Quote:
Originally Posted by SpencerMH
I assumed that would be the case on mixing dampers, but as adjustable I also thought it would likely just mean I couldn't ask forums for advice and use their settings, I would have to come up with my own settings that work; but I'll scrap that idea as I have no experience tuning shock settings.
I'm still curious if a $2,000 coilover such as the KW's are superior to a good DA shock and the H&R springs and if so why? I don't really need corner balancing and am happy with the ride height. Those shock suggestions are all in a bit higher price range I believe, but are Koni DA's or bilsteins just not competitive anymore? Are the H&R springs junk compared to a linear spring on coilover? Sorry for the broad range of questions but having the springs, the easiest is to just get a set of shocks that match them well and can be adjusted to be a bit stiffer for track days, but if the end result will be inferior to a rather inexpensive coilover system than I should just make the jump?
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I rather doubt that the OEM setup is failing at this point.. it is probably far more likely you have made things slightly worse by using springs alone. Keep in mind that if your " HUGE TIRES" are of a different height than OEM, that they also can be affecting your ride quality negatively as well.
You should go with a matched system of shocks and springs... your choice on whether or not they are coilover or not. Since you have springs.. yes.. you could add replce the OEM shocks and try and dial things in from there. To answer your question.... yes... good adjustable shock like a KONI shock should be able to work with your H and R springs.
A coilover setup is certainly nicer than springs and shocks alone.. and of course one of the primary advantages of a coiliver setup is that typically the dampers and springs ARE a matched set and of course height is adjustable. I have seen KW mentioned a lot recently... with a lot of mixed reviews. Personally, I am not impressed with KW basic models, although I have heard the V3 is better... I would probably look for a better quality setup than KW overall.... It sounds like you are probably thinking... wouldnt a hig quality damper with the current H and R springs be better than a low quality entry level coilover setup... and I agree in that I that think the answer is yes.
Since you are not racing, I would say a high quality Single adjustable shock is all you need.. and of course you can also go double adjustable if you want a small amount of overkill or " future proofing" should you decide to do more with the car later. Keep in mind that more knobs to turn can help... but can also hurt as well. It's going to take a fair amount of experimentation with settings to get the setup tuned for varied conditions... and if you don't take a very methodical approach then you can easily go backwards before forwards by just making indiscriminate adjustments.
After taking a quick look... I concur with Lcrain.. perhaps the JRZ RS-1 would really be a good option with your current springs. In the past, I have used AST, and have been very happy with the RIDE QUALITY from those shocks/struts. The ride can be adjusted from CADILLAC smooth to RACE CAR firm.