back and 1 1/4 front? or would you stick to the half way settings?
Thanks in advance!
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      01-01-2015, 04:56 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocky79 View Post
dc_wright,
I just bought the koni yellow sport to be used on the stock M sport springs. Would you recommend the Dinan settings 3/4 turn back and 1 1/4 front? or would you stick to the half way settings?
Thanks in advance!
I'll be able to give better feedback after Saturday. First auto cross on the new setup. The rears will stay at mid setting for all runs due to the time required to change the settings, but I'll try different settings on the fronts to see what works best......
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      01-01-2015, 10:42 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_wright View Post
I'll be able to give better feedback after Saturday. First auto cross on the new setup. The rears will stay at mid setting for all runs due to the time required to change the settings, but I'll try different settings on the fronts to see what works best......
Thanks! looking forward to your feedback.
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      01-04-2015, 11:53 AM   #11
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The course we had yesterday sucked from a having to run it standpoint, but it was perfect for my needs in testing the suspension set up. Big improvement from the stock M-sport struts/shocks. Mid point seems pretty good for the front, but I'm going to make some adjustments in the rear to try to get the car to rotate a little better. Under steer was improved but still a bit too much there. I'm going to go to the point Dinan recommended since that's essentially at the 1/4 point of the adjustment toward the soft end of the scale.
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      01-08-2015, 10:26 AM   #12
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Great, let us know how the Dinan setup work for you.
Also, what rear shock mounts are you using?
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      01-09-2015, 06:14 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocky79 View Post
Great, let us know how the Dinan setup work for you.
Also, what rear shock mounts are you using?
I'm using the Rogue Engineering mounting plates with stock mounts.
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      01-11-2015, 05:27 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_wright
I'm getting ready to install Koni Sport (yellows) on my '06 3.0si with M-Sport suspension. I'm keeping the OEM sport springs for now so I can stay in SCCA Street for autocross. Just looking for what settings people are using on the Koni's, particularly in the rear? Looking for a reference starting point and I'll adjust to my liking from there. Just trying to shorten the dialing in process a bit....

Thanks in advance for your inputs!
I'm looking to run in some scca events this year. Do you know if they'd let me run with my h&r coilovers?
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      01-13-2015, 10:33 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_wright View Post
The course we had yesterday sucked from a having to run it standpoint, but it was perfect for my needs in testing the suspension set up. Big improvement from the stock M-sport struts/shocks. Mid point seems pretty good for the front, but I'm going to make some adjustments in the rear to try to get the car to rotate a little better. Under steer was improved but still a bit too much there. I'm going to go to the point Dinan recommended since that's essentially at the 1/4 point of the adjustment toward the soft end of the scale.
dc_wright, When are you planning on adjusting the shocks? I am ready to do the install this weekend, it would be great to get your feedback on the 3/4 turn Dinan adjustment. Thanks again.
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      01-18-2015, 11:38 PM   #16
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I just replaced the Shock/Struts along with new mounts. The setting were as discussed earlier :
3/4 turn back
1/1/4 in front.
The car handles pretty well. It squats a bit on acceleration as opposed to a lot before, it handles very well on the turns and it's more comfortable over bumps.

The only thing I didn't like is they lifted the car up by about an 1 inch in the front and some in the back, mind you the stock struts were blown.
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      01-23-2015, 09:00 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aries326 View Post
I'm looking to run in some scca events this year. Do you know if they'd let me run with my h&r coilovers?
No issues there. Your first 3 auto cross events with SCCA you're in novice class regardless of car mods. After that you move into the class appropriate with your car mods. If you've installed coil over's just in the front, but you've still got the coil springs bearing the load in the rear you'd be in Street Touring Roadster (STR). If you've removed the OEM springs and have coil overs in the rear bearing the load then you'd be in B Street Prepared (BSP).

Quote:
Originally Posted by rocky79 View Post
dc_wright, When are you planning on adjusting the shocks? I am ready to do the install this weekend, it would be great to get your feedback on the 3/4 turn Dinan adjustment. Thanks again.
I'm still in the middle of the adjustment range on both front and rear. Car is handling pretty good so I think I'm going to run a couple more events where it's currently set to get a better baseline and then I'll try adjusting the rears.
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      03-17-2015, 05:16 PM   #18
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Just ran my first Solo2 in 30 years with my 2003 Z4 3.0i with Koni and sport susp. Now I'm sore and need a seat that holds me in better.

I've had this car about a year and put on the Koni's about 6 months ago. Started at full soft and went as far as one turn. Am now running front 3/4 turn and rear 7/8 turn from soft. That seems to be the best ride for bumps and dips. The rear springs still seem a bit too stiff for me.

I put on 17" wheels for the winter with A/S 235/45-17 Hancook Ventus, but the Koni shocks did the most good for the ride and handling. Now back to the original wheels with 12 year old Michelin ps2, the ride is not quite as smooth but I want to wear them out.
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      11-27-2015, 02:41 PM   #19
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As typically happens when you have a plan, life happens and changes it. Had to have hip surgery in May so I've only been back out for a couple months. I ran the middle range adjustments for a bit and as Pokeybritches indicated the new Konis were really a lot better than the worn out OEM so I ran that for a while. Currently I'm running the fronts at full firm, the rears are still at the mid range, and the front H&R sway is at the softest of the two connection points. Bumping the fronts up to full firmness significantly improved transient response and after running 3 events against the same competitors it looks like it improved times about an average of a second comparatively. For the next iteration I'm going to move to the stiffer front sway bar point, move the front strut settings back to mid range, and adjust the rears to the 3/4 setting and then run that for 3 events and see whether that gives further improvements or regresses. Seems like that's the number of data sets it takes to sort through all the variables and tell whether a set up is better or worse......
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