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Contrarian opinion on the KYB struts for the 9-3
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Posted by Schu (more from Schu) on Thu, 1 Dec 2005 05:16:48 Share Post by Email
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I'm not sure how long they will last but I put K&B struts in while I was replacing my worn B&G springs with the stock ones. My old struts are Koni sport adjustables. One had died and I did not want to wait for a warranty replacement. I should mention that this is a 1999 9-3SE and I KEPT THE KONIS on the rear of the car. That might be key here.
It is difficult to say for sure because I changed the springs out too but I have a pretty good memory for this stuff. All I know is that the car feels sporty when driving, it soaks up little bumps worse but big bumps better, I spin the tires less and can launch out of corners better, but it is actually less sporty when trying to corner like a maniac. I like them. I am going to get bashed for saying this by the folks here but I like them.
The stock springs and KYBs are actually pretty nice. Stiffer than stock but nothing to write home about. If you're looking to keep your stock springs but really want stiffness, go with Bistien. That being said, they are perfect for my drive these days. The stock Sachs/Boge dampers are softer than these. I will post back about the longevity a few months from now. One thing I should mention. Apparently the KYBs do not do so well with lower stiffer springs according to my research. They end up too stiff and do not last long.
In regular driving remind me of the Konis and the Eiback combination except that there is less bouncing. You don't really notice a difference there until you push the car into real spirited driving. The Konis and Eibachs keep punching away while the KYB and stock springs give up the ghost like the stock setup. For an audio comparison, the KYBs are your average receiver while the Konis are like good separates. Given a choice, I'd probably choose the Koni and Eibach combination but it is a tough call because in NE the extra inch of ground clearance can help. Either way, I haven't enjoyed driving my car this much in a while. Perhaps it is because the B&G springs died or possibly because one of my Konis had died. The only sign that the Koni was dead was leaking oil.
I will push to get the Koni dampers replaced under warranty. Hopefully they will replace both. I am concerned about the KYB longevity so I would like to have the Konis at the ready if possible.
One NICE thing about the KYBs is that I sure spin my tires less. It MIGHT be a function of a fixed transmission mount. Like I said; it is difficult to be scientific about this as there were so many changes at once.
ps. I ripped a ball joint boot while doing this. I have a new one on order from EEuroparts.com and will post how easy it was to replace it when I do so. Do not use a pickle fork to separate the ball joint, use a gear puller. I will probably just use the pickle fork the second time since the boot is already ripped.
Bill


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