Koni Srt's---Stock Springs vs Steeda Sports?
08-12-2011, 03:01 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 43
Koni Srt's---Stock Springs vs Steeda Sports?
I installed the Steeda sport springs, Adj. Panhard bar and Koni Streets a few months ago. First off, the handling is amazing even with the 235/50-18 stock P-Zero-Neros.
Now for the "problems"... that got me thinking. First, my driveway has a pretty steep apron and I'm grinding the hell out of my front (stock) valance every time I enter and exit. I wouldn't think that a inch or so of drop would be a problem...but is is. (FWIW with the GT500 isolators and the Steeda HD mounts, the front sure looks lower than a 1" total drop)
The other issue is the car rides great on smooth pavement (Duh!) but I never realized how chewed up the roads around me are. Many roads are old concrete that were repaved with asphalt....and the expansion joints get heaved-up and broken...While not unbearable, it's getting annoying-the constant pounding mostly from the rear axle. ( have the softer FRPP bump-stops installed, but there seems to be not very much rear axle-travel available...I really don't want to trim them much it at all...sometimes a big bump comes along and you NEED them)
The Koni's solved my biggest complaint w/ the stock suspension...a floaty lack of rebound damping. I considered the stock ride to be comfortable, if under-damped. I'm thinking about experimenting with the Koni's and using the stock GT springs with them. (with the Steeda HD mounts and GT500 isolators) This would solve my driveway scraping.
How much of a hit will the handling take, and will there be a worthwhile improvement in ride quality (stock springs vs steeda) with the increase of suspension travel?...or is more of the harshness from the Koni's themselves? I'm not concerned with with the "4x4" vs lowered look, just throwing some thoughts out. Does anyone make a Steeda Sport type spring in a stock height?
Car isn't tracked, but I do like to rail in the corners on a nice twisty road....it's the getting to the fun bits and around-town driving that kinda beating me up.
Now for the "problems"... that got me thinking. First, my driveway has a pretty steep apron and I'm grinding the hell out of my front (stock) valance every time I enter and exit. I wouldn't think that a inch or so of drop would be a problem...but is is. (FWIW with the GT500 isolators and the Steeda HD mounts, the front sure looks lower than a 1" total drop)
The other issue is the car rides great on smooth pavement (Duh!) but I never realized how chewed up the roads around me are. Many roads are old concrete that were repaved with asphalt....and the expansion joints get heaved-up and broken...While not unbearable, it's getting annoying-the constant pounding mostly from the rear axle. ( have the softer FRPP bump-stops installed, but there seems to be not very much rear axle-travel available...I really don't want to trim them much it at all...sometimes a big bump comes along and you NEED them)
The Koni's solved my biggest complaint w/ the stock suspension...a floaty lack of rebound damping. I considered the stock ride to be comfortable, if under-damped. I'm thinking about experimenting with the Koni's and using the stock GT springs with them. (with the Steeda HD mounts and GT500 isolators) This would solve my driveway scraping.
How much of a hit will the handling take, and will there be a worthwhile improvement in ride quality (stock springs vs steeda) with the increase of suspension travel?...or is more of the harshness from the Koni's themselves? I'm not concerned with with the "4x4" vs lowered look, just throwing some thoughts out. Does anyone make a Steeda Sport type spring in a stock height?
Car isn't tracked, but I do like to rail in the corners on a nice twisty road....it's the getting to the fun bits and around-town driving that kinda beating me up.
08-13-2011, 09:09 AM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: IN
Posts: 483
The fact is, Sports with Koni's are going to give you much better handling, and with that comes a stiffer ride. I have Vogtland springs with STR.Ts and the ride is firm but certainly not unbearable. For the rear, I would suggest trimming down your stock bump stops and see if the extra travel helps with the slamming.
Your car will still handle decent with the stock springs and the Koni's but obviously not as well. However it sounds like you need the ground clearance anyway.
Your car will still handle decent with the stock springs and the Koni's but obviously not as well. However it sounds like you need the ground clearance anyway.
08-13-2011, 11:13 AM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Toronto
Posts: 155
I'm running Steeda Sports springs, HD mounts, and Koni yellows.
I find the ride better than stock, with the konis at their softest setting. I don't know how that would compare to the STR.Ts.
