Question - Koni "Yellow" Sports

[SHU-ES1]

Hey guys,

I've read alot about the adjustable damper capabilities of these Koni Yellow Sports shock absorbers. I was just wondering if they are also height adjustable? I'm tossing up between a good shock/spring set up in my 2003 Civic Sedan (ES1), and a coilover set up? My car is pretty much used for daily street driving, and I doubt that I will ever take it to the track. I pretty much want to minimise all body roll, achieve great handling but maintain comfortable driving. I've read/heard alot about the stiffness and height adjustability of coilovers, although I'm worried the softest setting will still be too hard for my liking. I've driving my brothers JDM DC2R with coilovers, and they were rock hard but had great handling, and I think in his stock EP3R it has a shock/spring set up and I love the way the car feels, holds onto and drives on the road. So, my question pretty much is whether Koni Yellows are both height and damper adjustable? and if so, are they better than a coilover setup for just street driving. Thanks in advance, and any advice/comments are appreciated.

[kraiye]

With a spring/shock combo, the height comes from the springs.
You need to get the right shock to go with the height of the springs you'll be using.
IE: If your using very low springs to lower the car then you need short shocks.
If using stock height springs, use longer shocks.
This is where people go wrong when just using lowering springs to lower their cars.

[Riced_Civic]

i think koni yellows are only damper adjustable, u need to get springs to match em.

if not going to track just get a good shock and spring combo as it will work out cheaper.

[Sydsyd]

*SiReal can clarify this*

I think Koni Yellows are 2-way height adjustable and (dunno how many ways, 6 if not wrong) damper adjustable

[damienm]

koni yellows are damper and height ajustable with 3 perches.

[chargeR]

koni yellows are damper and height ajustable with 3 perches.

Not for all applications. DC5 and I am guessing ES1s have no height adjustment perches at the front because of the strut nature of the suspension as far as I know.

[SHU-ES1]

hi guys,

thanks for all the feedback so soon. im still a little confused, some say it is height and damper adjustable and others only damper. i might have to do some more research, or perhaps give their office in melbourne a call just to confirm before i make any purchases. i've looked at a fair few forums/websites and even tried ebay but still came to the same end result - confusion. hehe. thanks again so much ppls.

[JohnL]

I pretty much want to minimise all body roll, achieve great handling but maintain comfortable driving.

I think you have mutually exclusive aims. To "minimise all body roll" is more or less incompatable with maintaining a "comfortable" ride quality, though 'comfortable' is rather a vague thing with what each person considers to be acceptably comfortable varying hugely from person to person (and on what roads the car is driven).

Keep in mind that reducing roll motion to nearly zero isn't likely to be a good thing as the handling will tend to become very unforgiving at the limit (i.e. sudden and severe at the limit grip loss with little or no warning from the car), and the 'limit' will lower a lot on less than perfectly smooth roads (because of the need to use very stiff springs and anti-roll bars to achieve the very high roll stiffness required for minimal roll motion).

IMO some body roll is a good thing because it makes the car much more predictable and driveable, but having said that, with most cars the amount of roll stiffness can be increased fairly substantially to good effect (just don't go too far...).

Koni 'yellows' are adjustable for height by means of the two or three (the number depending on the specific model damper) lower spring seat locating grooves. This height adjustability is not infinitely variable, but additional locating grooves can be machined quite easily.

The Koni damper rate is only adjustable in rebound (through a wide range of stiffness from relatively soft to very stiff), but not in bump. Note that the with the great majority of dampers (including those incorporated into 'coilovers') that do have bump 'adjustment' actually have very little stiffness change within their adjustable range (despite often having a large number of adjustment positions, i.e. 'clicks'). This is very often the the case with any rebound adjustment as well.

The great majority of credible opinion seems to be that Koni make a very very good product (and I'm more than happy with mine...), with nearly all other remotely affordable dampers being inferior (including those incorporated into most 'coilovers'), despite how well marketed or how 'racy' they may look on then outside (all the important bits are hidden on the inside...).

