H&R w/ Koni Yellow

[demonspeed]

Night and day difference over H&R's on stock struts/shocks. Period.

Vehicle handles uneven, non-smooth surfaces at high speeds so much better that it makes me want to cry.

Also, I've heard that you're supposed to turn dampers on coilovers to full soft for a certain amount of time to break them in. Do I have to do that with these Koni's too? I can't find any info on it. Thanks.

P.S. Totally worth the 550 shipped I paid to THMotorsports. Good guys.

[Nliiitend1]

Don't worry about any specific "break-in" procedure.

It doesn't surprise me at all that your car feels much more controlled. I just hope the Konis hold up well being forced to operate over a suboptimal range of motion (being as that they were designed for a stock-ride-height Mazda 3).

Keep us updated.

[gsrtype1]

did you just get the "shock kit" ? my shocks are fine but ti could be smoother over bumps...

[gsrtype1]

Originally Posted by Nliiitend1 Don't worry about any specific "break-in" procedure. It doesn't surprise me at all that your car feels much more controlled. I just hope the Konis hold up well being forced to operate over a suboptimal range of motion (being as that they were designed for a stock-ride-height Mazda 3). Keep us updated.

On there website it sais they are for the mazdaspeed turbo?

[Nliiitend1]

They "will work" with the MS3, but they are the same exact part that Koni has been selling for use on the regular Mazda 3 for years. They were designed as a stock replacement for the regular 3, meaning that they are designed to operate at regular Mazda 3 ride height.

[toprock]

Originally Posted by Nliiitend1 They "will work" with the MS3, but they are the same exact part that Koni has been selling for use on the regular Mazda 3 for years. They were designed as a stock replacement for the regular 3, meaning that they are designed to operate at regular Mazda 3 ride height.

From what I understand, Koni Yellows are for drops of more than 1", while the Koni FSD's are the ones that are made for stock ride height. Please correct me if I'm wrong...

[demonspeed]

I've heard both, but no matter what their original design parameters, they are worlds better than stock, and one of our only options, short of coilovers.

As for them working outside of their operating range, they are and aren't. They aren't progressive (as far as I know), so their dampening effect is not vehicle height specific. With the 1.2/1.4 inch drop the H&R's provide, they have much less travel to actually work in, but this really doesn't matter to the Koni's, nor should it have a negative effect on them directly. It's just more of a flaw in the suspension in general.

gsr, I have my fronts set to full stiff, and rears on the medium setting. The way the stock struts drive is still very fresh in my mind, so it is skewing my impression of the Koni's due to the difference. As for it being smoother over bumps, how fast are you going, and what kind of bumps? Low speed (i.e. parking lots etc...) the dampers really aren't doing anything. If its high speed we're talking about, then yeah.

[802MS3]

I think I found them on the site, but they look a little more expensive than 550 for all 4. do you have the link?

[demonspeed]

Call em, 1-800-959-0145. I googled koni yellow's on MS3's, and I found some random (247 I think) thread where they were doing a GB if I remember correctly, I called them, and they had a slightly different price, but still far better than anyone elses.

[Nliiitend1]

Originally Posted by toprock From what I understand, Koni Yellows are for drops of more than 1", while the Koni FSD's are the ones that are made for stock ride height. Please correct me if I'm wrong...

Koni yellows have always been designed to work on stock ride-height vehicles. The shock/strut bodies are the same length as the OEM pieces in every off-the-shelf instance I've seen. They can be shortened and re-valved, but the OTS products are designed to work at stock ride-height.

Does this mean that they're ultimately unsuitable for use with shorter springs? No, but the further from stock height you get, the less "optimal" they become...

[gsrtype1]

Originally Posted by demonspeed I've heard both, but no matter what their original design parameters, they are worlds better than stock, and one of our only options, short of coilovers. As for them working outside of their operating range, they are and aren't. They aren't progressive (as far as I know), so their dampening effect is not vehicle height specific. With the 1.2/1.4 inch drop the H&R's provide, they have much less travel to actually work in, but this really doesn't matter to the Koni's, nor should it have a negative effect on them directly. It's just more of a flaw in the suspension in general. gsr, I have my fronts set to full stiff, and rears on the medium setting. The way the stock struts drive is still very fresh in my mind, so it is skewing my impression of the Koni's due to the difference. As for it being smoother over bumps, how fast are you going, and what kind of bumps? Low speed (i.e. parking lots etc...) the dampers really aren't doing anything. If its high speed we're talking about, then yeah.

Yeah like on the freeway some potholes can be extra annoying lol

[demonspeed]

Originally Posted by Nliiitend1 Koni yellows have always been designed to work on stock ride-height vehicles. The shock/strut bodies are the same length as the OEM pieces in every off-the-shelf instance I've seen. They can be shortened and re-valved, but the OTS products are designed to work at stock ride-height. Does this mean that they're ultimately unsuitable for use with shorter springs? No, but the further from stock height you get, the less "optimal" they become...

Actually, the body on the rears (only ones I compared) were about an inch shorter, but the piston was longer, resulting in an overall equal length.

[Nliiitend1]

Originally Posted by demonspeed Actually, the body on the rears (only ones I compared) were about an inch shorter, but the piston was longer, resulting in an overall equal length.

Yeah, I suppose I should've used the term "static length" or something rather than "shock/strut body" to get my point across, but of course that point remains the same...They are developed with use at or very near stock ride-height.