I'm convinced that a great deal of the ride improvement I'm seeing comes from the Steeda springs. If the Steedas are stiffer than stock, the difference must be pretty small. The stock setup is too stiff at the back compared to the front. The "kicked in the butt" feeling over every bump isn't too pleasant. Did you get your springs from Sam Strano? He sells a straight rate version of the Steeda Sports that is beautifully balanced front to rear.
Experimenting with the stock springs is worth a try to improve your ground clearance, but I think it's going to make the ride a little bit worse, not better. I'd like to hear your final spring choice.
I find the ride better than stock, with the konis at their softest setting. I don't know how that would compare to the STR.Ts.
I'm convinced that a great deal of the ride improvement I'm seeing comes from the Steeda springs. If the Steedas are stiffer than stock, the difference must be pretty small. The stock setup is too stiff at the back compared to the front. The "kicked in the butt" feeling over every bump isn't too pleasant. Did you get your springs from Sam Strano? He sells a straight rate version of the Steeda Sports that is beautifully balanced front to rear.
Experimenting with the stock springs is worth a try to improve your ground clearance, but I think it's going to make the ride a little bit worse, not better. I'd like to hear your final spring choice.
08-13-2011, 12:20 PM
#5
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 17
I live in Metro Detroit with some of the worse roads that I have come across and getting worse all the time.
I did not like the floaty feeling of my 07GT at speed with the stock struts/shocks and I was surprised at how much lean the car had.
My dealer installed the FRPP handling kit, great improvement in handling, loved the stance etc. but IMHO a very harsh ride.
Tried replacing the Eibach springs with Ultra-lights and changing the dampers to D specs
.
After talking to Sam Strano I ended up on stock springs with koni sports/frpp bars.
I don't autocross or road race but for my purposes the car now handles great with very good ride quality even on the pothole strewn roads around here.
Also no more floaty feeling at all. The car feels tied down to the road. I don't know why but the steering also seems to be much improved.
I did not like the floaty feeling of my 07GT at speed with the stock struts/shocks and I was surprised at how much lean the car had.
My dealer installed the FRPP handling kit, great improvement in handling, loved the stance etc. but IMHO a very harsh ride.
Tried replacing the Eibach springs with Ultra-lights and changing the dampers to D specs
.
After talking to Sam Strano I ended up on stock springs with koni sports/frpp bars.
I don't autocross or road race but for my purposes the car now handles great with very good ride quality even on the pothole strewn roads around here.
Also no more floaty feeling at all. The car feels tied down to the road. I don't know why but the steering also seems to be much improved.
08-13-2011, 02:04 PM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: IN
Posts: 483
I'm running Steeda Sports springs, HD mounts, and Koni yellows.
I find the ride better than stock, with the konis at their softest setting. I don't know how that would compare to the STR.Ts.
I'm convinced that a great deal of the ride improvement I'm seeing comes from the Steeda springs. If the Steedas are stiffer than stock, the difference must be pretty small. The stock setup is too stiff at the back compared to the front. The "kicked in the butt" feeling over every bump isn't too pleasant. Did you get your springs from Sam Strano? He sells a straight rate version of the Steeda Sports that is beautifully balanced front to rear.
Experimenting with the stock springs is worth a try to improve your ground clearance, but I think it's going to make the ride a little bit worse, not better. I'd like to hear your final spring choice.
I find the ride better than stock, with the konis at their softest setting. I don't know how that would compare to the STR.Ts.
I'm convinced that a great deal of the ride improvement I'm seeing comes from the Steeda springs. If the Steedas are stiffer than stock, the difference must be pretty small. The stock setup is too stiff at the back compared to the front. The "kicked in the butt" feeling over every bump isn't too pleasant. Did you get your springs from Sam Strano? He sells a straight rate version of the Steeda Sports that is beautifully balanced front to rear.
Experimenting with the stock springs is worth a try to improve your ground clearance, but I think it's going to make the ride a little bit worse, not better. I'd like to hear your final spring choice.
08-14-2011, 09:13 AM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 43
OK....I drove the car upstate today on some of my favorite motorcycle roads, and I want to keep the Steeda Sports on the car. The Mustang is well planted and balanced, and I'll just avoid the more-lousy roads near me.
