[ylee coyote]

In the recent months I have replaced most of the suspension components putting koni adjustables/roc springs/poly bushes/new ar drop links etc
when all this was finished and the koni's adjusted the ride was ...well quite harsh
so I resiigned myself to this as ..oh well at least it handles well
however now I have done a few thousand miles in it the ride (although firm ) it has become appreciably smoother the "jarring " and small bump harshness has gone
It as if everything has settled in and is working as it should ..do pu bushes need time to age ?
do koni's need time to wear in ?
I must say I am well pleased with it now
has anyone else seen this ?

 

[billj]

My Konis seemed to get softer after a few thousand miles and the Abbott-recommended setting of 1/2 turn all round was no longer enough to control the springs. Increasing the damping actually made the ride more comfortable - I assume it became progressively more "jiggly" as everything settled down and the dampers became softer, but so gradually that I didn't notice it happening.

I subsequently increased the damper settings still further. What settings do you have the Konis at now?

 

[ylee coyote]

two on the back
half on the front

 

[billj]

What was your goal in using such a difference in front/rear damping rates?

 

[ylee coyote]

thinking was traction and roll resistance
given the adjustment works on bump and rebound the best way to track the bumps and ultimately hold the road is to have the absorber on the min setting to damp the spring as maximising traction on the front is the prime objective..
while on the rear the object is to provide roll resistance hence the high setting ..traction is not important you can trade that off for roll resistance.
does this makes sense ?
It seems to work in practice and I can wack up the fronts dead easy for track days ....

 

[Gordy]

My Konis seemed to get softer after a few thousand miles  [/b]

Would this explain why I'm feeling the ride on car to be much harsher of late? I've been thinking that the front of my car is really jarring every time I go over a bump, I've been putting it down my rapidly approaching middle age and desire for more comfort

but perhaps there's been some 'settling' in the dampers.

Is there a way to check the settings on the dampers?

 

[ylee coyote]

it should not be getting harsher...
as it wears in it should be getting smoother like mine and bill j's....

 

[billj]

Originally posted by ylee coyote:
[qb]it should not be getting harsher...
as it wears in it should be getting smoother like mine and bill j's.... [/qb][/b]

Mine didn't get smoother - it got harsher as the Konis weren't damping the springs properly any more. I had to turn them up to 1 turn front and rear to restore comfort. The car felt firmer, yet smoother.

The only way to check the settings are to turn them full-soft and count how many turns it takes (or half-turns, which are easier to count). I believe Abbott always set them one half-turn up from fully-soft. If this is the case, I suggest then turning the fronts up to one turn (or two half-turns, of course). If this smooths out the front, it may be worth getting someone to do the rears if you're not comfortable taking them off yourself - they must be removed to adjust them.

I tried the hard rear, soft front damping in an attempt to make the handling a bit more neutral. On my car, it was nowhere near as effective in this respect as using poly anti-roll bar bushes on the rear and rubber on the front.

 

[cdcarlsson]

Gordy,

If your steering wheel is shaking in your hands as you traverse small bumps and potholes then I would suggest that the damping on the front is indeed too soft.
My car felt like this until I wound on about half a turn more damping. This smoothed out the steering wheel a treat and now I've just got to smooth out the small vibrations that are being transmitted through the 17" tyres. Lower pressures may well help in this respect.

Nick.

 

[cdcarlsson]

Have just had the front drop links returned to their natural rubber state after a year of poly. Much nicer now with less harshness over small bumps and a more neutral cornering stance, definately less understeer. Still got the poly rear ARB bushes.

Nick.

 

[asgard]

This was a very informative series of comments. I was thinking of adjusting my car and this has given me a starting point. With regards the rears do you have to undo the shocker carriers or do they adjust by the release of the bottom bolt and turning. I assume that the fronts adjust through the grommet hole on the strut.

 

[billj]

Unfortunately, you must take the rears off completely to adjust them as they can't be compressed far enough with the dust cover and bump-stop in place.

To adjust the fronts, if you're talking about the top of the strut under the bonnet, then you are correct. I assume you have the white plastic knob kicking around somewhere which you fit over the metal lug on top of the damper to turn it.

 

[billj]

Originally posted by cdcarlsson:
[qb]Have just had the front drop links returned to their natural rubber state after a year of poly.[/qb][/b]

I recently replaced the poly front ARB bushes with new rubber ones. Turn-in is quite a bit better now, with less understeer. Not as good as I remember it when I first fitted the poly rear ARB bushes. Probably because the fronts at the time were quite worn rubber ones.

I think I'll be experimenting with thinner front anti-roll bars in the near future. Cheaper than an oversized rear bar.

 

[billj]

DOH!

Sorry, Asgard. I've just realised you have a 9-5, not a 9000. I think the 9-5 rear Konis might be adjustable on the car, but I'll leave it to a 9-5 person to help you out there. I think the fronts are as I described for the 9000, but again, best to wait for someone who knows about Konis on the 9-5 to speak up.

 

[mark e]

Originally posted by BillJ:
[qb]DOH!        

Sorry, Asgard. I've just realised you have a 9-5, not a 9000.  [/qb][/b]

Would you like some custard with that, sir?

 

[billj]

Originally posted by Mark E:
[qb]Would you like some custard with that, sir?            [/qb][/b]

And who's the one with the working gearbox (for a change

)?

 

[mark e]

Originally posted by BillJ:
[qb]And who's the one with the working gearbox (for a change  

  )?          [/qb][/b]

Err... me? I managed to have mine looked at and fixed before I turned it into scrap metal...

 

[billj]

Mind you, my gearbox must hardly have any old parts left in it...