Koni yellow adjustment?
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From: Chickamauga, GA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 355ci SBC
Transmission: TH700R4 - 2500 stall
Axle/Gears: 3.70 9 bolt
Koni yellow adjustment?
I had these Koni yellows on my other 89 IROC-Z but I'm switching them over to my low mile 89 IROC that just got painted... so I wanted to see what you guys were setting your shocks and struts at as far as stiffness.
I'm running Eibach Sportline springs, stock A-arms with Polyurethane bushings, UMI Lower control arms and adjustable panhard rod. Keeping the factory spring isolators too... So, what setting would be the best for street and autocross use?
I'm running Eibach Sportline springs, stock A-arms with Polyurethane bushings, UMI Lower control arms and adjustable panhard rod. Keeping the factory spring isolators too... So, what setting would be the best for street and autocross use?
Re: Koni yellow adjustment?
I followed the instructions below and the difference felt in cornering is profound. I ran mine on full soft for months not realizing what I was missing.
I did the adjustments at a track. I guess you could do it on the street in a very secluded area.
Hope this helps...
I did the adjustments at a track. I guess you could do it on the street in a very secluded area.
Best thing is for you to test-n-tune them. Koni has a double-adjustable tuning guide that you can just skip over the bump damping part and follow the rebound damping only ("yellows" are single-adjustables, rebound only). I may have a copy here (work), but basically you start at full soft and add stiffness.
Here's the Koni guide:
Tech Note
KONI ADJUSTMENT TUNING GUIDE
Suggested Adjustment Procedures For Road Racing Use
Adjusting The COMPRESSION (Bump) Damping Control
(Very Important to do this FIRST!)
Bump damping controls the unsprung weight of the vehicle (wheels, axles, etc.). It controls the upward movement of the suspension as when hitting a bump in the track. It should not be used to control the downward movement of the vehicle when it encounters dips. Also, it should not be used to control roll or bottoming.
Depending on the vehicle, the ideal bump setting can occur at any point within the adjustment range. This setting will be reached when "side-hop" or "walking" in a bumpy turn is minimal and the ride is not uncomfortably harsh. At any point other than this ideal setting, the "side-hopping" condition will be more pronounced and the ride may be too harsh.
STEP 1: Set all four dampers on minimum bump and minimum rebound settings.
STEP 2: Drive one or two laps to get the feel of the car. Note: When driving the car during the bump adjustment phase, disregard body lean or roll and concentrate solely on how the car feels over bumps. Also, try to notice if the car "walks" or "side-hops" on a rough turn.
STEP 3: Increase bump adjustment clockwise 3 clicks on all four dampers. Drive the car one or two laps. Repeat Step 3 until a point is reached where the car starts to feel hard over bumpy surfaces.
STEP 4: Back off the bump adjustment two clicks. The bump control is now set. Note: The back off point will probably be reached sooner on one end of the vehicle than the other. If this occurs, keep increasing the bump on the soft end until it, too, feels hard. Then back it off 2 clicks. The bump control is now set.
[edit mine]For Single-Adjustables - start here[/edit]
Adjusting the REBOUND Damping Control
Once you have found what you feel to be the best bump setting on all four wheels, you are now ready to proceed with adjusting the rebound. The rebound damping controls the transitional roll (lean) as when entering a turn. It does *not* limit the total amount of roll; it *does* limit how *fast* this total roll angle is achieved. How much the vehicle actually leans is determined by other things such as spring rate, sway bars, roll center, ride heights, etc.
It should be noted that too much rebound on either end of the vehicle will cause an initial loss of lateral acceleration (cornering grip) a that end which will cause the vehicle to oversteer or understeer excessively when entering a turn. Too much rebound control in relation to spring rate will cause a condition known as "jacking down." This is a condition where, after hitting a bump and compressing the spring, the damper does not allow the spring to return to a neutral position before the next bump is encountered. This repeats with each subsequent bump until the car is actually lowered onto the bump stops. Contact with the bump stops causes a drastic increase in roll stiffness. If this condition occurs on the front, the car will understeer; if it occurs on the rear, the car will oversteer.
