[200q20v] Lowering Springs? - or better idea agains side wind impact

[C1J1Miller at aol.com]

A track car, while fun, isn't what I'm after.  Track days are for me to learn to drive my car better on the street.  The compromises in ride quality, IMO, are fairly low, based on driving/driving in several other (similar) cars with modified suspensions...

Any details on rebuilding Konis?  I assume parts are available from Koni directly?  The shock inserts I've got are koni yellow, and have some miles on them; might be nice to start out fresh.

I don't think I'm wanting to move to a solid front strut/spring; want some suspension movement, thanks.  The stock suspension allows pretty severe compression on hard turns; lowering and stiffening may keep the suspension at a higher point during the same turn...
or at least minimize the upset from weight transfer side/side/ or front/back.
If I keep the same bump stops and I'm not hitting them in cornering, then I'm probably still in the designed suspension travel...  I do plan to correct the limits on camber tuning with altered upper spring mounts.
Chris




In a message dated Mon, 30 Apr 2001  9:44:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Bernie Benz <b.m.benz at prodigy.net> writes:

<< IMO the type 44 chassis is not and was never intended to be a track car
choice, just a great family cruizer.  The suspension tuning objective should
be to place the full range of suspension travel at the range of minumium
bump steer.  Stiffer springs reduce the range of suspension travel, thus
allowing a range of lesser bump steer, if so tuned.  The limit in this
direction would be to replace the spring with an approperate length of 4"
pipe, no bump steer!  Even with puese colored shocks.

In my Lancia days, wanting to lower a car but retain the same spring rate, I
have partly stress relieved springs by fully compressing them and soaking
them in a 500F oven for several hours.  An incrimental, trial and error,
irreversable experiment that accomplished the desired result.

I prefer orange Konis.  I also concur with comments of Koni unreliability,
but they are rebuildable.  Lancia and Lotus days again, I've had the
internal rebound bumpers in Konis disintegrate and particles therefrom
plugged the valving.  The shock became a solid rod, no motion.

Bernie

> From: C1J1Miller at aol.com
> Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 07:52:06 EDT
> To: <fundsaloracing at yahoo.com>, <pos at theinternet.de>, <b.m.benz at prodigy.net>
> Cc: <200q20v at audifans.com>
> Subject: RE: [200q20v] Lowering Springs? - or better idea agains side wind
> impact
> 
> Oops, the konis are yellow; only the rear are visible; should I repaint the
> front strut towers yellow? Factory was grey front (hidden inside) and black
> (visible) rear; should I repaint to match?
> 
> Bernie: have you driven one of these cars with altered suspension, or driven
> your stock-setup car on the track?
> What do you do when you've loaded up your cars with people/things, and
> compressed the springs to a lower ride height?  Any chance your stock springs
> have sagged a bit with age?
> Chris
> 
> 
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