KONI Shocks

[rlsedition]

I was at the SEMA show last week and talked at length to a couple of the principles at HPP. Their concern was that no manufacturer was making shocks for the LX cars featured/priced between the OE parts and the KW coil-overs. They encouraged us to create something to fill that marketplace gap.

Well, we will have an SRT-8 Magnum in our shop this month and here are our plans:
1. Develop a non-adjustable FSD shock system for the LX cars that offers balanced ride/handling. These shocks will be best suited to stock ride height cars (or the dropped SRT-8 height). If you want a ride improvement on your SRT-8 or want more body motion control on your R/T or 300c, these are your shocks. Estimated MSRP pricing in the $800-900 range.
2. Develop a rebound-adjustable shock system for the LXs that improves body control, works with lowering springs/larger wheels and is more affordable. Obviously, we may not be able to handle all the latest custom wheel sizes (26, 28, 30, 34"? Oh, come on!). Estimated MSRP in the $700-800 range.

[MAGNUM8R]

Johsh and Jason were actually working at the SEMA show??
I'm impressed!!

[monty1269]

Keep us updated as often as you can!! Since you are new here (post count)...WELCOME!! And I'm sure you will receive LOTS of input!

Like I said...the more often you are here, responding, etc..the more likely you will be well received...hence more products sold!

[Hemi31]

So the adjustible dampers will be cheaper than the standard dampers?I thought you were going for an in between price?Thats more than the Eibachs by a bunch!

[Vaderwagon]

Well, we will have an SRT-8 Magnum in our shop this month and here are our plans:
1. Develop a non-adjustable FSD shock system for the LX cars that offers balanced ride/handling.
2. Develop a rebound-adjustable shock system for the LXs that improves body control, works with lowering springs/larger wheels and is more affordable.

This was where Koni was when I spoke with one of their guys last March. For such a popular platform, things sure move slowly. I was not going to wait any longer a picked up a set of takeoff SRT8 Bilstein dampers. It sure seems as if Koni would have an application on the shelf for at least the rears and possibly an insert for the front struts. Something that might be closely based on a similar Daimler MB sized platform?

Glad though that it is being worked on.

[Magnum PI]

[quote=rlsedition;577503]I was at the SEMA show last week and talked at length to a couple of the principles at HPP. Their concern was that no manufacturer was making shocks for the LX cars featured/priced between the OE parts and the KW coil-overs. They encouraged us to create something to fill that marketplace gap.


Eibach dampers are made by KW and retail for $600. They also are firm and ride great with their springs. I was waiting for Koni, even emailed them, but now I am an Eibach believer.

[Token]

Don't forget the AWD crowd!!!!!!

[SteveRT]

I would really be interested in the shocks for stock height RT. Though I think $800-$900 is too much.

[Magne300Csium]

I would really be interested in the shocks for stock height RT. Though I think $800-$900 is too much.

I agree. I have used Tokico's on a few different cars and had excellent success (ride vs handling) at a very reasonable price.

Something reasonable for the stock ride-hight LX Cars should cost about $500-600.

I was at SEMA last year and was told by "everybody" that there would be LX shocks on the market by 1Q 2006. Yes, things move very slowly.

[American Muscle]

Sounds promising but still a little over priced.

[MomsR/T]

I have personally talked to an engineer at Koni on the phone..........this is completely different than what he told me on the phone.

BTW.........Koni is top of the line......bottom line no question. The orices posted are a bit steep but thats Koni.

[JESUSFREAK]

Yeah for only 2 hundred more dollars you can buy the KW coilovers.

[rlsedition]

Good discussion, but I want to clear things up a bit.

First, sorry it has taken this long for us to respond to the LXs, but we are a European company and our focus is still the Euro cars. We in the North American office are working hard to modify this direction and cover more Domestics as time goes on, but it does take a while to get this done.

Second, don't take those price ranges too literally. They are MSRPs and our independent distributors usually sell for less; in this case probably about $100 or so less that the MSRPs.

Third, I'm biased, of course, but we are not afraid to compare shock performance with KW, Tokico or any other shock company; in fact we welcome it. KONIs really are the top-of-the-line when you look at ride/handling results, although we are not the least expensive.

Finally, the FSDs really are a different design concept, which is why they cost more than our adjustable Sport offerings. They have a patented, twin valving design which is frequency-sensitive (versus velocity-sensitive). The smaller valve reacts to higher-frequency road disturbances (10-15 Hz), while the main valve controls gross body motions (1-2 Hz). The result is both great ride quality and better motion control. Typically, shocks will trade off ride quality to obtain taut body control, but not FSDs. We see these for the SRT-8s, 300Cs and R/Ts that are daily-driven and don't want a harsh ride.
The catch? Body lowering must be controlled so that the shocks do not ride on the bump rubbers, or the FSDs will read that as a high-frequency disturbance and back off damping control. Our intent is to qualify these with Eibach Pro-Kit springs (roughly a 1.5" drop). We're not sure we can lower the SRT-8s at all; we'll try it.

[Vaderwagon]

We see these for the SRT-8s, 300Cs and R/Ts that are daily-driven and don't want a harsh ride.

I am all for this and hope that Koni comes out with this product soon. That being said I am not opposed to the typical Koni Red manually adjustable shock that they have always produced as long as it is adjustable while on the car. Some of the models they produced had to be removed and adjusted.

[MattRobertson]

Very, very interesting. If you're going to try your FSD's on an R/T with a Pro-Kit on it, be advised those springs settle significantly after a few weeks on these heavy cars. A 1.75" drop is not uncommon. Thats what I got on mine.

On the other hand, if you can say "they're rated for a drop of 1.5" then we can find the springs to do that, somehow.