Revalved Koni's
I purchased a set of USED revalved Koni's from Chris not too long ago. These, I believe, are the same spec as what was used by HDDP and NoCones and perhaps a few others. I bought them without asking any questions about condition, settings, proof or any other intelligent thing to do prior to buying them. I just want to say THANKS CHRIS! They deliver and I love them! Now, I should point out a few things. I love them for racing. For a full time street car, I wouldn't. I tried the softest settings and they just get bouncy. Hardest setting = almost no movement at all. I'm convinced that those that love them for the street have the stock Koni's or have the Eibach springs. The stock springs are too stiff for a smooth ride on the street with the Koni's that I have. Now on to the track. I went to a track I've never seen before yesterday (27th). It's a high speed track. It has esses, only one hairpin turn, highspeed straights, long sweeping turns, etc. which is opposite the track I usually go to which is all turns at mostly low speed. I sighed up late for an instructor and they had no slots left. So, I got a parade lap with a lead car to learn the track and see where to enter and exit. Thank goodness because I didn't even know which direction to drive. The event was late starting because it was over subscribed. We had 3 classes. 2 for Solo 1 cars for track time and one for the race cars. Because of the late start all the classes ran one after the other with no break all day. (20 minutes on the track and 40 minutes off until the next 20 minute session) PERFECT!
The very first corner I went in too hot and had a little spin. WTF! The car went in a slow power slide until I hit the marbles, which made the back come around even more. Real controllable. Only one person saw what happened and I bribed him to keep quiet. Then I caught up to the Vettes. WTF again? They were new to the track as well but knew nothing about what the new Vettes can do. They were braking way early. We were allowed to pass but only on the straights and I didn't have enough to get by on the straights. I could stay right behind them but couldn't make up an inch. Finally I was waved by. I got behind and older M3 that was prepped for the track. What fun to be behind a good car and watching the diagonal, almost drift angle, of the car through the high speed sweeper. And even more fun to realize that I could go through the faster turns and esses equal to him. He ate me in the slow turns however. I did pass him eventually. I've mixed things up a bit in the tale, but we had three 20 minute sessions. The first session I was with the slow cars. (vettes, porsches etc., with newbies) The second session I went with the faster cars and the 3rd session was the best. Time was running out so the track cars went out too. I don't think more than 2 or 3 cars could pass me on the straights. Perhaps they were a bit faster, but not enough time to do it before braking. In the turns, the prepped Subaru's were fast. I could brake with all of the cars there. Actually, I could out brake most. Maybe I'm just more daring? I have to give a lot of credit to the new shocks. At speed they make a huge difference in the neutrality and controllability. In the real slow stuff the front wants to go away like before. I so have a little squeegie sound coming from one side in the back. I'll take a look later. I didn't use a torque wrench on the top bolt. (My deep dish sockets were misplaced.) Every thing else was torqued to spec. I still have to get the camber kit installed. I think it will make a huge positive difference.
In summary ... revalved Koni's ... not the best for the street. High speed track = excellent, completely changes the car from one that pushes badly to one that is neutral and is slightly loose at the limit. (I believe I got the air pressures and shock settings right for this track.)
I'm leaving a lot out of the story, like when I came off the track after passing all those vettes (drivers with instructors) the organizer told me he was impressed and said "you should do this for a living" WTFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!! Earth to Velociabstrat, come in Veloci, Veloci? are you there? NO, I'M IN OUTER SPACE!
Les