I recently bought the Koni Yellow/ GC suspension set up and im not really happy with the spring rates. It seems too bouncy. I been thinking about how i want to do this, but im having trouble deciding. I was either going to sell my current set-up and buy a brand new set of Koni/GCs with custom spring rates, just buy the custom spring rates, or go with another brand and get full coilovers.
What makes the decision hard is that im not sure if im going to be happy with the suspension set-up with custom spring rates. It feels too bouncy right now and i want them stiffer. But on the other hand, i don’t want to get a whole new set-up and like it less than the ones i have now. I was thinking about getting the PIC Select full coilovers.
Too bouncy is typically an indicator of too high of a spring rate and/or insufficient shocks (under damped) or an issue with suspension travel (i.e. riding on your bump stops)
There’s a pretty good market for buying/selling new/used coilover springs. People are always wanting to change things up. Personally I’d recommend doing that instead of buying an entire new setup. Who knows, you might not like the next rates you get either and need to change again… That’s the beauty of coilovers typically all using the same size spring.
right now the car is dumped and the spring rates and 450k front and back i believe. What ever the stock spring rates are. and the dampening is set to the stiffest setting with a quarter turn looser
stiffer spring rate will make it bouncier, but the oscillations will have a smaller amplitude. It’s basically one of those things where you’re right on the line of how it’s going to feel and how it’s interpreted. Semantics are gonna play a role.
You really don’t want to be running much higher than 450lb springs on OTS Yellows. People run 500-550 but the general consensus is that after 500lbs you’re reaching the limit of the shock’s damping ability.
My guess is that you’re running into suspension travel issues. Upping the spring rate may alleviate some of those issues, but it might also give you others.
What do you suggest? What I’m trying to get is a really stiff ride…not harsh but firm…I want to be as low as I can without getting in the way if what I want. Right now I have the konis and ground controls with top hats. But I’m aiming for no wheel gap. If any of that makes sense.
It’s hard to determine what you want because a lot of what you say sounds counter intuitive. Stiffer is gonna cause more bounce as the shocks will have a harder time dealing with the spring rates.
Firm vs harsh? How do you explain the difference? Those terms will most likely mean different things to different people.
Depending on what you mean, a good route might be to run a soft spring rate compared to your shock. Over damp the springs. You’ll be able to have larger spring oscillations but do so smoothly and slowly. Maybe that’s firm and not harsh? But in order to do that you might need more suspension travel.
There are a lot of other factors to consider as well. What about your wheel/tire combo? Stiff suspension with a soft sidewall might be what you’d like. what about your bushings? Are they original? Worn bushings could cause an unpredictable feeling, maybe interpreted as harsh. New bushings could help smooth that out.
It sounds to me like you’re way past generalizations here, you’re looking for a very specific thing and it’s extremely hard to help figure out your best setup without feeling the car and riding in it with you trying to determine exactly which characteristics of the ride quality you dislike.
thanks for all the info. i think im going to try different size rims and tires and replace my bushings (still original) and see how it is from there. Im just going to stick with the same set-up for now and experiment with the other factors.