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Eibach Pros with rear Koni STR.Ts - Driving Impressions

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Fresno
#1
I know some of this has been said, but this may resonate for a few people which is why i'm posting.

I daily my car, and drive it for my job some times which could mean 200+ mile round trips. I bought the car with eyes wide open, knowing after the test drive that it was a punishing ride on crappy streets. I knew though from experience that it could be fixed.. maybe that's the wrong word because the car is pretty awesome in stock form. I knew it could be modified, yeah.. modified.

I'm not a professional driver by any stretch, but if I had to quantify the handling characteristics and give impressions of driving on some really bad freeways in California, hopefully some of you will find this useful.

Stock:

Response, steering input: 9.9/10 (0 bobtail truck - 10 '08 Porsche 911 Carrera 4s)
No other car i've driven responds like this one, steering is direct, precise & extremely quick. This car has a knack for putting a smile on your face and I believe this is a large part of it.

Body Roll: 8/10 (0 rolly polly - 10 straight up flat)
This car is extremely flat in the corners, probably flatter than all the cars i've owned save for my 07 Mustang GT with Steeda springs and Koni yellows on full stiff. That car was harsh and bouncy though, and didn't corner near the way this car does either.

Harshness: 8/10 (0 toyota camry - my full suspension 07 GT mustang)
Let's face it, this car is a purpose built machine designed to have fun on a track. Not uneven pavement. It will punish you on long drives and is bouncier than most stock cars i've owned.

Eibach Pros w/Koni STR.T (rears):

Response, steering input: 7/10
This characteristic is affected the most by this setup and I'm a little saddened by it but the end result is worth it though in my opinion. If stock was "darty" this is "quick".

Body Roll: 7/10
It rolls a bit more, they are softer springs for sure.

Harshness: 7/10
Subdued, it's still there but very tolerable. It's like the whole experience is turned down from eleven to a less cringing 7, it's still an extreme little hatchback but everything is more palatable for daily use.

Summary:
I take my kids to school in this car, get groceries, and use it for work. Occasionally i'll find a opportunity to have a little fun and this car pays dividends in that department. I'll go as far as to say this setup doesn't compromise the handling completely but numbs it a bit. If you're going for a certain look and a little more comfort this setup is for you. I am fairly handy, and I did the install on a Saturday morning and waited through 2 tanks of gas through it before posting this as to get a real impression of driving it daily. I couldn't be happier with the look, and the ride is about 90% of where I wanted it to be so i'd consider this a win.


 


neeqness

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#2
Did you modify anything else in the suspension (i.e. bushings, etc.)? Also curious which tires are you using right now?

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OP
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Fresno
Thread Starter #3
Did you modify anything else in the suspension (i.e. bushings, etc.)? Also curious which tires are you using right now?

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I didn’t do anything other than springs and rear shocks.

My tires are Michelin AS/3+. They were a slight improvement in the ride also. Not enough to make a meaningful difference though.


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OP
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Thread Starter #5
I'd say they are 85-90% of what the potenzas are performance wise, they are quieter and a little smoother.
 


A7xogg

Active member
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Hampton roads
#6
When those tires wear out, you could get some tires that have great steering imput while riding better than stock. Are those 17's? Car looks nice
 


OP
5
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Fresno
Thread Starter #7
When those tires wear out, you could get some tires that have great steering imput while riding better than stock. Are those 17's? Car looks nice
Yep, plan was to get something with a decent treadwear rating while still being sporty. I think these are a great compromise, we'll see in 20k if they get noisy.

Yeah, 17x7.5 titans. Thanks!
 


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Location
Baltimore
#8
I've been thinking of ordering a set of the STR.Ts for the rear. I'm currently on mountune springs with stock dampers. I've been through a few different suspension setups so far but there has always been a certain harshness thats remained. Actual bumps feel reasonably controlled (albeit the car is still a bit bouncy), but on otherwise smooth roads cruising the car feels like it has rigid suspension. It transmits a buzziness into the cabin and onto every surface that now after driving this car almost 80k miles is driving me crazy. Wheels are not out of balance as its been there through multiple sets of wheels and tire sets too. The set of konis are cheap enough to warrant trying it.
 


neeqness

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#9
It shouldn't have a buzziness on smooth roads. Have you tried an alignment?
I've been thinking of ordering a set of the STR.Ts for the rear. I'm currently on mountune springs with stock dampers. I've been through a few different suspension setups so far but there has always been a certain harshness thats remained. Actual bumps feel reasonably controlled (albeit the car is still a bit bouncy), but on otherwise smooth roads cruising the car feels like it has rigid suspension. It transmits a buzziness into the cabin and onto every surface that now after driving this car almost 80k miles is driving me crazy. Wheels are not out of balance as its been there through multiple sets of wheels and tire sets too. The set of konis are cheap enough to warrant trying it.
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neeqness

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#11
Not really. Bridgestone Potenza is the oem tire.

