Never seen chassis support and enthusiasm for any car like the Miata. Even my old 350z didn’t come close to the aftermarket support and that was one aftermarket-friendly car. Awesome videos FM
For anyone in the future. My NB is on Koni Orange Strt and im happy with my ride quality, and ride height. Not tracking, or boosting and they fit that application nicely. My issue arose when I bought new wheels and tires Storm S1 in 15x8 and im on 205/50s not even 225s. Had only the smallest rubbing issue while all full lock of steering or under heavy cornering load. Heard about this from other owners and didnt make any adjustments or roll fenders. I had a heavier passenger and as I turned one day (not full lock just a standard right turn at slow speed) my tire ate my fender and bent the lip out and then created a worse rubbing issue. I stated earlier im happy with ride quality, and my fender has since been rolled, but I figured I should put my experience in the comments for anyone else, as the rim is pretty clearly stated to have this slight rub but still is a very popular option. I would have purchased the FM rims but I urgently needed tires when i made the swap so chose to order from someone that gave me the entire wheel/tire package. Im debating buying koni yellows just because of what happened, but i can attest to koni orange being a very satisfactory driving experience, and thats coming from someone who had issues.
My 08 NC had 2 blown shocks and all bump stops were gone. I replaced with Koni str.t's, FM springs and GWR bump stops. It rides and handles like a new car!!
thanks for explaining the sport dampening benefit to lowered springs with a higher rate, i was this close to going on the srt.t - got to get some sports...
Glad I watched this. Was about to buy a set for use with lowering springs. Koni Yellows are so stupid expensive in Australia. I wish someone would just make a plain lowering shock for NA.
MX5 Mania are great but I just realised it's significantly cheaper to order from you directly, and also that these yellows come with adjustable perches. This is a really good option now.
I would like to comment on your opinion about str.t kit combined with lowering springs. I’ve been running the str.t kit along with the dedicated h&r (blue-euro version) springs for 4 years on my E46 330ci. I can honestly say that it is a major upgrade to the stock setup and I disagree about the str.t dampers not being suitable for lowering springs. My car is a daily driver and handles very well on curvy roads/highways as well as in the city. Speedbumps take some time getting used to (because of the ride height) but once you get a grip on it, you’ll be fine. With that said, I think the str.t kit is a good choice for the casual/spirited driver.
Our comments are based on the Miata platform and our standards of what we consider to be acceptable suspension behavior. It's quite possible they would work on a different platform which will have different valving and different attributes.
Maybe it's different with the Miata but here is the info straight off of Koni's website regarding the Str.t shocks: What is the difference between KONI STR.T (orange) and KONI Sport? First of all there is a difference in basic shock design: KONI Sport is adjustable, KONI STR.T is not. A second difference can be found in the valving: where KONI Sport is developed to provide an overall sportier performance, KONI STR.T is best described as semi-sporty: improving the road handling to a considerably sportier level than standard (also suitable for lowering), with an overall comfortable feel. They do in fact advertise being capable for stiffer lowering springs.
In our testing on Miatas, we didn't feel the STR.T shocks worked well with lowering springs, and consider them as more of a factory replacement. If you are looking for a sportier feel and a lower ride height, we think the Koni Yellows with our springs or a good set of coilovers are a much better solution.
We feel there's a difference between "can be" and "should be". Any lowering spring needs to be a higher spring rate or you'll spend all your time slamming into the bumpstops (see some of our other suspension videos), and this higher rate means you need different valving to control them. The Sport is a better choice in this case.
@@FlyinMiataVideo According to Koni, these are designed to be run with lowering springs if desired. Supposedly these are valved uniquely for each application with valving that works for mild lowering springs.
@@whyzee125 Again, "mild" lowering springs aren't really a viable thing. If you lower a car - especially a car with limited suspension travel like a Miata - you need to increase the spring rate to compensate for the decreased travel available. And in our experience with the Miata applications, that means you need different valving than Koni put in the SRT.T. Will the orange shocks explode if you pair them with a set of "drop an inch and raise the rate 10%" springs? No. Will your car handle and ride more poorly? Yes.
Do you have any input on the TEIN Endura Pro/Endura Pro Plus shocks? in my specific application they just make Koni STR.T and Endura Pro/Endura Pro Plus shocks (since its my daily, and where i live the streets are in pretty bad condition so coilovers is not an option). I currently have installed Eibach Pro kit lowering springs with stock shocks but there is some serious body roll haha which i would like to reduce.. what would be your recommendation?
Sorry, we don't have any experience with those shocks and probably not with your application. You might appreciate some of our other videos on what coilovers mean - there's no reason you can't use coilovers on bad pavement if they're any good and tuned properly. But if you're worried about body roll, different shocks are not the answer. You're looking for sway bars.
Yes, this video is a year old - but I have a question specifically about the Koni SRT-T shocks. We have an '11 MX5 GT PRHT with the Premium and Suspension Packages (Bilsteins), running 225/45/17 Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus tires on factory wheels - I prefer the 225/45's for the more comfortable ride and to help protect the fragile wheels from potholes. The car has roughly 55k miles on it, and is otherwise stock. The Mrs and I use the car as a GT car - leisurely country drives and long road trips, basically a modern take on the venerable British sports car. I am thinking it's time to replace the 11 year old Bilsteins, and want to keep the comfortable ride - are these what I'm looking for? 🤔 Thanks!
The STR.T will probably be a little softer than the Bilsteins, but should keep a similar ride height and give you a nice ride. If you'd like to be able to have the option to fully adjust the suspension, we'd probably recommend our Koni Yellow Shocks. Feel free to reach out to our customer support team directly if you'd like more details, first hand experiences, or a more personal recommendation. Thanks!
