good spring/shock combination?
anyone know what a good combination is, and the exact model numbers for each product?
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 755
What's best depends a lot on where and how you drive. For reasonably smooth roads, not much snow and fast twisty roads the parts you list should, by all accounts, be fine. With the roads in NYC, just KYB's and a FSTB I thinks works better. Aside from the roads, I don't want to lose ground clearance in snow either.
The car has struts at both ends. The fronts are sealed, one piece assemblies. The rear uses strut cartridges. The difference between a strut and a shock, is that a strut is a structrual part of the suspension and controls the geometry of the wheel movement.
The car has struts at both ends. The fronts are sealed, one piece assemblies. The rear uses strut cartridges. The difference between a strut and a shock, is that a strut is a structrual part of the suspension and controls the geometry of the wheel movement.
keep in mind you have to modify abit to get the Koni's to fit right.
Tokico is the most popular by far, and most people like them, but i've read a couple complaints about them on 4th and 5th gens.
and KYB is if i remember right the closest to stock you can get without going stock.
Tokico is the most popular by far, and most people like them, but i've read a couple complaints about them on 4th and 5th gens.
and KYB is if i remember right the closest to stock you can get without going stock.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 237
From: Sydney, Australia
The Koni + Eibach ensemble is by far the best I've experienced in my Max.
You will need to actually cut the top off the front struts to remove the existing shock cartridge so that you can then insert the Koni replacement and bolt it in accordingly. It's a bit of a *****, but nothing I would truly think is so difficult that you couldn't do it with a little patience. Basically, each strut should take no more than 1 hour to actually set up with the new spring and shock cartridge.
If you want more info on how I did it, go to http://members.optushome.com.au/artstar11/themax2.htm and click on Suspension.
There are some shocking quality photos, but you'll get the gist of how I did it and succeeded 3#-)
The only thing I'll recommend you do is that you actually adjust the shocks to be a little firmer than what they are out of the box. The reason why I say this is because in about 4 months after you've driven HARD with them (like I often do <grin>), they will feel a bit softer than usual. They'll still have fantastic grip and handling, but I prefer to have them as firm as they were the first time the car was on the road. The overall feel is smoother than stock if you drive like grandma, and almost hard as nails when going nutso.
Maybe when my Max is due for another 4 wheel alignment (possibly after 30,000kms or so), I'll take the struts out and re-adjust them again. God I wish I could adjust them while they were still in the car! DAMN YOU KONI!! 3#-)
You will need to actually cut the top off the front struts to remove the existing shock cartridge so that you can then insert the Koni replacement and bolt it in accordingly. It's a bit of a *****, but nothing I would truly think is so difficult that you couldn't do it with a little patience. Basically, each strut should take no more than 1 hour to actually set up with the new spring and shock cartridge.
If you want more info on how I did it, go to http://members.optushome.com.au/artstar11/themax2.htm and click on Suspension.
There are some shocking quality photos, but you'll get the gist of how I did it and succeeded 3#-)
The only thing I'll recommend you do is that you actually adjust the shocks to be a little firmer than what they are out of the box. The reason why I say this is because in about 4 months after you've driven HARD with them (like I often do <grin>), they will feel a bit softer than usual. They'll still have fantastic grip and handling, but I prefer to have them as firm as they were the first time the car was on the road. The overall feel is smoother than stock if you drive like grandma, and almost hard as nails when going nutso.
Maybe when my Max is due for another 4 wheel alignment (possibly after 30,000kms or so), I'll take the struts out and re-adjust them again. God I wish I could adjust them while they were still in the car! DAMN YOU KONI!! 3#-)
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