fitting koni inserts to gm struts guide vn/vz

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

On our Goat tracks we need a lot of vertical compliance, Commodores are designed to have a LOT of bump steer, that coupled with the variable ratio rack a lot of the later cars have makes them feel squirrely when at stock height, people drop them and it “feels” better due to the reduced amount of bumpsteer but in reality they handle like crap as one of more tyres can’t maintain grip on the road surface..

As you’ve found by raising it a bit you find a happy medium, good shocks and bars make a huge difference to these cars, I corrected for Bump Steer in the Lexcen and it’s made a massive difference in “feel” now I’m just playing around with shocks and bars to get it right.

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

Its amazing how many people go down the track of “lower is better” or “stiffer is better” without actually knowing. And then I laugh incredibly when they P-Plater next to me has to put 215 front tires on his commodore because his 20-inch wheels foul on the strut tower and says: “man it grips so much better like this”…..

On the road, compliance and travel are massively important. On a superflat racetrack, they aren’t as much. Tire choice and size is a huge factor too. There’s a reason why formula 1 cars dont have 20-million inch wheels with zero-profile tyres.  Anyone who’s driven a modern porsche or M-series BMW will immediately understand why these companies spend millions fine-tuning their suspension setups to give amazing feel and grip, but still be comfortable.

Hats off to you IJ, it’s an art form developing your own suspension from scratch and making it work properly

 

 

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

Thanks Dan  :XD:

[SurfwagonParticipant HSV Z Senator LS2 View build HERE Member since: July 24, 2015 Posts: 25]

For the reasons you guys have been mentioning is the reason I left my HSV luxury springs in but fitted Koni Yellows for better control but maintaining good ride.

I also fitted Larger sway bars F&R 30/18mm to control sway and this did not contribute to a harsher ride as some people say.

I think the people that say sway bars make the car ride stiffer are most probably already running on lowered suspension (lower than FE2).

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

I tend to agree, I have left the missus Calais at FE2 height but using after market Dobi springs which have the rear of the car sitting a little flatter than factory rake look.  I also run a 225/50/17 wheel which all combined give a  more comfortable ride on our shit quality roads than superlow springs and matching shocks.

I agree with the others that shocks and bars are really the tuning tools for suspension.

The other thing to consider is a strut brace, I find steering becomes more responsive with one fitted.

I really should try some Koni inserts, currently it’s running a combination of KYB and Munroe shockers.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by  Immortality. Reason: add

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

Don’t get me wrong, the coilovers have improved the steering response and grip immensely.

Especially since the only other suspension mods are poly bushes. If you added sway/strut bars and some good tyres, you’d have a serious bit of kit on a track day.

It’s just a touch too firm IMO for a daily driver, and not ideal for roads than can upset the balance of a car . admittedly 19s on 265s don’t help much with comfort either, but that shouldn’t be enough to make it too uncomfortable.

Still convinced that the koni inserts are probably a perfect match for road use.

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

Surfwagon wrote:

I think the people that say sway bars make the car ride stiffer are most probably already running on lowered suspension (lower than FE2).

The easy answer is that the sway bars attach left and right wheels together in such a way that they’re never truly independent.

When your left wheel feels a bump, the swaybar transfers some of that force to the right hand wheel, so the bumps are felt through the whole car rather than isolated to one wheel. if you’ve ever disconnected your swaybars altogether just for fun, you’ll immediately notice that you feel bumps alot less.

I even considered disconnecting mine whilst driving around normally, but decided I shouldn’t have to just to make it comfy.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by  Dan811.

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

I had a sway bar link fail on my old VN, wasn’t to bad, just don’t take corners to fast or tight round-a-bouts……

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

Immortality wrote:

I had a sway bar link fail on my old VN, wasn’t to bad, just don’t take corners to fast or tight round-a-bouts……

 

Yeah had two link pins fail then last week we did this

 

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

I did something similar on the VN, on our VS I upgraded to the ball joint type links and no more stuffed link arm bushes

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

guide to fitting bilstein inserts as well.

 

https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/bilstein-shock-inserts-a-quick-how-to.234183/

[Author]

Posts