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drudis · 12-31-1999, 10:57 AM

I personally have tried several sets of shocks. At one time, I had stock 19K mile, KYB, Formula GP, and used Koni reds.
I "scientifically" took a bathroom scale and measured preload (weight to get the shocks to compress). I threw my weight on the shock to measure compression rates (counted one one-thousand...). I test drove all the shocks based on Eibach Street 450-580 variable rate springs.
My conclusion (_MY_ opionion) is that the KYB had way too much pre-load. They are like air shocks. They actually raised the car because of the preload. They also were very stiff (before they started to move) then moved at a decent stiff rate. The GP's had little preload, moved easily, and had stiffer than stock compression. The used Reds, were too used (wasted) and the test showed them at the weakest/softest (needed a rebuild) so I got burned on those used shocks.
All in all, for $275-ish you can get a set of Formula GP's. For a street car, thats my recommendation. Thats the set I stuck with.

In the near future I will probably be going to Koni Yelows with coil overs, but that is for my roadrace car... (another story).

12-31-1999, 10:57 AM	#2
drudis Moderator Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Livonia, MI, USA Posts: 1,194	I personally have tried several sets of shocks. At one time, I had stock 19K mile, KYB, Formula GP, and used Koni reds. I "scientifically" took a bathroom scale and measured preload (weight to get the shocks to compress). I threw my weight on the shock to measure compression rates (counted one one-thousand...). I test drove all the shocks based on Eibach Street 450-580 variable rate springs. My conclusion (_MY_ opionion) is that the KYB had way too much pre-load. They are like air shocks. They actually raised the car because of the preload. They also were very stiff (before they started to move) then moved at a decent stiff rate. The GP's had little preload, moved easily, and had stiffer than stock compression. The used Reds, were too used (wasted) and the test showed them at the weakest/softest (needed a rebuild) so I got burned on those used shocks. All in all, for $275-ish you can get a set of Formula GP's. For a street car, thats my recommendation. Thats the set I stuck with. In the near future I will probably be going to Koni Yelows with coil overs, but that is for my roadrace car... (another story).