Umrswimr

'95 C4, non-Z51,.

Shocks are toast. I'm running Koni SA's on my C5 and really like them. Any recommendations for a C4 for street/DE/autoX duty? Bilstein Sports?

Solofast

All of the serious autocrossers have been using the Koni Sport SA's for years. They are comfortable, last forever, and work great with a stock suspension. Set the rears on full soft and twist the fronts to taste and enjoy.... For a C4 there isn't anything better..

Axelrod

yea there is... check out the QA1's

BrianCunningham

Hardbar is doing a special on Penskes, with or w/o coilovers.

shotchkiss

I liked the Konis better than the QA1s

ScaryFast

Bilstein. Bilstein. Bilstein...

Call their tech dept. and tell them exactly what the car will be used for. They'll provide a custom valving that will work perfectly for you. All for about $75 a shock.

Then when they go bad, you send them back and have them revalved for about $50 each.

Adjustables are hooey at this level...save your money.

There are about 3 active threads on this topic if you want to read the more detailed arguments...search for shocks or QA1

Sidney004

Scary:
You wouldn't happen to remember the rebound/compression specs on your bilsteins?

Umrswimr

After I blew out FOUR SETS of QA1's on my C5 (in less than a year), I'll never ever buy another product from them again. They were total crap.

ScaryFast

Not off the top of my head, but I have all of my information at home. Will post later if I don't forget:o

I know years ago we started with the "Sears Point" settings, and I've adjusted a few times since. I know I'm 10% softer on compression in the rears, I just rebuilt them two months ago. I think I'll go even softer the next rebuild to see what happens. I want a little more rear grip.

mrc24x

I'm running Bilsteins also. Mine are : AK 1034F 360/135
AK 1035R 540/160

I wish I could give an accurate opinion but these are the only shocks that I've ever run.

ScaryFast

Plus he's really slow. I'd look elsewhere

Umrswimr

mrc24x

Ouch..... sad but true.:o

ScaryFast

(Just in case it wasn't obvious, I was kidding...Matt's fast as hell, I'm glad he's not in my class...and what a beautiful C4)

Sidney004

Are you running those shock settings with Z51 springs?

mrc24x

Sidney, I run VBP extreme springs.

Thanks Scary. Although it's more the car than my driving. Hope to see you in ST2 next year.

ScaryFast

I hope they're all prepared for C4 DOMINATION!

Rob's trying to convince me to do Putnam next weekend but I'm too damn broke. Why don't you bring the red car out and let me drive it?

Aaron Pfadt

Just to debunk some of the mystery about 'custom valving'. It is no different than setting an adjustable shock to a specific setting. Just you have to take the shock apart to do it. Adjustable valving costs money (for the complexity), but it doesn't degrade the shock in any other way.

QA1s are a unique animal because they are a twin-tube design versus a mono-tube. The piston areas are smaller, but they allow a larger range of damping adjustment. The adjustments are also on the body because the piston doesn't travel in that outer tube. That is more convenient. Most race shocks are mono-tube, the advantages/disadvantages seem to come out in favor of a mono-tube in race applications.

The main reason that we at Pfadt have adjustable shocks on our coil overs (and soon to be released shocks) is that the adjustment is very valuable. We make fine tuning adjustments to the balance of the car with the damping. It is very similar to small tire pressure adjustments, but with a little more range of authority.

Watch for some Pfadt C4 products to be released soon. Sway bars are coming first followed by some adjustable shocks and potentially coil overs in the future.

-Aaron

Sidney004

Scary:
I hope you didn't forget.

mrc24x

Aaron,
That's great news about new C4 products!! Keep us posted.

Matt Carlyle
NASA #26 PTA / ST2