Very informative as I am looking for factory shock replacement with stock springs for my NC1; thank you! If I may ask, are there any reasons why you don't add other stock-replacement like Monroe OESpectrum and Sachs Shock Absorber?
We generally prefer to offer what we think are the best option for a specific use case instead of every possible option. The known durability, proven performance and the lifetime warranty of the Konis makes them our choise at this price point.
*Another arrrrgh! Monroe annually spends more money flying their Jobbers, WDs and sales reps on junkets to Hawaii than they do on materials quality and failure analysis. This has been true forever: Sales is King. Quality? Meh. Lifetime guarantee? Surely you jest. Cheers!*
Probably not. There are a dozen different factors at play here. Your wheel offset, tire size and alignment will play a much bigger role han the shock. The shock only controls damping, not ride height. Reach out to our support team at support@flyinmiata.com and they should be able to help you figure out the issue.
do all the STRT orange shocks come with that lowering perch at the bottom? I thought only the Yellows have that.. Maybe this is just special for the n.a.? I dont know what NA is..
NA is the chassis code for 1990-97 Miatas. The STR.T used to offer adjustable perch locations, but Koni has updated the design since we shot this video and the perches are no longer adjustable.
My '91 is on stock springs and came with Stagg shocks. I've been looking for a good stock replacement and the KYB Excel-G seems to be the common "go to" shock for that use. These STR.T shocks sound like a good step up from there while retaining stock behavior and springs. How do the KYB Excel-G and the Koni STR.T compare?
The KYB stock replacement (known as the GR-2 in the past) is a decent shock. We think the Koni has the edge in durability and in ride quality, which is why we've chosen it for our catalog. Mostly, it comes down to the valving choice.
*Arrrrgh! Like Monroe and Gabriel, KYB's black tube OERs today are not on the same quality level as KONI or Tokico. From 2011? conversations with Marc Schuler of TriPoint Engineering and Jim Langer of Racing Beat: KONI brought their SR.T Orange range to market to compete with Tokico Blues and KYB's now-deprecated GR-2 (silver) range. Don't know if Excel-Gs or AGXs will last 100,000+ miles but personal experience informs me SR.Ts sure as hell do. Cheers!*
We include upgraded bumpstops with all sets of Koni shocks. You don't necessarily need shorter ones, but your stock ones are over 15 years old by this point.
I have a 2009 NC PRHT suspension package with 100k mile on the Odo and what appears to be the stock Bilstiens (car purchased used). Will these work well for my vehicle? The suspension seems ok at the moment, no uncontrolled bounce.
If you are looking for a replacement shock that gives fairly OEM ride quality and ride height, then these should work great for you. if you are looking to lower your car or you prefer more aggressive/spirited driving, you would probably be happier with the KONI sport suspension. If there are any specifics you'd like to discuss or need more info, please feel free to drop us an email at support@flyinmiata.com. We can give much more technical and detailed responses via email. Thanks!
What do you guys think, in terms of comfort, the ND koni+FM springs compare to high end stuff like Ohlins or fox? I know the performance level might be far apart but I am curious about comfort. I recently bought and install the koni stage 1 kit for my ND.
The ND Koni/FM setup works very well. We're quite happy with the result. The Fox does have more ultimate performance but street comfort is quite similar. The Ohlins have less suspension travel than we would accept, unfortunately.
gotta question... first off, im not new to cars, but im an old school muscle car guy & i am new to the miata game... but i went & fell in love a couple years ago with a little 99 nb ...& now im lookin at makin a few subtle upgrades (adult oriented upgrades, no fast n furious type of stuff) ...so my question, how do i tell if my miata has "stock" springs? i purchased it from a guy in a miata club that had mostly "all-stock" miatas (yeah, he had like 10 of em) but when u set my 99 up against 2 of my friends "stock" miatas, mine sits a noticeable amount lower, not slammed, but noticeable... their wheel well gap is big enough to stick ur hand in sideways, but mine is about 2 fingers...? im wanting those orange konis, but im not sure if my cars been lowered a little bit? really been enjoying all ur videos, thanx man
Stock springs are black and have one or two colored paint dots on them. There's no part number or other printing on them. Aftermarket springs can be just about any color (including black!) and probably have a logo or other information such as a part number printed on them.
i'm shopping for koni shocks for my audi tt mk2 quattro. u mention the str ride quality is the same as the lowest setting of the sport koni, so does the sport koni be able to use my stock spring? i commute on bad roads every day. i cant afford to lower my car. but i do want the flexibility if want to make the ride firmer during morning run with the guys. thank you. sorry 4 months late. thankyou.
Obviously we are really only familiar with the Miata application, but on the Miata you can use the Sport with stock springs. Keith has a Miata that's been set up like that for 20 years.
I'll second FM's input; I have a 91 Civic Si that I ran on stock springs with Koni yellows (sports) for a year and they worked great. Compared to the stock shocks the Konis were significantly better over rough roads; far more compliant and comfortable over big bumps but more supportive in the corners. I still use the Koni shocks and love them, just with different springs.
I’m very interested in the new Koni shocks, however I have also considered the sports as well as the new skunk coil overs and fox coil overs. Interested in a comparison between the fox and skunk. You mentioned the strt Koni shocks can be lowered slightly. I am interested in lowering the car slightly which is why I have been considering coil overs. I am attempting to lower body roll with stiffer sway bars and suspension set up, maybe even some tower bars. Thoughts?
