Let's talk about road suspension

[crackership]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to get owner or direct-experience reviews of the various suspension options available for our cars. I'm personally looking for a good solution for an entirely on-road setup so I want comfortable and not too low but also sporty and fun.

So far, I have personal experience with:

• Front Koni hack with Weltmeister springs
  Rear Bilstein "budget coilovers" + stock '86 torsion bars
  • This setup worked well but was definitely a bit stiffer than I'd like. Specifically, I find the Konis to be a bit harsh oh high-speed compression. Otherwise this is a pretty good sporty-but-comfortable and cheap solution. The Bilsteins in the rear are much less harsh on sharp edged hits

• M474 factory option
  • This is pretty similar to the first setup - It's a little softer in the rear (to be expected because it doesn't have the helper springs) and the Koni hard-edged harshness is present front and rear

I'm specifically curious to know about:

• KW V3

• GAZ GHA

• GAZ Gold

Of course, I may not be aware of another awesome option, please tell me about whatever you have experience with.

So what are you running? What have you experienced? What do you think about it?

Thanks!
-Dave

[AudiSport]

If you're in the KWv3 price range, you can also consider MCS and Intrax.

[blade7]

I've run KW V3's for nearly 15 years/ 25k miles. Other than 2 broken front springs, they've performed very well. Not sure I'd pay todays price though.

[crackership]

If you're in the KWv3 price range, you can also consider MCS and Intrax.

I looked at Intrax and was turned off by the rose joint shock mounts. I'm really not looking for the race-car-for-the-road ride quality and I figured the rose joints would result in exactly that.

I had completely forgotten about MCS, I'll have to look into them.

any direct experience with either?

[crackership]

I've run KW V3's for nearly 15 years/ 25k miles. Other than 2 broken front springs, they've performed very well. Not sure I'd pay todays price though.

They have definitely increased in price in recent years.. How would you rate them in terms of ride quality? Would you daily drive on them?

[Tom]

I've run KW V3's for nearly 15 years/ 25k miles. Other than 2 broken front springs, they've performed very well. Not sure I'd pay todays price though.

They have definitely increased in price in recent years.. How would you rate them in terms of ride quality? Would you daily drive on them?

I have them and think they are great for the street. They are adjustable, so you can tailor it to your liking. Mine feel great (not remotely harsh or jarring) and handle significantly better than stock. Larger sway bars complement them very well also.

[blade7]

I've run KW V3's for nearly 15 years/ 25k miles. Other than 2 broken front springs, they've performed very well. Not sure I'd pay todays price though.

They have definitely increased in price in recent years.. How would you rate them in terms of ride quality? Would you daily drive on them?

I have them and think they are great for the street. They are adjustable, so you can tailor it to your liking. Mine feel great (not remotely harsh or jarring) and handle significantly better than stock. Larger sway bars complement them very well also.

I had the geo set up by one of the best regarded suspension guys in the country. And used some 968 track day bump/rebound settings. Partly because I'm using heavier 18" wheels and tyres, and I like firm suspension. They are great on most roads, but my settings are a bit too firm for an every day car.

[crackership]

I've run KW V3's for nearly 15 years/ 25k miles. Other than 2 broken front springs, they've performed very well. Not sure I'd pay todays price though.

They have definitely increased in price in recent years.. How would you rate them in terms of ride quality? Would you daily drive on them?

I have them and think they are great for the street. They are adjustable, so you can tailor it to your liking. Mine feel great (not remotely harsh or jarring) and handle significantly better than stock. Larger sway bars complement them very well also.

Thanks for that feedback, Tom! I've been asking around about the KW specifically for a while now and the responses run the gamut from "super comfy" to "knocks your teeth out". I'm starting to get the idea this is the result of simply having a lot of adjustability. Everyone agrees that they dramatically improve handling and they're in that "painful but not ruinous" price range so I think they're in the lead for me right now. I am curious about the GAZ options though. What little I can find for reviews on them is glowing, but typically specific to their more track-focused options.

[crackership]

They have definitely increased in price in recent years.. How would you rate them in terms of ride quality? Would you daily drive on them?

I have them and think they are great for the street. They are adjustable, so you can tailor it to your liking. Mine feel great (not remotely harsh or jarring) and handle significantly better than stock. Larger sway bars complement them very well also.

I had the geo set up by one of the best regarded suspension guys in the country. And used some 968 track day bump/rebound settings. Partly because I'm using heavier 18" wheels and tyres, and I like firm suspension. They are great on most roads, but my settings are a bit too firm for an every day car.

If I'm reading between the lines correctly, I'm gathering that, while your settings may be a bit to firm for a daily driver, the range of adjustment available would allow them to be daily driver comfortable in your assessment. Is that right?

[blade7]

I would expect so, they do come with bypass valves to soften the bumps. But I've run those track day settings from day 1, perhaps that's why I had to change the front springs last year. I just checked the price, and they are double what I paid 15 years ago., I guess that's inflation though.