The driveway issue is another story....I was playing around and if I can enter the apron at a 45deg angle and cut the wheel sharply...no more scraping! This only works when no cars are parked closeby on either side of the driveway, which is often though.
Since I can do springs.struts myself, and it's a pretty easy swap, I might just play around with the stock springs/SrT's and see how much I'm giving up.....But I have a feeling ther Steeda Sports will go back on.
Heck, eventually the plastic valance with grind away enough plastic so it doesn't scrape on my driveway...
(Might cut a bit off too.)
The driveway issue is another story....I was playing around and if I can enter the apron at a 45deg angle and cut the wheel sharply...no more scraping! This only works when no cars are parked closeby on either side of the driveway, which is often though.
Since I can do springs.struts myself, and it's a pretty easy swap, I might just play around with the stock springs/SrT's and see how much I'm giving up.....But I have a feeling ther Steeda Sports will go back on.
Heck, eventually the plastic valance with grind away enough plastic so it doesn't scrape on my driveway...
(Might cut a bit off too.)
08-14-2011, 08:52 PM
#8
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 348
OK....I drove the car upstate today on some of my favorite motorcycle roads, and I want to keep the Steeda Sports on the car. The Mustang is well planted and balanced, and I'll just avoid the more-lousy roads near me.
The driveway issue is another story....I was playing around and if I can enter the apron at a 45deg angle and cut the wheel sharply...no more scraping! This only works when no cars are parked closeby on either side of the driveway, which is often though.
Since I can do springs.struts myself, and it's a pretty easy swap, I might just play around with the stock springs/SrT's and see how much I'm giving up.....But I have a feeling ther Steeda Sports will go back on.
Heck, eventually the plastic valance with grind away enough plastic so it doesn't scrape on my driveway... (Might cut a bit off too.)
The driveway issue is another story....I was playing around and if I can enter the apron at a 45deg angle and cut the wheel sharply...no more scraping! This only works when no cars are parked closeby on either side of the driveway, which is often though.
Since I can do springs.struts myself, and it's a pretty easy swap, I might just play around with the stock springs/SrT's and see how much I'm giving up.....But I have a feeling ther Steeda Sports will go back on.
Heck, eventually the plastic valance with grind away enough plastic so it doesn't scrape on my driveway...
(Might cut a bit off too.)
08-19-2011, 07:45 PM
#9
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: RI
Posts: 690
I run STR.T's all around and have stock springs on the front with Roush .75" drop springs in the back. Your harsh ride is from the steeda springs. I have tried steeda ultralites and bmr's. Steeda's were way too harsh of a ride (the roads really suck around here). The bmr's were great, very close to stock spring rate but they lowered the car a bit too much - like 1.5".
08-25-2011, 09:51 AM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Kansas
Posts: 178
I opted not to lower my car, figuring the shocks were the weak link. And I wanted to try one thing at a time, rather than throw a bunch at it at once. I now have Koni Sports with Steeda HD mounts up front on OEM 2010 springs. The ride is a bit busier than stock with the Konis turned up a half turn front and rear, but it's by no means objectionable and the handling improvement is dramatic. That initial mush in the suspension is gone, so when you steer into a turn you take a set NOW, not . . . . now. And in general, the car just feels livlier and not so floppy. Exactly what I hoped, in other words.
Now, I have never tried mine WITH aftermarket springs, and my car is a 2010 which I believe is sprung a little softer from the factory than the 2011s (at least in the rear, based on what I read). But in my exprience with this car and numerous others it's usually upgrading the shocks that yields the greatest benefit vs. springs or any other suspension component (save for tires, if you count tires as a suspension component). Point being, if you did go back to OEM springs it's distinctly possible that the pros would outweigh the cons.
Now, I have never tried mine WITH aftermarket springs, and my car is a 2010 which I believe is sprung a little softer from the factory than the 2011s (at least in the rear, based on what I read). But in my exprience with this car and numerous others it's usually upgrading the shocks that yields the greatest benefit vs. springs or any other suspension component (save for tires, if you count tires as a suspension component). Point being, if you did go back to OEM springs it's distinctly possible that the pros would outweigh the cons.