The Fox and Skunk are not in the same league in our opinion. The Skunk has a two-piece body, which means it has less travel available and is inherently compromised especially in the rear. We know the Fox damping is as good as it gets, as we worked directly with the Fox Racing engineers to tune them specifically for the Miata. Skunk is neither a suspension specialist nor a Miata specialist, so it's unlikely there was quite as much care taken in the specification of as much experience brought to bear on the development. Fox durability is excellent as they also build OE shocks for vehicles like the Raptor, and they're also very light due to the aluminum body. If you are looking to decrease body roll, sway bars are your primary tool. Tower bars will have no effect, lowering the car will have a small effect. Spring rate will have an effect, so you may want to consider the FM springs along with Koni Sports.
That depends on the springs being used. With stock springs, the STR.T works well as a stock replacement. If you want some adjustability (say, for autocross), then you want the yellow Sport.
Hello, I'm very interested in the Kini SRT.T for my italian Miata NA 93', but i have a question, my car has over 200.000 km, do you reccommand to change the springs? Supposing the springs has never been changed before, is there an easy way to determinate if they are still functional or of its necessary to buy new ones? Thank you very much!
Check for marks of coil bind on the springs, and check your ride height compared to the documented ride height when new. If the car sits lower than stock, your springs are probably worn and sagging a bit. Feel free to drop us an email at support@flyinmiata.com for more details!
My question to you is I plan on doing a flying Miata turbo kit on my NB. Is there enough shock and suspension in this setup for all the power that your kit will put to the wheels. I think what I'm trying to say with the turbo kit should I get a different package than this.?
This depends on how you're using the car. For street use, a set of sway bars, STR.T shocks and stock springs will work well enough for street use on a 200 wheel hp Miata - although the car will definitely move around on the suspension. Going to one of our Stage 2 setups with the Koni Sport shocks will make the car feel much more planted and will inspire more confidence.
I have a question. If you can't use the FM spring with the street Koni. Then how can you use the FM spring with the sport Koni set at full soft? Good question right? Riiiiight.....
What are Flyin' Miata's thoughts on the kit (1125) that Koni sells with lowering springs (slight drop, ~1" I think) that were supposedly developed by Eibach specifically for these exact dampers? Perhaps the drop and spring rate are mild enough to work within these dampers' tune?
A 1" drop on a Miata - especially an NA or NB - requires a significant increase in spring rate or you're going to spend your time slamming into the bumpstops. And that means you need more aggressive damping. Eibach doesn't spend a lot of time driving the springs they design. I expect it's mostly done mathematically, and the problem with that is that you don't take the behavior of the specific car into account. We drive these things every day in every condition, so we've learned what does and doesn't work. And it is very clear that a "mild" lowering spring doesn't. Will they be terrible and destroy your car? Probably not. Will they be significantly less comfortable with worse handling than doing it properly? Yes.
Keith, I recently purchased and installed the stage 1 springs and sport shocks (for nb), I have one corner of the car(left front) that sits about 1/2" low. I know you guys make a spacer for on top of the top hat, but I understand that you can't use a brace and the "shim/ spacer" Is there a reason to not simply put a properly sized spacer between the circlip and the spring perch? Thanks for the help. more orders on the way :)
FYI... I can find nothing bent anywhere. I've basically given up trying to locate the reason why (it's just a street car anyway) so I just want a bit more RH on that corner...
@@hawkgeoff You can't have just one corner that's low unless the car is shaped like a banana. The diagonally opposite corner should be high. I suspect you're not measuring on a level surface or your reference points are not consistent. Try comparing heights side to side from the pinch welds.
@@FlyinMiataVideo Right rear is slightly high as well(3/8ish) (probably should have mentioned that as well, but thought that was a given. After rereading what I typed I see the confusion). I've set up race cars for years and am familiar with scaling and setting up ride heights, however always with coilovers. So is there an issue with a shim on the circlip?
@@hawkgeoff Shimming under the circlip is basically the same as adjusting a coilover. However, it shouldn't be necessary. I'd want to spend a bit more time trying to figure out what's actually going on. If it's a problem spring, we need to deal with that. If it's something like an incorrectly placed groove on a shock, same. If you don't mind doing the work, it would be useful to swap the springs from one side to the other and see if the problem follows. If so, it's a spring problem. If not, it's something else. Also, make sure the bushings are all reset on all four corners to make sure we're not trying to work around something like that.
@@FlyinMiataVideo I would normally be happy to do that, but I suspect it's the car and NOT your springs nor shocks. The reason I say that is that with the 20 year old shocks and springs that were removed it had the same variation in ride heights. I falsely assumed it was just sag and that new springs would bring it back. As I mentioned I'm sure something is tweaked just enough to account for the differences. It's completely drivable and truth be told I'm probably the only one that notices it, but for the life of me I can't find anything bent. My idea was merely me giving up the fight and looking to put a band-aid on the stance for my own OCD issues... I just didn't want to throw a spacer on the circlip if that clip required inward pressure from the perch... Much appreciate the comments.
As far as I know both konis are tuv legal in Germany, since they are stock replacement. It is a different t thing if you run them with lowering springs in Germany, than you need the GUTACHTEN for the springs to be tuv legal Do you nkonw if the Konis are the same as the one sold in Europe?
@@FlyinMiataVideo what suspension set up would you recommend for a stock car. I like the sound of the STRT's. But, if they're not to be matched with lowering springs, what are my options? Thank you
We've got a fair bit of experience with the AGX. It's adjustable so that's nice, but overall it's a harsher valving than the STR.T. More importantly, the STR.T isn't designed for stiffer springs while the AGX can handle it. We like the STR.T as a good stock replacement shock. For adjustable shocks, the AGX is not our favorite due to that harshness.
