Suspension Koni FSD vs. OEM SS (non-plus)

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Nov 20, 2006 | 02:41 PM

#26

meb

6th Gear

Joined: Jan 2003

Posts: 3,301

Likes: 1

Anyone install camber kits with these?

Nov 20, 2006 | 07:16 PM

#27

rkw

OVERDRIVE

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 8,233

Likes: 127

From: San Francisco

Quote:

Originally Posted by caminifan

Koni sells a FSD + aftermarket spring combination.

Koni offers this for some cars, but not for MINI.

Some people are reporting good success with FSDs and H-Sport springs:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=74526
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=72626
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=78577

Nov 21, 2006 | 05:51 PM

#28

mini552

4th Gear

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 483

Likes: 0

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubyred3

FSD= Frequency Selective Dampers

The frequency response of a suspension is dependent on:

The mass of the item suspended
The spring rate
The damping rate

Koni engineered the frequency response of these shocks for each specific application using stock springs. Change the spring rate, and you change the frequency response outside of how it was designed to perform. Doesn't mean it won't work (people run lowering springs on stock shocks all the time, which is pretty much the same sort of thing). More than likely, it will give you a car that feels slightly underdamped, i.e. one that "bounces" a bit instead of having that firmly damped feeling.

This topic has pretty much been beaten to death in other threads - mostly concerning use of FSDs with Hsports as documented by Scott at Central Coast Coopers. Different posters have cited different conversations with different Koni reps - bottom line seemed to be that in order to work properly, the FSDs had to have enought susp. travel - and that if a moderate (say up to 1" drop) lowering spring was going to be used, the special bump stops that restore lost travel (such as come with Hsports) was a good idea. I personally doubt that Koni specifically engineered the FSDs to cover the difference between the "sport" and "sport plus" (MCS) springs available on the MC. I think any MC FSD shock set comes matched to the length of spring travel in the Cooper and a spring rate range covering both the susp. options - i.e. I don't think they're valved differently between sport and sport+.