Well, maybe not, but you get the point. My car just feels completely different now.

Real quick:
Spohn weld in SFC's
S&W Roll Bar, no swing out kit
Stock A-Arms, Del-A-Lum bushings
Eibach Pro-kit
Founders LCA's (poly..yeah I know)
Spohn Adjustable track bar
LCARBS
Moser 9" Rear (heavy, 249lbs!)
36mm Front, 24mm rear sway bars

Needless to say my car is STIFF with the SFC's and roll bar all welded in, and I thought my GR2's were "ok". I put about 100 miles on my car today after the install and I'm blown away. Gone is the shimmy, shake, rattle, you name it. The car is just PLANTED and rough patches of pavement are soaked up with ease, even in a turn. I guess the best description would just simply be "no drama". You go over bumps, dips, curves, etc...and nothing happens. The car just soaks it up and keeps on going smooth and controlled. It really is a huge difference from the GR2's.

I do a lot of drag racing so I'm sure I'll have to change them out for the weeks I'm serious about the 60' time, but for the majority of my time on the street I feel like I shoulda bought these a while ago.

Big kudos the SlickTrackGod and his posts, they're pretty much what made me pull the trigger.

 

I have not got 100 miles on mine yet but I can say I did not know shocks/struts could be that good.

 

I didn't either. I drove the same roads I always do going to/from my apartment in Columbus from my hometown in southern Ohio, and I was deliberately trying to avoid bias. I hit every same bump, curve, bump in the curve, etc I always do. I'm not saying Bilsteins wouldn't have been just as good, but the upgrade from the KYB was definite and real.

Koni's aren't cheap, thats for sure. But the difference in handling is fairly dramatic. Cowl shake...gone. Rear end feeling floaty after a bump in a curve...gone.

 

Yep. They're definitely a change in driving feel. Going over a drop in the road, the car will just extend itself down like Inspector Gadget's car. Meanwhile you feel nothing inside. Getting sideways while spinning the tires, the car will settle down with ease. Just point it where you want to go and wait. You don't get the sloshing back and forth while the tires are regaining traction.

I spent a couple days not knowing where the cornering limit was with the Konis after install, because they were so much different from stock.

The reason I use Koni as my avatar is because it's my favorite mod.

 

There is a back road here with a bad dip. The other side of that dip is all scared up from all the cars that have bottomed out on it.

My car would for sure bottom out on it and has left at least one of the scars on the blacktop.

Anyway at first I took it and 30 MPH and nothing. (Keep in mind my car is 1" lower now with weight jacks) 50 still nothing and I would have took the front tires off the ground before at 50 no problem.

Did another pass on the dip at about 65 MPH and nothing. Not a damn thing. I bet I could take it at 120 MPH with no problems.

As a matter of fact I am now going to put long tube headers on because I'm not worried about them hitting the road.

 

i only have my front suspension done but the koni's are great! drove it enough now to have to top off the fuel twice since complete front suspension/steering overhaul.

 

I am glad to hear My advice is helping others in major purchases. It is alot of money to lay out, But I have always preached it is money well spent. Put everything you have into tires and shock first before you touch anything else.

With that said, I too am putting a new set of Koni Yeloows on another car of mine I am building. The shocks will be here tomorrow and its the first addition to a radical new project I am starting on, I acquired a little mid 90's C-class Mercedes for a song and dance, and then happened accross a rare European Brabus full body kit for it so the transformation will start tomorrow on this project- the first being -yes- Koni yellow Monotubes.. Its going from this to that. gnna be an awesome little car.

I'm no hypocrate- I practice what I preach.

 

Check out the NASCAR boomtube and long tube headers I fitted onto a locals car two months ago. Tim's car is low 25" front fenderlip height, but I clearanced his trans crossmember bracket and built the exhaust up tight under it so he had great ground clearance.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/exha...-boomtube.html

 

I seen them and do think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Problem is

I cruise a lot in Memphis (about an hour away) and also road trip to Gatlinburg, Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans each a few times a year.

Plus I want to go on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bandit_Run with all the other Trans Ams next year.

I think the droning would drive me nuts. I have a 100% hooker exhaust now. The only thing I will change will be the headers and y pipe for the new headers. My Hooker shorties and y pipe will be for sale on 3rdgen.org around October. LOL

And no matter what after I get my car painted I am going to loan it to the Tupelo Auto Museum for their Pontiac show. Last year every gen was there except 3rd gens!!!!! They even had a 2000 trans am but not a 3rd gen!! Right now my paint job is a 10 footer. LOL It's original paint except the gold ground effects the PO painted gold. I don't want the people visiting the museum thinking they had boom tube exhaust. LOL

 

UnstableAviator,
Glad you are happy with them. I know I was amazed at the difference the Koni's made on my car. What settings do you have your shocks/struts on?

I tried mine on full soft front and back at first. Nice comfortable ride with much better handling than stock. Then I went to click one on the rear and 1 turn on the front, definitely stiffened it up a lot. On those settings the ride is much firmer but the handling is even better. I'm still running cut stock springs, you may be able to go up to higher settings with the pro-kit springs.

I also have poly bushings in my UMI LCA's but I've never experienced the binding issues that some have had. But I don't autocross or road race so I don't push my car that hard in comparison. I thought about trying the newer founders LCA's that have the 3 piece poly joint...would like to get some adjustable LCA's anyway.

 

it gets very technical to explain if you are not a major suspension guru to understand, but badically going up any more ont he rear rebound will cause you to simply just start loosing mechanical grip and thus loose valueable traction of the inside rear tire. On a stock suspension car that is lowered, the way the car rolls sideways AND canters roll more towards the front will casue the rear inside tire to just pull up off the ground thus riding around corners more on 3 wheels so to speak. It makes the car loose the more the rebound is used. You have to lower the rear roll center and increase the rear spring rate to properly need more rebound damper. Either that or lighten the nose of the car so it does not dominate lateral roll.

 

With the springs in my car (Moog 5662/5665), I found that 1.5 turns was the max I'd want to use. And honestly 1 turn seemed to be lacking little to nothing compared to 1.5 turns. I'm still running 0 clicks on the back.

What would you say the max rebound settings for normal spring cars like myself would be? 1 turn and 1 click?

 

yes, i would run around town definately with no lower than Click #1 on the rear and about 3/4 turn dailed into te front of a V8 car- maybe 1 based on the weight and ride height. Put it on an autox track and the rear would probably stay at 1 and the front go a least another 1/2 turn minimum or even up to maxed out it the course is smooth and grippy. It you are getting inside front wheel lockups then back it down.