Are these shocks compatible with the purple rear shock mounts that you sell? I am refreshing my wifeś NA8 with 68k original miles and all original suspension. We recently inherited it from her mother. She does not drive vigorously, but I like to wring it out when I get a chance. No track use. I am thinking of the Str.t shocks with new front and rear mounts and new front and rear sway bars on stock springs. I may use the lowering feature on the shocks for better center of gravity. I recently added the door bushings and FM frame rails to get it started. Any thoughts on this set-up? Thanks for your help.
@@FlyinMiataVideo Thank you for the reply! Based on the comment in your catalog I guess I also need to order the adjustable end links to reach all the holes in the NA sway bars.
@@Spearfishingboy I would expect the highest damping level on the Konis to be able to handle a much stiffer spring than the Bilsteins. But they're going to have quite different characteristics, and damping is not a single point but a curve. In our experience, Bilsteins have a tendency to run a lot of low speed compression that leads to a very jiggly ride. Konis do not. But the most important thing is that you're looking for shocks to deal with an unspecified and non-standard spring rate, so you need a shock that can be adjusted. Finding a non-adjustable shock that happens to be just right would be unlikely.
@@Spearfishingboy We have no idea what the spring rates are, so we can't comment on that. If they lower the car 3.5 cm, they should have a higher rate than stock or you're going to spend a lot of time hitting the bumpstops.
I have a 2011 Camaro SS I just rebuilt the entire engine I love the 5th gen Camaro got rid of that stupid DOD displacement on demand thing I bought the BTR Brian Tooley delete kit BTR stage 2 LS3 cam which really is a perfect can for this car and the transmission dual Springs rods Pistons crank the block the heads everything was ported and Polished also new water pump oil pump radiator had to get a new condenser cuz I had a hole in it alternator starter I mean if you're rebuilding an engine it doesn't pay to leave the old s*** in there so yeah when I was all done it cost me about 15 grand between parts and labor not too bad now I want to work on the suspension and I've been looking at dozens and dozens of suspension I keep coming back to k o n i I have the orange inferno orange so they will match perfectly I like the feel of the stock suspension the firmness and the stiffness was wondering if you could just recommend one of those that you have on the table for my car I would really appreciate it because I'm not really sure which ones to buy and I want to buy the right ones thank you
I bought a riced out 00' Miata from a dope fiend, where do I find springs to go with these? He put Racelands on there which are so bone jarring and miserable it threw out both me and my dads back. It would be nice not having my teeth fall out when I drive! edit: dumber question, what parts would I need for a complete shock setup? Mount, shock, bumpstop and spring? 2nd edit: Can the Flying Miata springs you sell the for NB work well with these?
For a street driven 1.6 Miata with your (FM) stage one turbo kit, which of yalls suspension options would you recommend for a 1-2” lower-than-stock, comfortable but stable ride? (My stock suspension leaves the car feeling quite squirrelly under hard pulls even before the turbo and I’m afraid I might lose control sometimes)
The Stage 2.5 is a very good suspension for that sort of use. Make sure you have a good alignment and your bushings are all healthy if you're worried about instability.
We are definitely open! Our customer service team is working from home and unfortunately our phone system can't deal with that - the voicemail message should say that. They're struggling to keep up with the volume of email which is why the form reply says it may take some time to get a response. Thanks for your patience.
@@FlyinMiataVideo Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to see if I can get a stage 1 package preassembled and what that would cost. Also need to know lead time, which can't seem to be seen on website.
@@hawkgeoff Sorry, we do not offer a preassembly service. There are parts that are intended to be reused from your car which prevents us from assembling the spring/shock unit. Lead time for shipping is very short if products are in stock - they'll usually go out the same or next business day. If they are not in stock, the expected date can be found on the site.
Never seen chassis support and enthusiasm for any car like the Miata. Even my old 350z didn’t come close to the aftermarket support and that was one aftermarket-friendly car.
Awesome videos FM
Well said! Miata owners are the best! ;)
Love these videos. So helpful for miata enthusiasts.
For anyone in the future. My NB is on Koni Orange Strt and im happy with my ride quality, and ride height. Not tracking, or boosting and they fit that application nicely. My issue arose when I bought new wheels and tires Storm S1 in 15x8 and im on 205/50s not even 225s. Had only the smallest rubbing issue while all full lock of steering or under heavy cornering load. Heard about this from other owners and didnt make any adjustments or roll fenders. I had a heavier passenger and as I turned one day (not full lock just a standard right turn at slow speed) my tire ate my fender and bent the lip out and then created a worse rubbing issue. I stated earlier im happy with ride quality, and my fender has since been rolled, but I figured I should put my experience in the comments for anyone else, as the rim is pretty clearly stated to have this slight rub but still is a very popular option. I would have purchased the FM rims but I urgently needed tires when i made the swap so chose to order from someone that gave me the entire wheel/tire package. Im debating buying koni yellows just because of what happened, but i can attest to koni orange being a very satisfactory driving experience, and thats coming from someone who had issues.
Best video I've seen about suspension options. Thanks!
My 08 NC had 2 blown shocks and all bump stops were gone. I replaced with Koni str.t's, FM springs and GWR bump stops. It rides and handles like a new car!!
are those bump stops shorter than OEM ones????
thanks for explaining the sport dampening benefit to lowered springs with a higher rate, i was this close to going on the srt.t - got to get some sports...
Glad I watched this. Was about to buy a set for use with lowering springs. Koni Yellows are so stupid expensive in Australia. I wish someone would just make a plain lowering shock for NA.
MX5 Mania, located in NSW, is one of our parts dealers - if you're near, they might be able to save you a few bucks on shipping!