STEP 1: With rebound set on full soft and the bump control set from your earlier testing, drive the car one of two laps, paying particular attention to how the car rolls when entering a turn.
STEP 2: Increase rebound damping three sweeps (or 3/4 turn) on all four dampers and drive the car one or two laps. Repeat Step 2 until the car enters the turns smoothly (no drastic attitude changes) and without leaning excessively. An increase in the rebound stiffness beyond this point is unnecessary and may result in a loss of cornering power. Note: As with the bump settings, this point will probably be reached at one end of the car before the other.
However, individual drivers may find it desirable to have a car that assumes an oversteering or understeering attitude when entering a turn. This can be easily "dialed-in" using slightly excessive rebound settings at either end.
Norm
Here's the Koni guide:
Tech Note
KONI ADJUSTMENT TUNING GUIDE
Suggested Adjustment Procedures For Road Racing Use
Adjusting The COMPRESSION (Bump) Damping Control
(Very Important to do this FIRST!)
Bump damping controls the unsprung weight of the vehicle (wheels, axles, etc.). It controls the upward movement of the suspension as when hitting a bump in the track. It should not be used to control the downward movement of the vehicle when it encounters dips. Also, it should not be used to control roll or bottoming.
Depending on the vehicle, the ideal bump setting can occur at any point within the adjustment range. This setting will be reached when "side-hop" or "walking" in a bumpy turn is minimal and the ride is not uncomfortably harsh. At any point other than this ideal setting, the "side-hopping" condition will be more pronounced and the ride may be too harsh.
STEP 1: Set all four dampers on minimum bump and minimum rebound settings.
STEP 2: Drive one or two laps to get the feel of the car. Note: When driving the car during the bump adjustment phase, disregard body lean or roll and concentrate solely on how the car feels over bumps. Also, try to notice if the car "walks" or "side-hops" on a rough turn.
STEP 3: Increase bump adjustment clockwise 3 clicks on all four dampers. Drive the car one or two laps. Repeat Step 3 until a point is reached where the car starts to feel hard over bumpy surfaces.
STEP 4: Back off the bump adjustment two clicks. The bump control is now set. Note: The back off point will probably be reached sooner on one end of the vehicle than the other. If this occurs, keep increasing the bump on the soft end until it, too, feels hard. Then back it off 2 clicks. The bump control is now set.
[edit mine]For Single-Adjustables - start here[/edit]
Adjusting the REBOUND Damping Control
Once you have found what you feel to be the best bump setting on all four wheels, you are now ready to proceed with adjusting the rebound. The rebound damping controls the transitional roll (lean) as when entering a turn. It does *not* limit the total amount of roll; it *does* limit how *fast* this total roll angle is achieved. How much the vehicle actually leans is determined by other things such as spring rate, sway bars, roll center, ride heights, etc.
It should be noted that too much rebound on either end of the vehicle will cause an initial loss of lateral acceleration (cornering grip) a that end which will cause the vehicle to oversteer or understeer excessively when entering a turn. Too much rebound control in relation to spring rate will cause a condition known as "jacking down." This is a condition where, after hitting a bump and compressing the spring, the damper does not allow the spring to return to a neutral position before the next bump is encountered. This repeats with each subsequent bump until the car is actually lowered onto the bump stops. Contact with the bump stops causes a drastic increase in roll stiffness. If this condition occurs on the front, the car will understeer; if it occurs on the rear, the car will oversteer.
STEP 1: With rebound set on full soft and the bump control set from your earlier testing, drive the car one of two laps, paying particular attention to how the car rolls when entering a turn.
STEP 2: Increase rebound damping three sweeps (or 3/4 turn) on all four dampers and drive the car one or two laps. Repeat Step 2 until the car enters the turns smoothly (no drastic attitude changes) and without leaning excessively. An increase in the rebound stiffness beyond this point is unnecessary and may result in a loss of cornering power. Note: As with the bump settings, this point will probably be reached at one end of the car before the other.
