Spring / Shock suspension stiffness???

[ALLAN]

I replaced my KYB shocks (front and rear) because they are too stiff and not adjustable. With the KYBs removed and before putting on the new Spax shocks I pushed down on the cars four corners (heavy duty springs) and it seems the springs have a reasonable amount of give but not too mushy or stiff. I set the Spax on the low setting and compressed them by hand and they are alot softer than the KYBs, but after I installed them and pushed down on the car it felt too stiff just like with the KYB installed. I mean I can push down on the car with all my weight and hardly get it to move. When I Autocrossed with the KYBs the car handled flat and I mean there was hardly any lean in the fastest of corners, sometimes I felt it handled too flat.--------I would like some opinions on this and/or experiences.

 

[Guest]

Ya just gotta run them to see what settings you like. I, too, got rid of the KYB shocks in the rear and went with Spax. Just a few tweaks and they are fine for me. Have Koni shocks in the front.

 

[richards]

Well, I am working on the same problems (or is it pleasures?)
I have Good Part springs front and rear.
Konis on the front.
So I tried KYBs in the rear. These are hi-pressure gas shocks.
They made the car ride about 1/4 inch higher (even after driving around on them). You could not push down on the back end and make it move. It was stiff!
So then I tried Monroe's, which a friend of mine had sitting around, they were the ones spec'd by Blind Moose who made my rear tube shock kit. They are too soft.
So this weekend I finally received my rear Konis. I put them in set at 50%. I drove around that way for about one hour. I think I am going to make them a bit stiffer. Also I think I am going to set the front shocks stiffer.

This is really a work in progress. And I think hard to know what is best. We have to find the right balance for all kinds of road conditions, etc.

 

[trfourtune]

just a stab at this IMHO
your shocks should not set the stiffness of your car, the springs do that. the shocks are to control the speed of movement of the spring. all the latest racing set-up is to have springs just stiff enough to stop bottoming and put in lots of sway bar to control body sway and speed up the transitioning (left to right). the softer you can set-up a car, the more grip is possible. if the bars are too stiff you will lift a wheel, which means you have less total traction. adjustable shocks are the only way to go. the goal is to get maximum grip. rear shocks will control the RATE (time)of squat when you accelerate. the real trick is to get the correct springs first. remember that soft=grip and the chassis transitional responses (ie. how quick your car reacts) is bothe spring rates and shock rates.
good luck
rob

 

[ALLAN]

I understand all that but the shocks are what is causing the extra stiffness. In the KYBs case-- they are pressurized and do cause more stiffness not just controlling the spring rate. The Spax are not pressurized but are stiff on compression even on the soft setting, they probably need to be broken in. The original Addco Guy wrote a book about handling and preached the use of soft suspension and to use the right sway-bar to get the right set up. I dont have competition springs only heavy duty ones and you can push the car down a few inches untill the shocks are installed, thats when everything gets too stiff. But I hope once the car is on the road the shocks will soften up.----------------------Generally speaking a car with stiff suspension will cause a faster weight transfer which will sometimes make the car twitchy and harder to handle. A soft suspension will have a slower weight transfer that will sometimes cause a car to not be responsive enough going into turns. There has to be a good balance between the two.

 

[tomshobby]

I thought that gas-shocks react differently and that it is best to have the same type front and rear? This is a question, not a statement.

 

[ALLAN]

Generally speaking it is ideal to have the same type shocks front and rear. Pressurized gas shocks on compression do initially add to the spring rate, as opposed to a hydralic shock--they slow the compression but do not add to the spring rate. I have read several Triumph performance articles in the past that say 50/50 (compression /rebound)hydralic shocks works best on Triumphs. I dont know what percentage the Spax are or koni?. Maybe the original rear lever shocks are the best way to go?.------Im not an expert when it comes to shocks-- maybe Allen Myers will read this and clear some thing up for us, Allen are you out there?