siberian

what is your opinion of them? Because they are so much cheaper than KW's and HR's, are they presumably lower quality and performance?

donb

...and like them a lot. I haven't done a complete write up since I am still waiting for pictures to get developed.

The konis replaced the Bilsten/H&R Sport setup I had. I liked the Bilstein/H&Rs but I wanted a slightly lower ride height plus the ability to raise & lower if I chose. So far the ride quality has been great. Very stable and not too harsh.

Compared to the KWs they are a lot cheaper. I was pretty close to getting H&R's but I found a shop that installed, aligned, and sold the konis for $1200 total (about $500 cheaper than the lowest H&R cost/install/align figure I got)

So far I'm happy with them. Let me know if you have any other questions.

-Don

Audiboy

October 1999. Granted I only do about 10k miles a year, about 4k miles of that is spent at the track of some sort No leaks or weakness in the dampening. The rear springs had sagged about 1/2 inch now since I adjusted them in Feb 2000 ( last year), the fronts haven't changed since install. So, not bad for a cheaper part.

jyoteen

As you know, there is a lot of mis-information that gets bounced around from vendor to vendor. Someone really rags on the Koni's when they sell H&R, and vice versa.

I've had the H&R's in the VW and it is a superior product, but it is well matched for the VW.

Hopefully, the Koni's used in Vortrag's coilover setup will equally be good on the Audi.

Audiboy

Everything else is different starting from the adjustable valving for both bump and rebound. Upper level koni struts have adjustable ***** in the lower casing for bump and another through the strut piston all the way to the top of the shock tower for the bump. And since buying these high end struts also allow custom valving to match the spring rates, compatibility to any car can be achieved as with any strut setup. I'm sure internal components are very different to accomodate higher pressures, etc.

Is there one better than the other? If we are talking entry level performance, I don't think one will outperform the other by even a small margin, so the best bang for the buck always comes out on top.

They are all proven in racing, like the koni coil overs are used in formula Mazda's and Fords. Maybe the only folks who can really voice out their opinions are those endurance racers who get to try a few out, as long as they are not sponsored by a strut company of course

What are you getting for your S4 Avant?

geoff

They have been great so far. I like the fact that the damping is adjustable and the car is very flat and tight in corners. I haven't rode in a Vortrag equipped car but for the price I really don't understand why anyone would pay that much for them. Vortrag uses Koni struts which are "custom valved" to their specs. That may add some performance but in my opinion it's probably too small to notice over other brands. Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a rip on Vortrag but remember just because something cost more doesn't automatically mean it's better. Koni is one of the largest strut manufactures in the world. So naturally, they are able to make their products for less than their competition. Any Audi tuner can take a product, change it slightly, and then charge double for it....but it doesn't mean it's worth your money.

jyoteen

750# front/800# rear. I just wanted a bit less roll than what I rode in Corey's car. Of course, now he's getting the mega spring rates. But they aren't too far off from Corey's settings. I really liked how his car was set up suspension wise.

And, I'm used to stiff (500# springs in the VW H&R coilovers), which are stiffer for the weight of the car than the Audi will be.

I figured I'd not fool around and go through stages of upgrades, which I know I will, but at least it'll hold off for a couple of years, at least, if not the entire time I have the car.

Audiboy

warrant something more extreme.

We can't customize our springs so freely unlike a setup with custom up and down perches. The difference between my car and Vortrag equipped cars here in NorCal is a few seconds on the AutoX, and even more in a road course. Granted I have less horsepower, but a lighter car. My setup is was good but I now feel a need for a better as my car bottoms out on hard cornering and autoX as well as rolls a bit creating so much positive camber (since I do not have my car slammed all the way down - I can't as the spring rates are too soft to have an inch of travel)

Ride on a car with 600lb/in spring rate, stress bars and a good driver and you will feel the difference in lateral g's.

Will I spend more on getting a more extreme setup, well, I have a 19mm sway bar comming anytime soon, but I will probably not invest much more in my 12V unless I dedicate it as a track car only (with a rollbar, stripped interior and internal engine work. On my next car (S4 04?), yes, more extreme. By then, I am hoping to drive a bit better

geoff

I also have a 22mm bar that makes a world of difference. That plus the Koni setup is a great combination. And combined, still far less than a Vortrag only setup.

nwong

and I like them. I set the height to 25" all around and left the rebound at it's softest setting (OEM from factory). Overall, a very nice ride that is lower than sport and a little stiffer than sport. I would like to readjust to about 25.5" all around as I scrap over a few bumps and set the rebound a little higher. We'll see when I have time ...