MX5 Mania are great but I just realised it's significantly cheaper to order from you directly, and also that these yellows come with adjustable perches. This is a really good option now.
I would like to comment on your opinion about str.t kit combined with lowering springs. I’ve been running the str.t kit along with the dedicated h&r (blue-euro version) springs for 4 years on my E46 330ci. I can honestly say that it is a major upgrade to the stock setup and I disagree about the str.t dampers not being suitable for lowering springs. My car is a daily driver and handles very well on curvy roads/highways as well as in the city. Speedbumps take some time getting used to (because of the ride height) but once you get a grip on it, you’ll be fine. With that said, I think the str.t kit is a good choice for the casual/spirited driver.
Our comments are based on the Miata platform and our standards of what we consider to be acceptable suspension behavior. It's quite possible they would work on a different platform which will have different valving and different attributes.
Maybe it's different with the Miata but here is the info straight off of Koni's website regarding the Str.t shocks:
What is the difference between KONI STR.T (orange) and KONI Sport?
First of all there is a difference in basic shock design: KONI Sport is adjustable, KONI STR.T is not. A second difference can be found in the valving: where KONI Sport is developed to provide an overall sportier performance, KONI STR.T is best described as semi-sporty: improving the road handling to a considerably sportier level than standard (also suitable for lowering), with an overall comfortable feel.
They do in fact advertise being capable for stiffer lowering springs.
In our testing on Miatas, we didn't feel the STR.T shocks worked well with lowering springs, and consider them as more of a factory replacement. If you are looking for a sportier feel and a lower ride height, we think the Koni Yellows with our springs or a good set of coilovers are a much better solution.
KONI STR.T are actually considerably better than the OEM strut / shock and can be used with mild sport lowering springs just fine.
We feel there's a difference between "can be" and "should be". Any lowering spring needs to be a higher spring rate or you'll spend all your time slamming into the bumpstops (see some of our other suspension videos), and this higher rate means you need different valving to control them. The Sport is a better choice in this case.
@@FlyinMiataVideo According to Koni, these are designed to be run with lowering springs if desired. Supposedly these are valved uniquely for each application with valving that works for mild lowering springs.
@@whyzee125 Again, "mild" lowering springs aren't really a viable thing. If you lower a car - especially a car with limited suspension travel like a Miata - you need to increase the spring rate to compensate for the decreased travel available. And in our experience with the Miata applications, that means you need different valving than Koni put in the SRT.T.
Will the orange shocks explode if you pair them with a set of "drop an inch and raise the rate 10%" springs? No. Will your car handle and ride more poorly? Yes.
@@FlyinMiataVideo i may have missed it in the video but are the compatible with the FM spring?
@@Leebull3 they are, but flyinmiata doesn't recommend you doing that.
Do you have any input on the TEIN Endura Pro/Endura Pro Plus shocks? in my specific application they just make Koni STR.T and Endura Pro/Endura Pro Plus shocks (since its my daily, and where i live the streets are in pretty bad condition so coilovers is not an option). I currently have installed Eibach Pro kit lowering springs with stock shocks but there is some serious body roll haha which i would like to reduce.. what would be your recommendation?
Sorry, we don't have any experience with those shocks and probably not with your application. You might appreciate some of our other videos on what coilovers mean - there's no reason you can't use coilovers on bad pavement if they're any good and tuned properly.
But if you're worried about body roll, different shocks are not the answer. You're looking for sway bars.
Yes, this video is a year old - but I have a question specifically about the Koni SRT-T shocks.
We have an '11 MX5 GT PRHT with the Premium and Suspension Packages (Bilsteins), running 225/45/17 Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus tires on factory wheels - I prefer the 225/45's for the more comfortable ride and to help protect the fragile wheels from potholes.
The car has roughly 55k miles on it, and is otherwise stock.
The Mrs and I use the car as a GT car - leisurely country drives and long road trips, basically a modern take on the venerable British sports car.
I am thinking it's time to replace the 11 year old Bilsteins, and want to keep the comfortable ride - are these what I'm looking for? 🤔
Thanks!
The STR.T will probably be a little softer than the Bilsteins, but should keep a similar ride height and give you a nice ride. If you'd like to be able to have the option to fully adjust the suspension, we'd probably recommend our Koni Yellow Shocks. Feel free to reach out to our customer support team directly if you'd like more details, first hand experiences, or a more personal recommendation. Thanks!
Very informative as I am looking for factory shock replacement with stock springs for my NC1; thank you!
If I may ask, are there any reasons why you don't add other stock-replacement like Monroe OESpectrum and Sachs Shock Absorber?
We generally prefer to offer what we think are the best option for a specific use case instead of every possible option. The known durability, proven performance and the lifetime warranty of the Konis makes them our choise at this price point.
*Another arrrrgh! Monroe annually spends more money flying their Jobbers, WDs and sales reps on junkets to Hawaii than they do on materials quality and failure analysis. This has been true forever: Sales is King. Quality? Meh. Lifetime guarantee? Surely you jest. Cheers!*
Hi, I recently lowered my car on lowering springs and noticed my tire rubs on the fender now.
Would installing these shocks fix this?
Probably not. There are a dozen different factors at play here. Your wheel offset, tire size and alignment will play a much bigger role han the shock. The shock only controls damping, not ride height. Reach out to our support team at support@flyinmiata.com and they should be able to help you figure out the issue.
I bought a Miata nb with these orange shocks but they have Mazda speed springs and the car look tall with them on is that a good thing?
do all the STRT orange shocks come with that lowering perch at the bottom? I thought only the Yellows have that.. Maybe this is just special for the n.a.? I dont know what NA is..
