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Vogtland Springs/Factory Dampers in Front/Koni Orange in the Rear

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#1
I'm getting ready to pick up a set of Vogtland Springs. Considering putting Koni Oranges in the rear and keeping the factory dampers in the front. Has anyone tried this? I've read that Koni Oranges in the front tend to make it a little bouncy. I've seen people run similar setups with Eibach Springs. Just trying to figure out if buying Koni Oranges for the rear is worth the money.
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
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#2
I tried that setup using Eibach springs because it was floaty with both Eibach and Str.Ts in front.

I really liked that setup at first. The ride was smoother and even seemed sportier too than stock. However after getting passed the initial satisfaction of the improved ride and handling (it also looked great too!), I noticed a squirrely feeling on any freeways with moderate to heavy bumps at high speeds. I originally thought it was worth it but after awhile it began to wear on me because in my area there simply aren't any smooth highways and I probably travel 85%+ on highways.

After a little research I realized that the Str.Ts were really intended for stock springs and not aftermarket so I gave that a try instead. While it didn't initially feel as nice as mixing the dampers and it loses that nice drop, it also didn't have the squirrely affect and it still improved the ride over stock. Some performance is lost with this setup vs stock but it's not significant...unless you are the racing type. In that case I'd recommend the yellows instead.

I miss the performance boost and drop of mixing the two but this setup feels more refined which is somewhat important to me also and I can't help wondering if the squirrely effect would cause other problems further down the road. I do plan to use a taller tire when these wear down to at least retain the dropped look though (if I don't drop my car again first and put the Bilsteins on it next time around...)

That said, I think part of the problem was because the Str.Ts combined with the softer Eibach springs make a bad combination as they are both too soft to be used together. You may have better results with these other springs because they are stiffer which may be a closer match to the stock springs but maybe someone else can chime in that knows more about that than me...

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 


OP
F
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Thread Starter #3
Thanks for the reply. I think for now I'm going to try the springs with the stock shocks and struts and see how it feels. If I don't care the feel I'm probably going to upgrade to Bilstein B8 Shocks and Struts since they are designed to work with lowering springs.
 


kevinatfms

Senior Member
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#4
The B8's are amazing. I have them on stock springs and the car rotates nicely, is more compliant and factory fitment when installing them. Still thinking about some Eibachs to lower it a little but for now im happy.

One note i suggest if you do get the B8's, the rear shock bumpstops need to be hogged out a little to keep them from squeaking against the shaft of the shock since its a bit bigger than the factory unit. I used a drill and a large bit from home depot and just ran it through the bumpstop 3-4 times so that it was not tight on the shaft.
 


OP
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Greenwood
Thread Starter #5
Thanks for the heads up! I think B8's are the way to go. I might even wait to put the springs on, but having the springs on hand make me want that instant gratification.
 


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