Koni Settings for Track?

[2015Etrac]

What's a good setting for Koni Yellows on the track? I keep them set about 50% for street driving.

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[BmacIL]

I would try 1.25-1.5 turns up from soft up front and 1.0-1.25 turns from soft in the back. Too stiff can hurt.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Koni's take . . . I'm snipping the compression-side details out.

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.

<snip>

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.

But since you already have some experience with the damping set about at what Koni describes the beginning of step 2 to be, you could perhaps start by adding a quarter of a turn to the front only. I suggest this because people do tend to run firmer front damper settings up front in front engine RWD cars, at least while the OE front to rear spring balance is present. Go up in maybe eighth turn increments from there before tweaking for understeer-oversteer balance.

Gently return the adjusters to full soft to re-index them before adjusting to a different settings. Settings have been known to drift slightly, and could become cumulative if you can't recreate exactly the setting where you put them last.


Norm

 

[2015Etrac]

Sounds good. Thank's for the tips Bmac & Norm. I'll give 1.25 front and 1.5 rear a try. I was also told I should lower the front tire pressure by 3psi or so over the rear? So like 33psi front and 36psi rear. Does that sound about right?

 

[BmacIL]

Sounds good. Thank's for the tips Bmac & Norm. I'll give 1.25 front and 1.5 rear a try. I was also told I should lower the front tire pressure by 3psi or so over the rear? So like 33psi front and 36psi rear. Does that sound about right?

Reverse both the adjustment and the pressures and you're good. More in front, on both.

 

[2015Etrac]

Reverse both the adjustment and the pressures and you're good. More in front, on both.

Oops, that's right. Thanks.

 

[Norm Peterson]

What BmacIL said.

But feel free to experiment a bit from wherever you start things - driver confidence (the subjective side of the handling equation) is pretty important as well. You may even find that your preferences shift a little as you gain more experience.


Norm

 

[Cobrakit]

So i thought Koni yellows only had one adjustment and i was told by Koni it was rebound only, that was on my 2013.

 

[Norm Peterson]

So i thought Koni yellows only had one adjustment and i was told by Koni it was rebound only, that was on my 2013.

That's true.

But you can use their tuning procedure for double-adjustables (both bump and rebound) for single-adjustables. Just skip over the bump thing portion.


Norm

 

[Cobrakit]

That's true.

But you can use their tuning procedure for double-adjustables (both bump and rebound) for single-adjustables. Just skip over the bump thing portion.
Norm

Agree, good write up!!!

OBTW I love my PP1 with Magneride !!!

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