NA is the chassis code for 1990-97 Miatas.
The STR.T used to offer adjustable perch locations, but Koni has updated the design since we shot this video and the perches are no longer adjustable.
Question, my NC has the bilsteins sport suspension package. Can I still use the same factory springs with the STR Koni's?
Yes.
My '91 is on stock springs and came with Stagg shocks. I've been looking for a good stock replacement and the KYB Excel-G seems to be the common "go to" shock for that use. These STR.T shocks sound like a good step up from there while retaining stock behavior and springs. How do the KYB Excel-G and the Koni STR.T compare?
The KYB stock replacement (known as the GR-2 in the past) is a decent shock. We think the Koni has the edge in durability and in ride quality, which is why we've chosen it for our catalog. Mostly, it comes down to the valving choice.
*Arrrrgh! Like Monroe and Gabriel, KYB's black tube OERs today are not on the same quality level as KONI or Tokico. From 2011? conversations with Marc Schuler of TriPoint Engineering and Jim Langer of Racing Beat: KONI brought their SR.T Orange range to market to compete with Tokico Blues and KYB's now-deprecated GR-2 (silver) range. Don't know if Excel-Gs or AGXs will last 100,000+ miles but personal experience informs me SR.Ts sure as hell do. Cheers!*
If going with Koni sport shocks and lowering springs. Do i need shorter bump stops for my NC1. Please help. Thanks
We include upgraded bumpstops with all sets of Koni shocks. You don't necessarily need shorter ones, but your stock ones are over 15 years old by this point.
I have a 2009 NC PRHT suspension package with 100k mile on the Odo and what appears to be the stock Bilstiens (car purchased used). Will these work well for my vehicle? The suspension seems ok at the moment, no uncontrolled bounce.
If you are looking for a replacement shock that gives fairly OEM ride quality and ride height, then these should work great for you. if you are looking to lower your car or you prefer more aggressive/spirited driving, you would probably be happier with the KONI sport suspension. If there are any specifics you'd like to discuss or need more info, please feel free to drop us an email at support@flyinmiata.com. We can give much more technical and detailed responses via email. Thanks!
What do you guys think, in terms of comfort, the ND koni+FM springs compare to high end stuff like Ohlins or fox? I know the performance level might be far apart but I am curious about comfort. I recently bought and install the koni stage 1 kit for my ND.
The ND Koni/FM setup works very well. We're quite happy with the result. The Fox does have more ultimate performance but street comfort is quite similar. The Ohlins have less suspension travel than we would accept, unfortunately.
Rode Wireless GO sounds good.
honestly yes, but that constant flashing/reflecting into camera is killing it for me, it’s so distracting!
gotta question... first off, im not new to cars, but im an old school muscle car guy & i am new to the miata game... but i went & fell in love a couple years ago with a little 99 nb ...& now im lookin at makin a few subtle upgrades (adult oriented upgrades, no fast n furious type of stuff) ...so my question, how do i tell if my miata has "stock" springs? i purchased it from a guy in a miata club that had mostly "all-stock" miatas (yeah, he had like 10 of em) but when u set my 99 up against 2 of my friends "stock" miatas, mine sits a noticeable amount lower, not slammed, but noticeable... their wheel well gap is big enough to stick ur hand in sideways, but mine is about 2 fingers...? im wanting those orange konis, but im not sure if my cars been lowered a little bit? really been enjoying all ur videos, thanx man
Stock springs are black and have one or two colored paint dots on them. There's no part number or other printing on them.
Aftermarket springs can be just about any color (including black!) and probably have a logo or other information such as a part number printed on them.
@@FlyinMiataVideo ...looks like i need to get up under there & have a look then... thank u so much for takin the time to read & respond!
i'm shopping for koni shocks for my audi tt mk2 quattro. u mention the str ride quality is the same as the lowest setting of the sport koni, so does the sport koni be able to use my stock spring? i commute on bad roads every day. i cant afford to lower my car. but i do want the flexibility if want to make the ride firmer during morning run with the guys. thank you. sorry 4 months late. thankyou.
Obviously we are really only familiar with the Miata application, but on the Miata you can use the Sport with stock springs. Keith has a Miata that's been set up like that for 20 years.
I'll second FM's input; I have a 91 Civic Si that I ran on stock springs with Koni yellows (sports) for a year and they worked great. Compared to the stock shocks the Konis were significantly better over rough roads; far more compliant and comfortable over big bumps but more supportive in the corners. I still use the Koni shocks and love them, just with different springs.
I’m very interested in the new Koni shocks, however I have also considered the sports as well as the new skunk coil overs and fox coil overs. Interested in a comparison between the fox and skunk. You mentioned the strt Koni shocks can be lowered slightly. I am interested in lowering the car slightly which is why I have been considering coil overs. I am attempting to lower body roll with stiffer sway bars and suspension set up, maybe even some tower bars. Thoughts?
The Fox and Skunk are not in the same league in our opinion. The Skunk has a two-piece body, which means it has less travel available and is inherently compromised especially in the rear. We know the Fox damping is as good as it gets, as we worked directly with the Fox Racing engineers to tune them specifically for the Miata. Skunk is neither a suspension specialist nor a Miata specialist, so it's unlikely there was quite as much care taken in the specification of as much experience brought to bear on the development. Fox durability is excellent as they also build OE shocks for vehicles like the Raptor, and they're also very light due to the aluminum body.
If you are looking to decrease body roll, sway bars are your primary tool. Tower bars will have no effect, lowering the car will have a small effect. Spring rate will have an effect, so you may want to consider the FM springs along with Koni Sports.
