kyb gr2 vs agx and maybe others question.

[turboweege]

i currently have ground control coilovers with stock shocks that i got new like 6 months ago. the shocks obviously did not last long. ive seen that most recommend the agx with the gc setup but i wanted to know if the gr2s are merely a lower shock due to the fact that the agx's are adjustable or if they are more likely to blow than the agx's. im just wondering because the gr2s are about half the price. or does someone recomend a better shock than the agx for 400 for the set?thanksluigi

[Exar-Kun]

GR-2's are made for "near stock" handling, they're only 20%(I think) or so stiffer valving, and dont deal with excessive drops very well at all.

The AGX, on the other hand, is a much nicer/heavier duty damper. most people who use the GC coils also autocross, so damper adjustability with the AGX is a nice factor too.-chet"you get what you pay for"

[turboweege]

true. ok then i think ill go with agxs so far. anyone else recomend some other shocks? i was looking into bilstein but they are pretty high and i cant get a hook up on konis so kyb it may me.luigi

[BadMojo]

true. ok they i think ill go with agxs so far. anyone else recomend some other shocks? i was looking into bilstein but they are pretty high and i cant get a hook up on konis so kyb it may ne.luigi

Bilstein doesn't make a shock for the 240SX.

The readily available choices are KYB AGX, GR-2, Tokico Performance Shocks ("blues")or Koni Sport. The Koni Sport and KYB AGX are adjustable, the other two aren't. GR-2 are basically OE replacements as Chet pointed out, and the Tokico are non-adjustable "performance" shocks. The Tokico shocks don't have a reputation for lasting very long on lowered cars...not sure if this rep is entirely deserved or not.

KYB AGX's are a very popular choice, for what that's worth.

[Q45tech]

Shocks are designed to complement a specific spring rate on a specific weight car. Aftermarket shocks are generally 20% stiffer than oem to give a better more controlled feel. [and to help cover up rubber suspension bushing wear].

Simple lowering springs [1" drop] should be 4/3=33% stiffer than oem springs........so should the shocks to match.

Adjustable rebound shocks maybe up to 50% stiffer and thus you can set ans reset them better as the shock seals wear and the pressurized Nitrogen leaks out [at a faster rate than with oem springs].

Getting 60,000 miles [4 years] is possible with oem set ups .........30,000 miles or 2 years is good with stronger springs. [Eibach 1" drop and Tokico blues].

All shock wear progressive decline in stiffness.

[Q45tech]

http://www.ohlins.se/pdf/07450-01.pdfht ... /p...r.pdf

Note from the above that a 10% change in load can create a 250% change in life.

http://www.bardyne.com/Documents/ttp06.pdf

[turboweege]

well i lowered it about 2 inches and the springs are pretty stiff. other than that everything really is greek to me as far as what you said. i understand they will not last like an oem setup and i dont know how you get 4/3 and all that stuff. basically i need adjustable shocks and i need to set them real stiff according to you then right?luigi

[turboweege]

also, i take it the blue to yellow koni is comperable to the gr2 to the agx right?

[Gary@Tirerack]

Sort of. All Konis are adjustable. The difference is the Yellow can be adjusted without being removed from the vehicle, whereas the standard Koni's need to be removed to adjust them. The GR2 is not adjustable at all.

[Q45tech]

The problem is all shocks are measured for stiffness at a certain acceleration [1ft/sec stroke change]. Yet on most cars the shocks can only move 6-7" split 50/50 up and down. When you lower a car via springs you decrease the shock stroke distance.A 2" lowering may mean what was a 3.5 " range has been compressed to 1.5"..............no standard shock is designed to work for long under these conditions.

Custom shocks with coil overs hopefully anticipate these operating conditions.

A 1" lowering will halve the life of a standard shock at 2" they might last a few months and still meet new specs for stiffness vs. acceleration.

Due to warm fluid temps [less viscous] in Summer heat or excessive use [rough roads bumpers per mile heating them up] shocks feel different at different temperatures.

[Q45tech]

http://www.hunter.com/pub/unde...2.htmh ... c30328.htm

Seems strange that anyone would redesign their suspension without understand the engineering of same. The pros and cons and economic effect such a change might have to tire and component life.

[turboweege]

like i said i know the shocks are not going to last like stock that is a given, and my tires wear like stock because its all adjusted to spec. so with a 2" drop i want as stiff a setting as i can on the shock to increase the life right? and so the only difference in the konis is that the adjustability is real time on the yellows but will the blues last as long as the yellows or not?

[BadMojo]

Sort of. All Konis are adjustable. The difference is the Yellow can be adjusted without being removed from the vehicle, whereas the standard Koni's need to be removed to adjust them. The GR2 is not adjustable at all.

I may be mistaken here, but I believe only the front shocks are adjustable *on the car* with the Koni Sports. The rear shocks must be removed from the vehicle to be adjusted. Also, you will need to modify your OE strut housing on the fronts, as the Koni Sports are inserts in the front.

The Tokico Blue shocks are *not* adjustable.

There really aren't any short stroke shocks readily available in the US, and matching aftermarket dampers to aftermarket springs can be tricky stuff...as Q45tech pointed out, the life of suspension components and ride quality may suffer.

So, unless you can find some short stroke shocks on Ebay (buying big ticket items on Ebay makes me nervous...too many con men out there) your best bet is the KYB AGX, IMO. Someone here at NICO had some KYB Buzz Specs (short stroke) and wasn't really happy with the ride quality, as I recall...can't remember the springs that he was using.

Anyway, short answer...in my opinion the AGX are your best bet. Good luck.

Edit: Turboweege, Q45tech posted some really interesting stuff. I highly suggest you read through it if you haven't already.

[crzycav86]

http://www.hunter.com/pub/unde...2.htmh ... c30328.htm

I just read the top article, and couldn't understand a thing All of those charts are intimidating....

I guess I'll just have to rely on Q45tech until I can comprehend that kind of stuff on my own