406 coupe koni sport kit

[rockape]

hi all,
had the koni ssk fitted today, doesn't seem to be much of a noticeable drop, will see how it is after settle. but the ride and handling is superb

before

after

was a bit miffed as the kit is supplied with lesjofors springs not koni

dave

 

[obi_waynne]

More noticable at the front. It is the ride quality at the end of the day and as you say you need to let them settle. Just think about the sagging effect after 5 years abuse!

What setting have you got them on?

 

[rockape]

hi mate,
it's supposed to be up to 40mm drop i'd be happy with 25/30mm but it aint no where near either. so i'm not to happy with the drop at the moment. what realistically do you think i can expect after settle, and how long a period for settling. it's the rear that looks c*&p

setting is on standard.

dave

 

[obi_waynne]

I'd say a couple of hundred miles, do a few speed bumps etc... Put some weight in the back as well (don't go too mad though - a few bags of compost will suffice.)

Do you know why the springs were not Koni springs? Is this normal?

Was the kit for a coupe or a 406? Perhaps the drop relates to the standard 406. If it doesn't do what is claimed you can get your money back but the fitting/removal is a real pain as this is usually done by another garage.

They do seem to have dropped more at the front than the back - perhaps the engine weight has bedded it in more quickly.

 

[rockape]

the kit is listed as 406 2.0,2.1td so i emailed to see if that covered the coupe which it does. all koni ssk's are supplied with the lesjofors springs which is there partner company apparently. i have done a search and, koni do not cover the 406 with there spring kits

 

[obi_waynne]

It does wind me up when companies do this. They quote a drop based on a base model and they adopt a one spring for all models philosophy. I'm pretty sure the standard 406 rides around 10-20mm higher than a standard coupe settings.

Old springs are prone to sag and drop again reducing the effective claimed drop on the new springs.

Register your disatisfaction with the suppliers, talk to the fitters about it and see what they say. Leave it for a couple of weeks and see what they settle like.

it's fair enough if Koni use another company for the springs - a lot of companies do this and asking around I've heard that Lesjofors are pretty good springs.

 

[rockape]

coupe's 12mm lower i think than the saloon. i emailed dcdezign and they said they'd never had any problems before. also give it time to settle.
koni dont do springs for the 406 only up to the 307 fitters said that the cars they've dropped have been noticeable after fitting. allthough i've not got the drop i wanted, i do have the same ride quality and, the koni dampers are superb what i have are progressive springs which stiffen when needed ie cornering braking, where as linear equally spaced coil springs are perminently stiff there fore the ride is a bit shaky but you do get the drop you want. thats how i understand it anyway, i could be wrong

 

[obi_waynne]

Personally I would be happy with the improved ride quality too. Your definition of progressive springs is a good one.

 

[jarrus]

it looks sweet you car does...

are they good cars the 406 coupe's?

I've never driven one but I'd maybe like to own one in the futrue...

just slightly miffed that they aren't RWD though with that nice v6

 

[rockape]

a little up date. since fitting the kit a few weeks ago now and a few 100 miles later, there is no difference in ride height from standard, due to the lesjofors springs. so today i ordered some h&r sport springs.
my advice would be, if your looking to get the koni ssk, i would seriously consider either h&r or eibach springs with the koni shocks

 

[obi_waynne]

That sounds sensible. Thanks for the update and let us know how you get on. I'll expect to see some lesjofors in the for sale pages soon then

 

[rockape]

more than likely mate

 

[rockape]

h&r sport springs fitted yesterday, and i'm very happy :bigsmile: 40mm drop on the back and 35 at the front, which has levelled it out nicely. ride is good with no harshness as is the handling.
h&r are expensive, but worth it imho

 

[obi_waynne]

I wondered how you had got on with these. Glad you like it and thanks for the tip.

Any Pictures yet?

 

[rockape]

yes mate when this b***** rain stops

 

[obi_waynne]

One day. Summer is coming!

 

[rockape]

not fast enough mate as long as it aint like this summer

 

[thexav]

Have we had a summer this year then?

 

[rockape]

now lowered on h&r springs.
before

after

what do think

 

[pgarner]

looks better at the back now cant really tell on the front

 

[obi_waynne]

A much better match. The front wheel actually seems further back now, I guess that is just an optical illusion though. Does it handly differently now than when it had the last springs.

 

[rockape]

handling is much better, feels a lot more sturdy and the ride is really good. not spine rattling, probably down to good quality springs. i can highly recomend h&r springs if anyone is looking to lower there car. expensive than most but worth it imho

 

[Raptor]

Hello rockape.
Your Pug looks very nice now indeed.
So you have a 40mm drop at the rear and 35mm drop at front over the standard Coupe settings?

If you get the time would you please post a height figure for the following?

What is the distance when parked on flat level ground from the forward most point of the underside of the sill to the ground and the rearmost point also?

It is, as a rule of "thumb" a good idea to induce a slight amount of positive rake to the vehicle. This increases stability. On the Coupe a rake of about 25mm over its length would be fine, it is of course propoprtiional to its length, any more and the frontal area presented to the air resistance will just imped the motion of the vehicle through it.

Do you also know the following? Not the statement, but the result.
It is very rare for say a figure drop on the spring length, let us call it 40mm to actually translate into a figure drop of the same amount when fitted to the car.
Due to the mathematics of pivot and beam points/length.

So they question is. Did you take a base measurement before with the STANDARD springs?
If so the 40mm and the 35mm translated to what in the real world?

Thank you very much for your time here.

Regards,
Raptor.

 

[Theis]

I have H&R 40mm springs fitted on my 406 V6 coupe, and i love them, not to hard but not to soft either, comined with 18" whel size it has a stunning look, i bought the very same springs for my new HDI coupe.

regards Theis