Flyin' Miata thank you for the information!
On a stock car, would you recommend Koni Orange or Koni Yellows?
That depends on the springs being used. With stock springs, the STR.T works well as a stock replacement. If you want some adjustability (say, for autocross), then you want the yellow Sport.
Hello, I'm very interested in the Kini SRT.T for my italian Miata NA 93', but i have a question, my car has over 200.000 km, do you reccommand to change the springs? Supposing the springs has never been changed before, is there an easy way to determinate if they are still functional or of its necessary to buy new ones?
Thank you very much!
Check for marks of coil bind on the springs, and check your ride height compared to the documented ride height when new. If the car sits lower than stock, your springs are probably worn and sagging a bit. Feel free to drop us an email at support@flyinmiata.com for more details!
@@FlyinMiataVideo Thank you very much!
My question to you is I plan on doing a flying Miata turbo kit on my NB. Is there enough shock and suspension in this setup for all the power that your kit will put to the wheels. I think what I'm trying to say with the turbo kit should I get a different package than this.?
This depends on how you're using the car. For street use, a set of sway bars, STR.T shocks and stock springs will work well enough for street use on a 200 wheel hp Miata - although the car will definitely move around on the suspension. Going to one of our Stage 2 setups with the Koni Sport shocks will make the car feel much more planted and will inspire more confidence.
Thank you for your expertise. I'm still saving up for the turbo kit.
I have a question. If you can't use the FM spring with the street Koni. Then how can you use the FM spring with the sport Koni set at full soft?
Good question right? Riiiiight.....
We recommend 3/4 turn from full soft when running our springs on Koni Sport shocks. Full soft is for stock springs.
Can these be added to an 88 fc convertible?
You'd have to check with Koni to see if they offer that application. We're Miata specialists so we don't know details for other platforms.
What are Flyin' Miata's thoughts on the kit (1125) that Koni sells with lowering springs (slight drop, ~1" I think) that were supposedly developed by Eibach specifically for these exact dampers? Perhaps the drop and spring rate are mild enough to work within these dampers' tune?
A 1" drop on a Miata - especially an NA or NB - requires a significant increase in spring rate or you're going to spend your time slamming into the bumpstops. And that means you need more aggressive damping.
Eibach doesn't spend a lot of time driving the springs they design. I expect it's mostly done mathematically, and the problem with that is that you don't take the behavior of the specific car into account. We drive these things every day in every condition, so we've learned what does and doesn't work. And it is very clear that a "mild" lowering spring doesn't.
Will they be terrible and destroy your car? Probably not. Will they be significantly less comfortable with worse handling than doing it properly? Yes.
@@FlyinMiataVideo insightful, thanks!
Keith, I recently purchased and installed the stage 1 springs and sport shocks (for nb), I have one corner of the car(left front) that sits about 1/2" low. I know you guys make a spacer for on top of the top hat, but I understand that you can't use a brace and the "shim/ spacer" Is there a reason to not simply put a properly sized spacer between the circlip and the spring perch? Thanks for the help. more orders on the way :)
FYI... I can find nothing bent anywhere. I've basically given up trying to locate the reason why (it's just a street car anyway) so I just want a bit more RH on that corner...
@@hawkgeoff You can't have just one corner that's low unless the car is shaped like a banana. The diagonally opposite corner should be high. I suspect you're not measuring on a level surface or your reference points are not consistent. Try comparing heights side to side from the pinch welds.
@@FlyinMiataVideo Right rear is slightly high as well(3/8ish) (probably should have mentioned that as well, but thought that was a given. After rereading what I typed I see the confusion). I've set up race cars for years and am familiar with scaling and setting up ride heights, however always with coilovers. So is there an issue with a shim on the circlip?
@@hawkgeoff Shimming under the circlip is basically the same as adjusting a coilover. However, it shouldn't be necessary. I'd want to spend a bit more time trying to figure out what's actually going on. If it's a problem spring, we need to deal with that. If it's something like an incorrectly placed groove on a shock, same.
If you don't mind doing the work, it would be useful to swap the springs from one side to the other and see if the problem follows. If so, it's a spring problem. If not, it's something else. Also, make sure the bushings are all reset on all four corners to make sure we're not trying to work around something like that.
@@FlyinMiataVideo I would normally be happy to do that, but I suspect it's the car and NOT your springs nor shocks. The reason I say that is that with the 20 year old shocks and springs that were removed it had the same variation in ride heights. I falsely assumed it was just sag and that new springs would bring it back. As I mentioned I'm sure something is tweaked just enough to account for the differences. It's completely drivable and truth be told I'm probably the only one that notices it, but for the life of me I can't find anything bent. My idea was merely me giving up the fight and looking to put a band-aid on the stance for my own OCD issues... I just didn't want to throw a spacer on the circlip if that clip required inward pressure from the perch... Much appreciate the comments.
So...why is the tail pipe on the wrong side of the ND on that t-shirt?
We'll fix that before print!
@@FlyinMiataVideo I am buying two then, one for wearing and one for keeping haha
Tossing these in my 05 LEXUS IS300.... WAY CHEAPER then tokico (suprisingly).
As far as I know both konis are tuv legal in Germany, since they are stock replacement. It is a different t thing if you run them with lowering springs in Germany, than you need the GUTACHTEN for the springs to be tuv legal
Do you nkonw if the Konis are the same as the one sold in Europe?
They are the same to the best of our knowledge. Koni has confirmed that they are TUV legal.
@@FlyinMiataVideo thanks
great video as always. do you guys offer a factory spring replacement? I am currently refreshing a 1990 that i picked up and it has a broken spring.
