KONI adjustable shock absorber-131 Racing

[Walezy]

I do not know if you can get them made for 131 but making a custom strut is not a problem if you know how to use MIG or TIG welder. MAking coilovers is a piece of cake if you can get cheap coilovers from for example VW golf. As a strut inserts you can use Opel Astra GSi front struts. Probably revalving will be required to match springs them with springs.
 

[chris131]

Have to say I have always rated KONI as rubbish. I have had them fitted on 3 of my cars (not by choice) they were fitted to cars I bought. They are way to stiff, and will wreck the body shell with stress cracks.

I would much prefer standard shocks.

[mirafioriman]

I would definitely agree they are very stiff. My 131 that has them fitted (by me) rides very hard. I did not realise how hard until I drove a standard 131 Supermirafiori. There was a big difference.

[sid131]

Chris i think thats the idea harder & stiffer with lowering springs & the car handles better.

[Walezy]

Actually that is not true,at least not on the roads that you can find on most special stages(rather bumpy with some jumps). The aim is to keep the tire on the road . The rolling of the body you can set up with proper anti sway bar(original 131 is pretty good). Of course some stiffness is required but the shock should "eat" the bumps instead of making the car jump. Bilstens can be set up so that it is not too hard on bump and has good rebound damping, this really helps a lot. Even fitting bilstein with standard springs will improve handling, the other thing is that a bit of negative camber will make the car cornering better(about 1-1,5 deg).
I am no saying that konis cannot be adjusted properly but i just have not found any shock(even adjustable) that made the rally car handle fine.
Ohlins is much more expensive option and it is usually 2 way or 3 way adjustable, the good alternative to ohlins or proflex is HP Sporting made in Czech Republic, they have very good reputation and can also be made as 3 way adjustable with remote gas canister. They are made all to order so no problem to get them for 131 but it costs about 2000euro for a set 4 of complete uprights with springs.
For road use and budget rally car Bilstein B6 is really the best you can get for the money paid.

[sid131]

well Thomas i am building a road car not a rally car & she will have Konis all round & i will be happy, whereas if i had bilsteins i wouldnt be as happy! do you get what i mean?,
like my celica i lowered & uprated the shocks with gabriel on the rear & kyb up front & i am happy with it its a sometimes road car (rest garaged) not a rally car.

[Thotos]

I agree with Thomas here and that's from personal experience. My car is lowered with Koni springs and adjustable Koni dampers front and back and it's too stiff. It's very good on a track but bounces too much on bumpy roads. I was trying very hard to keep up with Kevin on some of our Scottish spirited driving in 3ma08 and while I could keep up or even catch him on the straights I could see him easily getting away on the bendy bits. Kevin's car would go round the corner without much fuss but my car would bounce wide and quite alarmingly at times. I am not sure but I think Kevin's Sport has standard suspension. Whatever it has it was noticeably better at going round corners on rough roads than mine.

[chris131]

Yes I agree with theo - standard suspension is the best and definately the way to go on a road car.

[david]

When I restored a 131 sport in 1990-91  I fitted koni adjustable front struts and wasnt that impressed to be honest, in my opinion the BOGE oil units for the sport/Racing were much better on the road, only thing is I havent got any part numbers for them and if you get it wrong you will get the ones for the pushrod cars and they are soft and horrible

[sid131]

Ok Theo so that makes Brensports 131 the quickest cos he can whip kevs 131s ass 

[TOAD]

Hi Chaps,

         Would you consider that what is one persons fast is another's pottering along, what I mean is, when Toad was a road car it would crash about until it got up to around 45mph, after that it all started to work. Reduced roll no crashing, no diving, it just all smoothed out.  The point, whether its Bilstein, Koni or what ever, if there not adjusted and sprung to match then what do people expect. Lowered springs are likely to be stiffer, and so the damping will need to be revised to match. You then drive the car to the shops or 3m met ever so nicly, and find the car is hard, that what you made it.   Take the same car, give it some tyres to play with and drive the 131 as it was intended in moded form and it will transform its self.  Suspension hopping, the car has more grip that the suspension can handle.

   So for Sunday, day outers, don't lower and stiffen, It may look the part but you have to decide, you can't have it both ways.

 And when some one comes back and says well mine's lowered, that just means its ride is acceptable to you, not necessarily the next guy.

   With Kind Regards

          Roger................

[wak131]

When I restored a 131 sport in 1990-91  I fitted koni adjustable front struts and wasnt that impressed to be honest, in my opinion the BOGE oil units for the sport/Racing were much better on the road, only thing is I havent got any part numbers for them and if you get it wrong you will get the ones for the pushrod cars and they are soft and horrible

Hey guys, interesting reading. I was just deciding and looking around for what dampers to fit my project car when i found these new old stock BOGE front oil units.
They are numbered BOGE 100 929 (Fiat part 27-520-4) for a ?74 -?78 car and BOGE 100 924 (Fiat 27-938-0) for ?78 -?84 car. The black one is the newer type and has longer both outer and inner tube.

[david]

Re those boge struts, the first one is for pushrod and maybe the second, as I recall the strut was special for sport and had its own number or prefix, only speaking from my own experience and I wasnt a sunday driver as I used to drive these cars flat out, I Did look at some of these sports that were for sale with the lowered suspension and they all drove pretty awful but even if you did manage to improve on the original handling which I doubt  it would be pointless as anything with a suspension thats lowered would be a pain over all the speed humps we have here in the uk

[jasonh131]

That was the thing in the sports day, rock hard suspension ,i had it on my super 200lbs springs ....
 i remember a prog about the cosworth rs 500 going over dingle dell at brands hatch with rock hard suspension which use to take off , then later with a modern match suspension setup the mondeo's  swallowed up the bumps and curbs and take it faster and  almost flat with the suspension absorbing on the impact and not the car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7NrmvbA0iA&feature=PlayList&p=59E5201199C9699E&index=0&playnext=1  1min 12

[TOAD]

Hi
  Can I ask is the idea to make the cars look pretty, or to make them handle for the enthusiast driver? The 131 will oversteer like a pig if the body roll is aloud to build up on corner entry, this can be considerably reduced for a much nicer, predictable car to drive. I'm wondering whether each driver should consider whether there car is for pretty shows or driver fun, Cortina's look pretty, Mirafiori have a competition heritage. It?s confusing the new owners when people are making suggestions, but trying to achieve to opposite ends.

   Regards
             
         Roger...................