[Drivaar]

I've had Koni FSD shocks for a few years now and thought I should report back, since I benefited so much from forum posts when I was originally researching.

They work really well... I've had them for about 4 years now, and probably about 30,000 miles. They continue to be a nice compromise of comfort and performance. They still smooth out a lot of the bumps on normal roads, and they still load up nicely when cornering.

So, basically they are softer than the sport package on normal roads (going straight or turning lightly) and stiffer than the sport package when cornering. But the one catch is that when there is a sudden elevation change in the road (i.e., big bump), the shocks get into their stiff mode and it can be jarring for you or your passengers. That's basically the one time when they are strictly worse than the sport package.

Overall though, I'd say they were tremendous value for money and an upgrade.

On a related note, perhaps the biggest factor in ride quality is tires. For a long time I was getting very stiff max performance tires (Pilot Sport PS2s, and then Pilot Super Sports) -- but then the Pilot Sport A/S 3 came out... and it gives almost identical performance to the PS2 with more comfort, double the tread life, and a lower price! So for me it was a no-brainer, and a nice improvement to ride quality to complement the Koni FSDs. Another choice is shrinking wheel size (if you are willing!) to reduce the profile of your tires. Definitely worth considering if you are thinking about comfort.

So if you're looking at ride improvement, make sure you're considering tires, as it will save you a lot of $ long term if you're in the max performance category.

I hope that's helpful!

[Douche]

Thanks!

[DEMONSE90]

Originally Posted by Drivaar

I've had Koni FSD shocks for a few years now and thought I should report back, since I benefited so much from forum posts when I was originally researching.

They work really well... I've had them for about 4 years now, and probably about 30,000 miles. They continue to be a nice compromise of comfort and performance. They still smooth out a lot of the bumps on normal roads, and they still load up nicely when cornering.

So, basically they are softer than the sport package on normal roads (going straight or turning lightly) and stiffer than the sport package when cornering. But the one catch is that when there is a sudden elevation change in the road (i.e., big bump), the shocks get into their stiff mode and it can be jarring for you or your passengers. That's basically the one time when they are strictly worse than the sport package.

Overall though, I'd say they were tremendous value for money and an upgrade.

On a related note, perhaps the biggest factor in ride quality is tires. For a long time I was getting very stiff max performance tires (Pilot Sport PS2s, and then Pilot Super Sports) -- but then the Pilot Sport A/S 3 came out... and it gives almost identical performance to the PS2 with more comfort, double the tread life, and a lower price! So for me it was a no-brainer, and a nice improvement to ride quality to complement the Koni FSDs. Another choice is shrinking wheel size (if you are willing!) to reduce the profile of your tires. Definitely worth considering if you are thinking about comfort.

So if you're looking at ride improvement, make sure you're considering tires, as it will save you a lot of $ long term if you're in the max performance category.

I hope that's helpful!

Are you on Sport springs?

[Drivaar]

Originally Posted by DEMONSE90

Are you on Sport springs?

Yup!

[cpie168]

Thanks for the feedback. Did the Koni FSD raise the ride height at all compared to the stock sport struts? I read from another thread that Bilstein B6 would offer similar performance improvements as the Koni's but would raise the ride height slightly when used with the stock sport springs.

[gds52]

I agree with your review.
I got Koni FSD and H&R sport springs on my e93 with 19" wheels. My wife n I enjoy the ride specially on the highways.
Being in NJ with bad roads and potholes around this time of the year, I had to buy a beater X3

[EzequielR]

Thanks for sharing!!

[DF]

I kept vacillating between fsd's and yellows. Would have been cool to test each

[Tom Droze]

Originally Posted by Drivaar

I've had Koni FSD shocks for a few years now and thought I should report back, since I benefited so much from forum posts when I was originally researching.

They work really well... I've had them for about 4 years now, and probably about 30,000 miles. They continue to be a nice compromise of comfort and performance. They still smooth out a lot of the bumps on normal roads, and they still load up nicely when cornering.

So, basically they are softer than the sport package on normal roads (going straight or turning lightly) and stiffer than the sport package when cornering. But the one catch is that when there is a sudden elevation change in the road (i.e., big bump), the shocks get into their stiff mode and it can be jarring for you or your passengers. That's basically the one time when they are strictly worse than the sport package.

Overall though, I'd say they were tremendous value for money and an upgrade.

On a related note, perhaps the biggest factor in ride quality is tires. For a long time I was getting very stiff max performance tires (Pilot Sport PS2s, and then Pilot Super Sports) -- but then the Pilot Sport A/S 3 came out... and it gives almost identical performance to the PS2 with more comfort, double the tread life, and a lower price! So for me it was a no-brainer, and a nice improvement to ride quality to complement the Koni FSDs. Another choice is shrinking wheel size (if you are willing!) to reduce the profile of your tires. Definitely worth considering if you are thinking about comfort.

So if you're looking at ride improvement, make sure you're considering tires, as it will save you a lot of $ long term if you're in the max performance category.

I hope that's helpful!

I installed the Eibach Pro Kit with the Koni FSD shocks about seven months ago and I completely agree with your review. I am very pleased with the performance of the FSD shocks and Eibach springs, as the ride quality is very close to stock but with much improved damping. Yesterday I replaced my Goodyear run flat tires (225/45/18) with Michelin PSS (225/40/18) and with only one day under my belt, I can honestly say it was a very worthwhile investment--keeping in mind I was no where near needing new tires from a wear standpoint. Because my car originally had 17-inch rims the 45 series tires were an inch taller than stock so I went with the 40 series tire to get the tire diameter back to stock. Even with the shorter sidewall, the ride quality is much improved over the run flat tires and the handling is significantly improved.

[Drivaar]

Glad the review has been helpful!

Regarding ride height: I didn't notice any major difference, but I think that would be one to measure to be sure. Sorry...

I hadn't thought much about adjusting springs also, but I guess that would be a smart combination.

It would be really great to see an article where people compare the different factors on ride quality and show which have the biggest effects (i.e., tires vs springs vs shocks vs bushings)...

[cpie168]

Hi Drivaar, thanks for your sharing. I read from some other threads that there are complaints of the Koni FSD yielding inconsistent performance. Have you noticed anything along that line? Many are suggesting Koni Yellows instead of the FSD. What are you thoughts on that?

Thanks again.