11 replies to this topic

[veloria]

I'm currently overhauling the suspension on my 1985 mini for fast road use and occasional track days. A previous owner has fitted Hi-los and now I'm looking to upgrade the shocks to Koni adjustables (as well as fitting new cones all round). I've ordered a set of the Koni Sports but then I noticed the Koni Special Lowered set. 

 

I want the ride to be set nice and neat - not stupidly low, but to look good and level. So my questions are:

 

1) Should I be using the "lowered" type? Will the normal set fit? And if they do will it jack the height of the car up?

 

2) Is there much difference in performance between the Sports and the Specials?

 

The order hasn't been shipped yet so there's still time to change them if I've ordered the wrong ones. Thanks!

[bikewiz]

You can use either, the lowered type will limit the negative travel (the suspension won't drop as much). The bump stops in the front limit the positive travel in the front. I've used Konis in both forms and didn't really notice a difference in the ride. I recently replaced them with KYB AGX  http://www.minisport.com/kyb74304kit-kyb-agx-adjustable-twin-tube-set-of-4-gas-mini-shock-absorbers.html which I find are way easier to adjust.  

[Spider]

Unless you've made subframe modifications the suspension travel will be the same as stock, so stock length shockers should be fitted.

[Cooperman]

Unless they have changed the design, the KONI range requires removal from the car for adjusting. That means the LH rear, which is behind the petrol tank, is difficult to access unless a rectangular hole is cut in the seat back-rest or the petrol tank removed.

SPAX or GAZ, which are probably better as dampers as well, can be adjusted in about 10 seconds per corner.

Also KONI's are stiffer on rebound than on bump, which is not good on a lowered car as the suspension will find it easier to compress onto the bump stops on bumpy roads, which destroys the road-holding on a 'not quite so slow' road Mini.

Edited by Cooperman, 16 April 2015 - 09:55 PM.

[veloria]

A set of GAZ shocks about £100 cheaper than the SPAX and KONI's - is it a case of you get what you pay for, or is the difference nominal? Being able to adjust it quickly would be pretty handy.

 

Having said that, I don't to sacrifice handling for convenience.

Edited by veloria, 17 April 2015 - 08:37 AM.

[Spider]

A set of GAZ shocks about £100 cheaper than the SPAX and KONI's - is it a case of you get what you pay for, or is the difference nominal? Being able to adjust it quickly would be pretty handy.

 

Having said that, I don't to sacrifice handling for convenience.

 

I have used Spax for a long while and also Konis for some applications. I saw the GAZ a while back and decided to try them as I always felt the Spax while very good, were overprice.

 

I can't fault the GAZ.

[psychobob]

got to agree. when my spax started leaking, I swapped to gaz short dampers. they work fine and are easy to adjust. the only downside is that five years later, they look a bit crusty. the anodising definitely doesn't last quite so well as the spax yellow paint. still performing fine though. if you're planning to drop it much, I'd go for shortened dampers. I fitted normal ones first, and when I lowered it, they used to bottom out occasionally. its fine now though.

[nicklouse]

 I fitted normal ones first, and when I lowered it, they used to bottom out occasionally. its fine now though.

i you have not changed bumpstops or modded your sunframe then sorry you are incorrect. lowering your car does not change where the shock bottoms out. if your car was bottoming it out it was on the subframe bump stops not the shock.

[racingbob]

if your going to lower the car so looks good as you say
you will probably be better going for lowered shocks
and yes get the adjustable ones
like spax or gaz

if the bump stop touches the top arm take a nik off it
I have about 15mm from bump stop to top arm

anyway that's what I have done and all fine

[psychobob]

nothing else changed but the dampers? explain that?

[psychobob]

I'm having a logic problem here. surely if hilos are set at a high stance with a normal damper, the damper has a very long travel, before eventually bottoming out? whereas if hilos are set, say 2" lower, there would be 2" less travel before bottoming out? I thought the point of shortened dampers is that the piston rod is shorter, therefore the eyes at each end can get closer together before reaching the end of their travel? saying that, it might well of been hitting the bumpstops before. and just stopped doing it with the shorter damper? either way shorties stopped the clonk!

Edited by psychobob, 17 April 2015 - 06:19 PM.

[Spider]

As Nick said, the limiting factors as to how far the suspension can move and therefore how much travel (or stroke length) the shocks need are the bump stops, not the Hilo setting.

 

This diagram may help

 

 

So, if say you jack the car up and removed the Hilo all together, you would be able to move the suspension through it's full travel by hand. This is also how far it can move when in use and on the road.

 

Running shorter shock allows them to 'top out' under force. 'Topping out' is when the shocker reaches full travel and stops, but the suspension has not yet reach the Rebound Stop. This will damage the shocker. Usually the first signs of this are leakage.

 

Yes, the rear suspension in the Mini does use the shocker as a Rebound stop, but the forces are considerably lower and the original Armstrong shockers were actually built with an internal rebound stop, however this is the only shocker I've ever come across that has that feature.

 

If in doubt, ask the shocker manufacturer's what they have to say about shockers being either bottomed or topped out when fitted.