re Shock Recommendations

["Smith, Kirby A" <kirby.a.smith@lmco.com>]

"Dan Sinclair" <sinclair@prospro.com> asked:
---------------------------
So what recommendations WILL people make regarding aftermarket shocks?  I
hear a couple votes for Koni Reds, one blast on Koni Yellows, another blast
on Blisteins...

I'm going to be in the market for shocks/struts in my [1988] Audi 90 in the
near
future, and would like a little less roll and dive (my 2 wheel drive 90 has
quite a bit of both).  I don't want a jarring, bumpy ride though - you know,
all the advantages none of the disadvantages!:)  Any recommendations and
info on how they compare to stock would be helpful.
--------------------------
On my 1988 90q, my recently installed Bilsteins are very firm, firmer than
the Boges that came with my car and which had an indeterminate milage (some
were leaking).  The Bilsteins provide a small reduction in roll and dive,
but stiffer springs would be needed, I believe, to have a significant effect
there.  I suspect that stiffer springs could be used without much increase
in ride stiffness because my present perception is that sharp transients are
resisted mainly by the shocks.  With the Bilsteins, there is still some
overshoot to a step input, so they aren't overdamped, but without a lot of
parameters which I don't know how to find, I cannot compute the actual
damping factor.  (Nor do I know what is optimal; van Valkenburg treats this
subject qualitatively, and I have no other reference.)

                .... Kirby   (Kirby A. Smith)
                              2 x 1988 90q
                          New Hampshire USA