Drollomite Man

After debating for months about the choice of replacement struts/shocks for my '05 3.2 (44k miles, though I've been contemplating this for the last 10k), I finally had Koni Sports installed. Here's my rationale, and my experience, in the hope that it may be useful to others.

Rationale:
-Retain stock springs and ride height. I know this isn't optimum, as the 3.2 sits higher than other TTs, but I was looking for a simple solution that wouldn't require camber adjustment. Furthermore, as this last winter in Wisconsin amply demonstrated, the underbelly does scrape once in a while.
-Koni Sports instead of Koni FSDs. The principle behind the FSDs was appealing (especially as applied to the TT's rather unsophisticated chassis). And there have been positive reviews posted on this forum. In the end, I chose the Sports over the FSDs because of the ride height issue. A couple of TTers noted increased ride height after installing the FSDs. Whether they were cases of incorrect spring perches or the fact that the FSD is a low-pressure gas strut is unclear, but I didn't want to risk the potential complication.
-Konis instead of Bilsteins. This was simply a matter of personal preference after researching past forum posts and talking with others, such as Mike at Pure Motorsports. The general consensus was that the Konis would be less stiff, more compliant. And, as a gas shock, the Bilstein's could present ride height concerns. Really, a very close call here. Many have had favorable experiences with Bilsteins, and on another day, I might have made that choice as well.

Experience:
Generally I'm quite pleased with the Koni Sports. I've noticed a slight increase in sharpness over small pavement irregularities, but better compliance and firmness over larger potholes, sunken manhole covers, etc. The car just doesn't "crash" over these the way it did with stock struts/shocks. Better control over body motions, flatter cornering, though dive and squat certainly haven't been eliminated (and probably can't be on stock springs). The car steers and tracks much more accurately, but this is probably due to the alignment I had performed and not the Konis. I would recommend the Koni Sports to anyone under similar circumstances, i.e., anyone wanting to upgrade the factory setup but retain stock springs, who doesn't drive at 10/10ths but appreciates more controlled, confidence-inspiring handling. I enjoy and look forward to driving my TT again, instead of dreading how it would respond to rough pavement with the worn OE setup (and it does wear quickly--I bought my TT as an Audi CPO with 13k miles, and noticed significant deterioration since then). If there's any disappointment it's in the area of comfort--I wouldn't have minded more of an improvement here, but maybe that's where the FSDs shine. For the sake of comparison, my TT now feels similar to a Mk2 TT with Mag Ride set on Sport (though the Mk2 is smoother and overall more composed as befits its better chassis, even on 18" wheels compared to my 17s).

Observations:
A couple of quirks. Right after the install, I heard some clunking noises from the rear suspension on certain road irregularities. When I went back to the shop that did the work to have the rear shocks adjusted (the fronts are externally adjustable, the rears have to be partially removed and the body turned), they pointed out that one shock was bad. It got rapidly worse, banging horribly with nearly every bump. I ended up parking the car until I got a replacement from Koni (they shipped it right away after I faxed in a damage report). Replacement seems fine, but the odd thing is that there are barely two full turns of adjustment on the rear shocks (Koni literature mentions 5 half-turns of adjustment). According to Koni, this is just the way it is with some shocks. My current setup: one full turn on the front struts, one-and-a-quarter turns on the rear shocks. I may try firming up the fronts a little more. It's easy enough to do.

Well, I hope this longish post is helpful. Suspension upgrading/tuning is an active area with TTers, but it's sometimes difficult to get firsthand experience on the setup you're considering with all of the choices available. Hope this adds to the body of knowledge.

willywoody

leaning toward the bilsteins for my '06 3.2 after my research, go figure. i just don't wanna bother with lowering the car to look at coilovers, using the KISS philosophy.

Drollomite Man

Exactly. Do the Bilsteins and let's compare.

willywoody

i'll defitely report back after i get something in

Drollomite Man

They were my initial choice, but then I heard that they might jack up the car slightly (3.2s, as you probably know, are already 10mm higher than stock). There just doesn't seem to be much firsthand experience out there with 3.2s to know for sure . . .

LSZ

I just finished up an installation of Bilsteins with Eibach springs today. The initial measurements revealed a .5 inch drop in ride height. This combination is advertised to produce about 1 inch drop. My guess is some sag in the new springs will yield more drop in the future.

willywoody

i was gonna go with the sport shocks instead of the hd version because of that