But there are a few cars that came with the Michelins on them (I think as an option).
But those are OEM, no? [???:)]
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neeqness

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#13
I could be wrong, but I believe for cars like yours they add an extra charge on the bill for those tires. Have to look at your breakdown to know for sure but it might be under "performance tire upgrade" or something like that.

So I suppose we could look at it as a second oem tire, I'm just trying to explain why he asked for feedback on it. Most cars will have the Potenza. I was thinking maybe Ford changed the OE tire for 17' models but Tire Rack still shows the Potenza as OE.
Oh. That's what I got on my '17 from factory.
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Last edited:

HBEcoBeaST

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#14
I drive hundreds of miles weekly in California too. I love the go-kart quick steering but the bouncy/harsh ride is killer on long trips on less than stellar roads. My drives are from Orange County to Los Angeles and far Riverside county. The highways have that interval grating that causes my car to bounce forward to back and it gets annoying.

Been debating a suspension change with the same goals as you, mild lows, improve ride, retain as much of the stock handling as possible. Seems like a unicorn these days. Coilovers and koni yellows are nice, but I'm put off by the necessary adjusting and fiddling that comes with adjustable suspension. Especially since I can't work on my car in my complex.

It's a shame the eibachs don't keep the steering response as I don't see the rear st.r shocks affecting that. I've heard the st.r fronts are not a good match for this car either.

I'm hoping my downsize to 16" wheels and upsize to 205/50r16 tires will get the results I want.

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Middletown
#15
I drive hundreds of miles weekly in California too. I love the go-kart quick steering but the bouncy/harsh ride is killer on long trips on less than stellar roads. My drives are from Orange County to Los Angeles and far Riverside county. The highways have that interval grating that causes my car to bounce forward to back and it gets annoying.

Been debating a suspension change with the same goals as you, mild lows, improve ride, retain as much of the stock handling as possible. Seems like a unicorn these days. Coilovers and koni yellows are nice, but I'm put off by the necessary adjusting and fiddling that comes with adjustable suspension. Especially since I can't work on my car in my complex.

It's a shame the eibachs don't keep the steering response as I don't see the rear st.r shocks affecting that. I've heard the st.r fronts are not a good match for this car either.

I'm hoping my downsize to 16" wheels and upsize to 205/50r16 tires will get the results I want.

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I tried out the rear Koni oranges with stock springs and they definitely reduce steering response on their own. Plus, the rear got really squat happy with them. I reduced my wheel size to 15” and got tires pretty close to stock rolling diameter and that softened up the ride enough for me to not worry about it anymore with very little performance degradation.


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neeqness

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#16
I tried out the rear Koni oranges with stock springs and they definitely reduce steering response on their own. Plus, the rear got really squat happy with them. I reduced my wheel size to 15” and got tires pretty close to stock rolling diameter and that softened up the ride enough for me to not worry about it anymore with very little performance degradation.


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I tried that first too before I went to the Konis. Don't know about your area, but around here in SoCal, it was fine on some of the roads north of LA (Santa Barbara/Santa Maria area) even better dropped with Eiback springs, but in LA County on the urban freeways and roads it was still too bouncy. I ended up going with the Koni orange all around on stock springs. For driving primarily on the freeway with very occassional canyon runs, they work for me.

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Location
SC
#17
@559FiST

Sorry I'm a few years late to the party, but I found this review very helpful and useful. Was going to do Mountunes, but I think I'm pretty well set on Eibachs after reading this. My stalking seems to indicate that you've since moved on from this car (maybe)? Regardless, did you ever do anything else to the suspension that would have helped increase your scores in the Body Roll or Response categories? I already have the Koni's and plan on doing Eibachs soon. Trying to determine if all of this plus a 2pt trac bar will result in me scraping any and everything that I go over. Your thoughts?
 


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