However, individual drivers may find it desirable to have a car that assumes an oversteering or understeering attitude when entering a turn. This can be easily "dialed-in" using slightly excessive rebound settings at either end.
Norm
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Car: 82 TA 87 IZ L98 88 IZ LB9 88 IZ L98
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Re: Koni yellow adjustment?
I run mine about 3/4 to full hardness. Comfort is not what I'm seeking
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Joined: May 2010
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From: Chickamauga, GA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 355ci SBC
Transmission: TH700R4 - 2500 stall
Axle/Gears: 3.70 9 bolt
Re: Koni yellow adjustment?
I'm not really concerned about comfort either... as I prefer a firm and responsive suspension. I live near the Appalachian mountains so carving corners is my type of cruising... I'm going to try one click from full hard and see how that feels. The car is extremely tight anyway, from Poly bushings in the A-arms and Delron bushings in the rear suspension.
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Re: Koni yellow adjustment?
i go full soft on the street and full hard on the track. (fronts only so far. set up in vB garage).
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Re: Koni yellow adjustment?
There was a nice write up above to help you set them properly.
If it sounds a little complicated... it is, read it again until it makes sense.
If you want a simplified version & also slightly less precise... set the fronts in the middle & the rears full soft. It will be a good starting point.
Start with a good alignment & proper tire pressures so you are not compensating for some other problem.
Throw the car into a hard corner, fast enough to get the tires squealing, making the car under steer. It may take a few tries to gain confidence & gradually build enough speed to feel what the car is doing while holding a steady line. Feel how it reacts & how it initially slides, also how skips over bumps & if it feels predictable.
Tighten the fronts slightly (about 1/4 turn) & try again.
Repeat the same turn at the same speed.
Keep increasing rebound firmness until car feels like it slides & then starts to steer.
When it feels like it slides on initial turn in & then recovers, you are too stiff.
Back off slightly (about 1/4 turn).
Then do the same for the rears... 1 step at a time.
Be especially careful here if you go too stiff you can get a snap oversteer condition that will plant the rear into a guardrail.
Experimentation is the only way to set them correctly.
If you drive it like a pansy, you will end up with the shocks too stiff & just have a rough ride, that will likely make you wreck if you do end up in a hard cornering situation.
Too stiff is just as bad as too soft....
There is no correct value to set them to, just what works best for your car.
I ended up just slightly over middle on the front & full soft at the rear when my suspension was relatively stock.
Even after a lot of other mods, I still only ended up with the rears on #2 & the fronts just over the mid point.
If it sounds a little complicated... it is, read it again until it makes sense.
If you want a simplified version & also slightly less precise... set the fronts in the middle & the rears full soft. It will be a good starting point.
Start with a good alignment & proper tire pressures so you are not compensating for some other problem.
Throw the car into a hard corner, fast enough to get the tires squealing, making the car under steer. It may take a few tries to gain confidence & gradually build enough speed to feel what the car is doing while holding a steady line. Feel how it reacts & how it initially slides, also how skips over bumps & if it feels predictable.
Tighten the fronts slightly (about 1/4 turn) & try again.
Repeat the same turn at the same speed.
Keep increasing rebound firmness until car feels like it slides & then starts to steer.
When it feels like it slides on initial turn in & then recovers, you are too stiff.
Back off slightly (about 1/4 turn).
Then do the same for the rears... 1 step at a time.
Be especially careful here if you go too stiff you can get a snap oversteer condition that will plant the rear into a guardrail.
Experimentation is the only way to set them correctly.
If you drive it like a pansy, you will end up with the shocks too stiff & just have a rough ride, that will likely make you wreck if you do end up in a hard cornering situation.
Too stiff is just as bad as too soft....
There is no correct value to set them to, just what works best for your car.
I ended up just slightly over middle on the front & full soft at the rear when my suspension was relatively stock.
Even after a lot of other mods, I still only ended up with the rears on #2 & the fronts just over the mid point.
Last edited by Lonnie P; Mar 6, 2014 at 09:03 PM.
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