Steeda Testing with Koni - Active Suspension

[Nagare]

I am mostly interested in improved ride quality and will opt for the Koni's when they become available.

I'd vote Steeda + Progressives then. They get great reviews for comfort and are supposed to feel better than the stock springs (inc. PP). I haven't tried them because I wanted the Linear spring so I can't offer first hand experience on that.

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[Humphammer]

I'd vote Steeda + Progressives then. They get great reviews for comfort and are supposed to feel better than the stock springs (inc. PP). I haven't tried them because I wanted the Linear spring so I can't offer first hand experience on that.

I am not familiar with the progressives. I don't want anything that lowers my car, I have a hard enough time getting my 6'6" 265 lb. frame in and out as it is. I also have a sneaking suspicion that my car may have the dreaded evaporator core problem and I am way beyond the warranty period so I have to consider the costs involved in keeping vs trading out of the Ford family. I really love this car, and Ford has come a long way in fit and finish with the Mustang, but problems like this is why I stopped driving Ford's and went with BMW and Audi in the mid 90's. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Handling enthusiasts don't use stock height or spring rate ;) Although some people go for minimum drop springs, most options don't bring the improvement at stock height.

Lowering - in and of itself - is very commonly overrated. Until you're at or beyond R-compound territory and about to lift both inside tires in a corner just from the lateral g's, anyway.

With struts (and an uncorrected geo roll center), lowering has you "wasting" some of the additional spring rate just to hold the amount of roll down to where it was at OE ride height with the OE springs. You do generally gain some, but it's not as much as either the visual effect or the increased spring rates suggests you should be getting.

It's easier to picture this when you've lowered a car that uses struts at all four corners.


Norm

 

[Nagare]

Lowering - in and of itself - is very commonly overrated. Until you're at or beyond R-compound territory and about to lift both inside tires in a corner just from the lateral g's, anyway.

With struts (and an uncorrected geo roll center), lowering has you "wasting" some of the additional spring rate just to hold the amount of roll down to where it was at OE ride height with the OE springs. You do generally gain some, but it's not as much as either the visual effect or the increased spring rates suggests you should be getting.

It's easier to picture this when you've lowered a car that uses struts at all four corners.


Norm

I get it and always appreciate your extra information, but that's also why I said the options don't bring the change at stock ride height. Is it possible to have the higher rates and an equally tall spring? Seems like the higher the rate, the greater the drop generally (excluding progressives).

 

[Norm Peterson]

I get it and always appreciate your extra information, but that's also why I said the options don't bring the change at stock ride height. Is it possible to have the higher rates and an equally tall spring? Seems like the higher the rate, the greater the drop generally (excluding progressives).

Depends on what the spring designer's objectives are. It's certainly possible to wind a firm rate spring to ride at OE height, just that virtually all of the "lowering springs" seem to be designed with some amount of lowering as first priority because that's what the average customer considers (understands) first.

When you can't get the rate at the height you want from the marketplace, there are ways to correct the situation yourself.

It's absolutely possible to shim up a firm rate spring that's "too low" to reduce the amount of lowering advertised for that spring while also maintaining more of the benefits of the higher rate. The rear of my '08 sits about 3/8" higher than what the advertising for the springs claimed for them (and what the initial fitment also demonstrated). I may take it up another 1/8", maybe 1/4". This is at least the third car I've shimmed the springs on to adjust ride height.

There's at least one other way to shim the ride height for a strut suspension.


Norm

 

[mmarfan]

Handling enthusiasts don't use stock height or spring rate ;) Although some people go for minimum drop springs, most options don't bring the improvement at stock height.

From what I gather the regular version from Koni is suppose to work best with stock springs. I did see that potentially the Steeda version was suppose to work with lowering springs.

 

[Nagare]

From what I gather the regular version from Koni is suppose to work best with stock springs. I did see that potentially the Steeda version was suppose to work with lowering springs.

I think you could say that for any particular suspension piece. There are too many options out there for Koni to test compatibility with (Steeda, BMR, Eibach, CJPP, Vogtland, etc) so they'll only really be able to say based on a stock car. Steeda may test for stock and their own offerings (Sport Linear and Progressive, Ultralite Linear, Ultralite Extreme, Dual Rates, Min Drop, Drag (and x2 on most because they have Eco and V6/GT offerings)) to be able to provide the best answers they can for each situation and reach those that may want to go with a different spring for whatever reason.

The above is why adjustable components will be the best usually, you can fine tune it to match with the rest of your setup and ride how you like.

 

[shogun32]

so many combinations of lowered springs Koni would have a hard time developing them to work with all

Lowering is indeed troublesome over a certain amount - do the shocks have potentiometers to measure travel limits and position? If not, why the heck not? The whole point of electronically alterable suspension is such that you can measure rate of accelleration, absolute/relative position, and alter the voltage in the medium and thus influence viscosity, nee flow rates thru the orifices.

Dealing with stiffer springs would also be "trivial" unless of course the rates are so different from baseline that it's impossible to crank up the damping to suit. They would have to spec different fluid, particle concentration, voltage or perhaps swap out the piston. It's not like they couldn't ask what spring rates you're running and "build to suit" or have a 2 or 3 SKU to cover the applicable range.

 

[Nagare]

Lowering is indeed troublesome over a certain amount - do the shocks have potentiometers to measure travel limits and position? If not, why the heck not? The whole point of electronically alterable suspension is such that you can measure rate of accelleration, absolute/relative position, and alter the voltage in the medium and thus influence viscosity, nee flow rates thru the orifices.

Dealing with stiffer springs would also be "trivial" unless of course the rates are so different from baseline that it's impossible to crank up the damping to suit. They would have to spec different fluid, particle concentration, voltage or perhaps swap out the piston. It's not like they couldn't ask what spring rates you're running and "build to suit" or have a 2 or 3 SKU to cover the applicable range.

These aren't electronically alterable, it's all a contained system that bolts up like a regular shock/strut, not a full programmable system like MagneRide.

 

[mmarfan]

Back to the original question to Steeda... will your version be tuned for lowering springs?

 

[Oceanside_S550]

Sign me up!

 

[Miadhawk]

I currently have Steeda pro action adjustable shocks and am a big fan, they go great with the sport progressive springs once I figured out how I like them dialed in. Will the Koni special active be like these shocks but smoother over bad roads?

 

[SteedaTech]

Back to the original question to Steeda... will your version be tuned for lowering springs?

Yes, they will be.
Steeda Tech

 

[SteedaTech]

I currently have Steeda pro action adjustable shocks and am a big fan, they go great with the sport progressive springs once I figured out how I like them dialed in. Will the Koni special active be like these shocks but smoother over bad roads?

The Steeda pro action adjustable shocks are a upgrade over the Active system as far as performance and adjustability. The Active system is a all round good damper for ride comfort and control. The Steeda fixed valve and adjustables are designed more for handling performance.
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[GT 550]

@SteedaTech thanks. To help those of us who are waiting and wondering if the Active will suit our purposes, or if we should look at other options ie Steeda fixed valve and adjustable, can you tell us please what ride height and spring rate F and R will they be optimised for?

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