[SHU-ES1]

thanks so much johnl for the information. i've just put a dc5r rear sway bar on my car last week, and that has taken a lot of the body roll out and i'm really happy with that upgrade. the problem with my suspension set up at the moment is that i'm currently running on standard shocks and low king springs. the mistake i made was that due to my financial restraints at the time, was that i had the springs cut so that i could drop my car even further. in doing that, my car bounces way too much for my liking and especially in the wet the car feels quite unstable - feels like i'm driving on tram tracks at times. so im looking to upgrade, and by the opinions that you and a few others have given me in regards to the koni shocks are that they are a great and affordable product. so now, also according to what others have told me is that the springs i get will determine the ride height? i was looking at getting neuspeed race springs for my car. has anyone heard anything good or bad about them? from the statistics i've looked at on a thread written previously on ozhonda, the springrates are quite high for both front and rear in the high 300s/400s? does this mean they are very stiff or very soft? for my to import them from the US will cost me approximate $400AUD. do we have a neuspeed trader on our forums, or any suggestions as to where i can get them ordered/picked up from melbourne? cheers for everybody's responses. these forums have helped me more than anything i've ever come across. thanks again.

[Waternmo]

im looking at Koni yellow for my 09 Civic sport too, but the only thing is, it is an insert for the front strut, therefore the OEM front struts will hav to be taken apart for the installation and will not be able to be reused as OEM again... just thinkin if its worth it or not... also, what springs combo are u guys using with the koni yellow?

[SHU-ES1]

it should be worth it if you're going for the koni yellows, coz they will unlikely fail you in the years to come from all the reviews i've read and the opinions people have stated so that shouldn't be an issue if you have to deconstruct your OEM struts to be able to install these new shocks as an upgrade. i'm looking to get the neuspeed race springs, they drop 2.25" at the front and 2" at the rear and have quite high springs rates which i'm assuming will be quite stiff. Neuspeed Race - 485F/395R. this is what i've found on a previous thread - unsure how accurate they are and if they have changed since then.

For 96-00 Civics (EJ6-8 and EM1 chassis codes)
96-00 EX - 165F/80R (P/P)
99-00 Si (EM1) - 201F/99.8R (P/P)
97, 00-01 ITR - 250F/250R (L/P)
GS-R - 200F/95R (P/P)
CTR - 240/240 (L/P)

H&R OE - 280F/190R (P/P)
Eibach ProKit - 290F/190R (P/P
H&R Sport - 330F/280R (P/P)
Eibach Sportline - 310F/275R (P/P)
Gold-line GL 2.5" drop - 320/190 (P/P)
Gold-line GPS 1.25" drop - 275/160 (P/P)
Koni RSK Suspension kit - 154-205/270 (P/L)
Neuspeed SofSports - 260F/150R (P/P)
Neuspeed Sport - 280F/180R (P/P)
Neuspeed Race - 485F/395R
Skunk Coilovers -old - 400F/300R (L/L) for civic, 500F/400R for integra
Skunk2 Coilovers - new - 500F/400r (L/L)
Spoon Full Coilovers - 300/240
Progress Coilovers - 350F/250R (P/P)
Progress Lowering Springs - 320F/200R (P/P)
Ground Control Coilover - 380F/280R (P/P) (this is the standard kit and the springs are mildly progressive).
Tein RA/RE/RS - 783F/559R (L/L)
Tein HT - 1119F/448R (L/L)
Tein HG - 365F/129-196R (L/P)
Tein SS - 448F/224R
Tein Flex - 504F/280R
Tein S. Tech - 235F/140R
Tokico Illumina Kit - 250/123 (P/P)
APEX'i WS - 447f/178r
Suspension Techniques - needed
SSR Cup - 392/280
SSR S1 - 448/448
JIC FLT-A2s - USDM - 504F/336R (L/L)
Sparco - needed

For 02+ Civic Si (EP3): ~ Very special thanks to Mike (EXavier) for these!!!
Progress - 280F/500R
Eibach Pro-Kit- 15-20% stiffer then stock
Eibach Sportlines - 20-25% stiffer then stock
Sprint - 20-25% more then stock
H&R Sport - 25-30% more then stock
Tein SS - 336F/448R
Tein Flex - 448F/559R
Tein S. Tech - 157F/291R

P = Progressive
L = Linear

i think it all depends on what you're after, and the springs will decide that? depending how much of a drop you want, as well as the stiffness of your ride. i'm not 100% sure, as i am still doing my own research atm. good luck with it! let us know how you go, and which springs you decide to go for!