There's no demand for that, unfortunately. If one is broken, we wouldn't trust the other three.
@@FlyinMiataVideo what suspension set up would you recommend for a stock car. I like the sound of the STRT's. But, if they're not to be matched with lowering springs, what are my options?
Thank you
@@modshop1828 You can source some used stock springs and pair them with the STR.Ts. I don't know if Mazda can still supply them.
Have you ever compared these to the KYB AGX?
We've got a fair bit of experience with the AGX. It's adjustable so that's nice, but overall it's a harsher valving than the STR.T. More importantly, the STR.T isn't designed for stiffer springs while the AGX can handle it. We like the STR.T as a good stock replacement shock. For adjustable shocks, the AGX is not our favorite due to that harshness.
Can you lower the NA with the stock springs by using the lowest perch setting?
You can, but you'd want to install different bumpstops at least. You'll lose suspension travel when you do that.
My strt struts are made in argentina. Acura tl 05
Are these shocks compatible with the purple rear shock mounts that you sell? I am refreshing my wifeś NA8 with 68k original miles and all original suspension. We recently inherited it from her mother. She does not drive vigorously, but I like to wring it out when I get a chance. No track use. I am thinking of the Str.t shocks with new front and rear mounts and new front and rear sway bars on stock springs. I may use the lowering feature on the shocks for better center of gravity. I recently added the door bushings and FM frame rails to get it started. Any thoughts on this set-up? Thanks for your help.
They certainly are compatible. That should be a pretty decent setup.
@@FlyinMiataVideo Thank you for the reply! Based on the comment in your catalog I guess I also need to order the adjustable end links to reach all the holes in the NA sway bars.
I have 3.5 cm cobra suspension springs (soft springs) and I want a shock for this. Bilstein b8 sprint or koni sport??
Koni Sport, as then you can adjust the damping to match your spring rates.
@@FlyinMiataVideo the hard mode on koni is the same as bilstein?
@@Spearfishingboy I would expect the highest damping level on the Konis to be able to handle a much stiffer spring than the Bilsteins. But they're going to have quite different characteristics, and damping is not a single point but a curve. In our experience, Bilsteins have a tendency to run a lot of low speed compression that leads to a very jiggly ride. Konis do not.
But the most important thing is that you're looking for shocks to deal with an unspecified and non-standard spring rate, so you need a shock that can be adjusted. Finding a non-adjustable shock that happens to be just right would be unlikely.
@@FlyinMiataVideo because the springs they are soft i think the koni str.t will be good. What is your opinion?
@@Spearfishingboy We have no idea what the spring rates are, so we can't comment on that. If they lower the car 3.5 cm, they should have a higher rate than stock or you're going to spend a lot of time hitting the bumpstops.
I have a 2011 Camaro SS I just rebuilt the entire engine I love the 5th gen Camaro got rid of that stupid DOD displacement on demand thing I bought the BTR Brian Tooley delete kit BTR stage 2 LS3 cam which really is a perfect can for this car and the transmission dual Springs rods Pistons crank the block the heads everything was ported and Polished also new water pump oil pump radiator had to get a new condenser cuz I had a hole in it alternator starter I mean if you're rebuilding an engine it doesn't pay to leave the old s*** in there so yeah when I was all done it cost me about 15 grand between parts and labor not too bad now I want to work on the suspension and I've been looking at dozens and dozens of suspension I keep coming back to k o n i I have the orange inferno orange so they will match perfectly I like the feel of the stock suspension the firmness and the stiffness was wondering if you could just recommend one of those that you have on the table for my car I would really appreciate it because I'm not really sure which ones to buy and I want to buy the right ones thank you
I bought a riced out 00' Miata from a dope fiend, where do I find springs to go with these? He put Racelands on there which are so bone jarring and miserable it threw out both me and my dads back. It would be nice not having my teeth fall out when I drive!
edit: dumber question, what parts would I need for a complete shock setup? Mount, shock, bumpstop and spring?
2nd edit: Can the Flying Miata springs you sell the for NB work well with these?
For a street driven 1.6 Miata with your (FM) stage one turbo kit, which of yalls suspension options would you recommend for a 1-2” lower-than-stock, comfortable but stable ride?
(My stock suspension leaves the car feeling quite squirrelly under hard pulls even before the turbo and I’m afraid I might lose control sometimes)
The Stage 2.5 is a very good suspension for that sort of use. Make sure you have a good alignment and your bushings are all healthy if you're worried about instability.
Are you guys open? Tried to call but keep getting voicemail. Emailed some questions and got a form reply back...:(
We are definitely open! Our customer service team is working from home and unfortunately our phone system can't deal with that - the voicemail message should say that. They're struggling to keep up with the volume of email which is why the form reply says it may take some time to get a response.
Thanks for your patience.
@@FlyinMiataVideo Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to see if I can get a stage 1 package preassembled and what that would cost. Also need to know lead time, which can't seem to be seen on website.
@@hawkgeoff Sorry, we do not offer a preassembly service. There are parts that are intended to be reused from your car which prevents us from assembling the spring/shock unit. Lead time for shipping is very short if products are in stock - they'll usually go out the same or next business day. If they are not in stock, the expected date can be found on the site.
How did he know I'm watching on UA-cam in 2022?
You left your webcam on.
@@FlyinMiataVideo *Savage sense of humour on display here. Cheers!*
how you know i was watching in 2022 😮
You left your webcam on.
@@FlyinMiataVideo *Ha, ha! Gotta love that. Cheers!*
I made few mistakes not buying some of the appeals
No way I'm here watching this in 2022! 🤣