Koni's & Swifts?????

The time has come to upgrade the suspension. Thinkin real hard about this combo, know a few people here are running it. Just curious what everybody thought, good/bad idea? Whoever has them, how do you like them??

Search for Underdog's posts. I know he runs and loves them.

Koni>Blitstein anyday

 

I do love to write about them, that is for sure...

 

I love the Konis... I think they are a great bargain for the performance and quality/reputation that they offer. The adjustment range (rebound only) is very dramatic and linear, and I have had good success (IMO) tuning the suspension during my spare time, on local roads.

 

The Swifts are very stiff for daily driving on New England roads. I went with the swifts as my first springs because they were relatively cheap (compared to pinks), they would give me the right stance as shown by MachV's Wagon and other members with swifts on stock struts, and I thought that running stiffer springs (20% stiffer than stock) would be better than running soft springs and beefy sways.

 

I am still trying to decide whether I will keep the Swifts or switch to something a bit more civilized. If I did get new daily-driving springs, I would likely keep the swifts too, in case I ever decide to track the car and want to throw them back on.

 

If you search through some of my posts in Koni specific threads, you will find much more detailed reviews.... Hope that helps.

Thanks a lot, I will do some research later on after work

Koni>Blitstein anyday

 

 

at least for the legacy. Bilstein has some very good aftermarket stuff, but nothing for the legacy other than the spec b, HD, or jdm solutions which i think are still alittle underdampened for aftermarket springs.

I definitely prefer koni's over the bilsteins, especially for the price

I have purchased both the Bilstein HD's (through Allshocks.com via Amazon) and the Konis (direct from Crucial Racing) and the price works out to be very very close (negligible difference). I would say that their reputation is pretty comparable, and both carry lifetime warranties. The deciding factor then was which tophat the springs I wanted were designed for, and which one would have a better valving match.

 

To those ends the Swifts/GT Tophats seemed to be a great match, providing a visually level stance with equal wheel gaps front/rear. Also, the Konis are adjustable versus the Bilsteins, so it was a no brainer.

 

BTW, I came to these conclusions primarily off the advice of veteran members here, but there was a "leap-of-faith" required as it's not the most popular setup (which would be Bilsteins/Pinks).

The stance was a huge factor in my decision, I just helped my friend with bilsteins and h techs, the gap in front is the same as stock and the rear is much much lower, not a good look imho. I figured since the koni's reuse the stock tophats, they would better fit the look I am going for.

I cannot say for sure, since I did not consider the Tein springs (for no reason in particular). However, it sounds like you are on the right track.

 

If having the car sit level and look normal is wrong, well then, I don't want to be right!

I am still trying to decide whether I will keep the Swifts or switch to something a bit more civilized. If I did get new daily-driving springs, I would likely keep the swifts too, in case I ever decide to track the car and want to throw them back on.

What springs are you considering for daily driving?

Well, it's a long way off but the two contenders that I'm aware of would be the Cobb and Rallitek springs. Neither one is really a known quantity in regards to spring rate and actual drop, although pictures - and stated design intent - seem to indicate that they will result in a level ride with GT tophats. I would even consider Pinks since they are only 10% stiffer than stock versus the 20% stiffer Swifts. However, the ride-height issue rears it's ugly head again.

I think when I finally take the plunge and do my struts/shocks, I'll be going with Koni/Cobb.

 

Cobb springs because from what people have said they seem like a really nice daily driving spring rate, not too stiff, will reduce ride height perfectly, and will fix the meandering on the highway and improve cornering.

 

Anyone riding on Koni/Cobbs?

I'm curious about the cobb/koni setup too

I'm curious about the cobb/koni setup too

 

+1 me to. I'm running Cobb's on stock shocks and its well not as bad as people say. The sways make up for the bounciness that you get with the stock shocks but other then that the car handles quite well still. I can drive it a heck of a lot harder then i did stock and that honestly is better then any suspension mod you can do. Be able to drive the car at the limits first, then mod. Although i do want to upgrade to the koni valves in the future for adjustable firmness and increased dampening.

I think you guys would have nothing to lose going the Cobb/Koni route. Springs usually hold a strong resale value, so you could always ditch the Cobbs and go stiffer if you felt it was necessary. I'd be more inclined to do it, if Cobb published the spring rate.

Would the Cobbs sit as level on the GT as say swifts? The Cobbs seem more forgiving than the swifts for daily driving, am I correct on this?

That is a great question. Unclemat says that the Swifts are carry-overs from the JDM market, which would mean that they are riding low paired with my stock tophats. To me, the wheel gaps look even front to rear and the car doesn't have any rake that I can see plainly. If that is the case then the Cobbs may raise the front slightly relative to the Swifts, but remember that the Cobbs are one of the only springs known to have been designed for USDM GT (non-specb) tophats.

Hmmm, interesting. I know that I am still waiting for some more funds to come in before I do my suspension, and right now I have a set of used Swifts that I am debating on using them or going a different route with springs, (cobbs). If the cobbs are known to work with USDM GT (non-specb) tophats, then maybe they would be a better choice for daily driving over swifts.

That may very well be the case... My concerns would be:

 

How much higher would the front-end be? The usual disparity is ~10mm (~3/8") for the same springs on GT vs. Spec.B tophats. I really like the stance my car has now.

 

Is the Cobb spring stiff enough to prevent bottoming out on rough roads? It seems that people with Cobbs on stock struts are generally pretty happy with them, so maybe this isn't an issue. However, I'm a stickler for specs...

^FYI, its not the top hats that cause the ride height issue, its the bottom spring perch on spec b/ bilstien struts that cause the issue. the lower spring perch in the bils are farther from the bottom than the lgt struts so the spring is more compressed when mounted on the bils which increases spring preload and therefore lifts the front up more. specb/jdm springs are shorter in the front to counteract this. the higher spring perch on the bils is also why spec-b's can run a taller rim/tire combo.

 

so in the end, you have bilstein and lgt style struts, and their respective springs. mixing the 2 will cause ride height differences front to rear. using the right spring for the right shock will have you riding level. And thats the bottom line.

Either way, doesn't the supposedly JDM style Swift spring combined with my stock GT spring perch result in a level stance? We know there is a difference, regardless of which component it actually is, the problem is knowing which strut a particular spring is designed for, and how the car should look when all is said and done.

Judging by the pictures you have posted of your ride with the Koni/Swift combo, it "looks" to me like that is an ideal match. Ride height looks great, and the stance is visually appealing.

^for sure. since the swifts are, from what i understand, the stiffest aftermarket fixed perch spring available for the LGT, swifts/konis would be the best non-coilover choice for people on a budget. Pair them with some camber plates and you are in business.

Either way, doesn't the supposedly JDM style Swift spring combined with my stock GT spring perch result in a level stance? We know there is a difference, regardless of which component it actually is, the problem is knowing which strut a particular spring is designed for, and how the car should look when all is said and done.

 

Are the swifts JDM style?