Have any of those that only have springs installed every considered getting shocks? Soon or later the stock ones will wear out from the aftermarket springs. I made my mistake of getting the springs first, I should have got the springs and shocks and installed them together.

 

i'm about to get adjustable koni yellows

 

I had pro-kits put on 6 months ago, I just put koni yellows on Saturday, world of difference, smoother ride, easier turn in, better launches. Thing that sucks is they actually lifted my car by 1/4 inch maybe 1/2inch not sure. I liked the old look a lot better, but know the ride is so much better

 

how could the aftermarket shocks raise your car more? if anything, your would go lower if you used a lower perch on the shocks. correct me if i'm wrong. i'm getting my shocks installed later this week and i don't want my car raised; it would defeat the purpose of the springs then.

 

Ok,... if you have lowering springs your car is lower. Now as the factory shocks wear out and your springs settle. The car will go lower almost to the point where it is riding on the springs alone w/ no shocks at all. Konis have 2 settings for US vehicles, factory and lower. With Konis you can lower your car with the stack springs by like an inch. Now with the lowering spring on it already you will have to go with the factory setting on your shcoks unless you want to rub or get a camber kit. Simple terms you got an 1-2 inch drop w/ springs, if you go on the lower setting with the koni's you can end up with a 2-3 inch drop. My car went up because my shocks were so compressed. Now the Neuspeed Konis have like 5 settings instead of 3 like the Yellows they are made for lowered cars especially but they are way more expensive. Did you understand all this? I might can explain it better.

 

Ultimac, yeah, i know what you're saying now. Your springs were so compressed because you waited too long to get new shocks; and by the time you got new shocks and put them on the highest perch setting, they raised it from what it was prior. I think that's what you're trying to get at.
Then, if I replace the stock shocks with Koni yellows before they go out (so they don't compress the springs more) and set them on the highest perch setting (the factory settings as they come in the box), then it will keep the same drop height?

 

Ill cross that bridge when I come to it.............maybe it will be trade in time by that time!!!!!!!!

 

Koni Yellows are too expensive. I could use a set though.

 

Yeah but they are oohh so nice, That is exactly what I was trying to say. I did not know that you could drop your car with shocks alone, but you can if you set them on the lower perch setting. Like I said it only raised my car like maybe 1/2 inch, but the ride is worth it.

 

The normal sequence of mods in the past were:


1. Tires (stickier and wider/low-profile
2. Shocks and/or Sways
3. Springs (1 - 2" lowering)
4. Wheels

(With the CLS, I went Tires, Sways, and Wheels to get good setup with as good or better than stock ride.)

I think the Comptech's are a bit bouncy in the CLS with stock shocks, but the day-to-day ride (at least as I've experienced in an other car or two) had felt OK. There seems to be a tiny set of oscillations that get set up on certain surfaces. A great set of shocks should get rid of this behavior and make for a critically damped response (perfectly damped)!

Most of the time (in the past), I went with a good gas shock (Bilstein are my favorites for great feel and good handling and Koni seemed to be the best for rock-hard max-cornering. That was a while ago, so things may have changed a bit).

Note: There seems to be an issue where my setup (SSR + Toyo) will work with the Comptech springs + 17x8" SSRs + 235/45-17 Toyos, but won't work when the Konis are added!!!! I have some guesses as why it doesn't work, but not positive proof...

(Sorry, for the sidetrack, but its just more information -- to use or ignore)

 

Most people seem to mod the CL-S suspension as follows:

Comptech Springs/Sways
Koni Yellows (or other shocks)
Tires
Wheels

 

There seems to be a reason to this...

If you add the Springs/Sways to the car with the stock MXM4 tires, the car is quite acceptable in the handling department. As it came (with those stock tires) it felt like it plowed so bad, that it scared me on certain surfaces (new asphalt).

When the mods are done the other way (tires first) -- the dreaded understeer is gone and the performance is so different, that priorities get adjusted very quickly.

This is not just my opinion, but I got that feedback from people during my "spring" test runs. I got the ride (without the Konis) but with the springs, sways, stock tires, and said, "Hey, I could live with the handling... but it rides a tad harsh...."

The people who tried my car with the sways, tires, and wheels said they had only wished that they had known how much a set of tires could change the behavior of the car (and not just the ultimate stick, but balance as well).

The other "thought"/"argument" is: "I want to wear out the tires first..."

 

I did
1.Pro-kit springs/ CT sways
2. Kumho tires
3.konis
4. Next a strut bar and maybe sub-frame connectors.

 

Exactly my thoughts... why waste money on tires when you are riding on a set that are still "good" (use the word subjectively.)

My mods were as follows:
1. Sways (made me realize how shitty the tires really were, but hung on to them until they wore out)
2. Springs (got tired of that SUV look)
3. Tires (Kumho Ecsta's... those stupid stock tires finally bit the dust.. thanks to not getting an alignment after the spring install. I was just looking for an excuse to have the stock tires wear out.)

I plan to change the shocks when they wear out. At this point, I am doing mods as they are needed because I'm not sure how long I'll keep this (particular) car. The stock wheels are staying with the car for the life of the car. I like them.

 

yah i agree with you, i should've went with springs and shocks at the same time. my shocks have gone to hell after about 18,000 miles with the springs installed. my ride is gettin a little too bouncy on the freeway now.

 

i'm just waiting for the stock shocks to blow, then replace the whole thing w/ a coilover set-up and sell my CT springs...

 

Just ordered Koni Yellows from ACP.COM, and from the words i've heard so far I am looking extremely forward to the findings I get after the installation (I currently have Sways, Springs, stock rims w/ Yoko AVS dB's on them).

The ride has sucked considerably, and the car has definetly settled lower than when initially with the Springs installed. I had the Springs and Sways installed fairly early in the car's life, and currently about to hit 45k. The way the car has been riding lately, I hope the replacements of the shocks will inject a little more life back into her

 

You're gonna love them, it might raise car a little, but it will turn easier, and launch better (I was having a problem with peeling out due to weight transfer), and the bumps are not jarring anymore. A little quieter as well. Note: I have mine set on factory perch not lowered (didn't want rubbing) and I have the stiffness on low, I have yet to try them on Grand Turismo ( fully stiff) mode yet. Koni's

 

It'll inject some life back in alright Let us know what you think after the install.