GoatAutomotive
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Georgetown, TX
- Car(s)
- 2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
The purpose of this thread is to consolidate user experiences and reviews regarding Konis aftermarket offerings for the MQB platform, for those of us not blessed with factory DCC.
There is a lot of scattered info already available on here regarding Konis (and Bilsteins), with several threads derailing from the central subject:
"How does Konis set A work on real world roads, particularly in areas where the roads are trash?"
"Are they harsher than stock? Or smoother?" (ed. - notice I didn't say "softer")
This thread will fix that, and become a succinct place to drop your review, experience, and to keep it lively: a photo of your car and setup.
That established, please post the following about your setup:
1) Which springs and which Konis you're running
2) How are the roads where you live?
3) How satisfied are you with your suspension's road manners?
4) How happy you are with their handling when pushed?
5) How you would rate them compared to the stock Sachs dampers?
(low bar!)
6) If doing it again, what would you change or do different (if anything)?
Finish by throwing up a pic of your car looking poised and sexy.
The Issue (as I see it):
Most of us daily our cars, our at least have 90% street/family duty with them.
Installing aftermarket suspension and engine parts often results in a compromise, a loss of street manners, or straight buyer's remorse. Hence the massive unloading of VWR/ED springs and solid strut mounts in the classifieds every week (ed. - it needed to be said).
Folks with deeper pockets can jump straight to a coilover setup, and if you have $1500-2k to play with, there are indeed some options for this platform that deliver comfort right out of the box, or with the aid of adjustable damper settings. KW Street Comfort. ST X and XA. Possibly EQT. I digress.
This thread will focus on the simpler, more budget approach of stock to mild drops (1" max), paired with either Konis Special Actives or Sport dampers.
In that spirit, I will continue adding resource material to this post to simplify the research process for other users/shoppers.
My Situation:
...May be familiar for some of you: I was 32 when I bought this car. I'm dangerously close to 40 now. And with only 40k miles on the car, I find the stock suspension to be inadequate for my needs.
It's firm and jittery over rough roads, but still allows a ton of body movement during quick transitions, even with the aid of a nice fat rear sway bar and HD end links. The reward for firm used to mean flatter handling. Not cool, VW...
And unfortunately for me and my kiddos, my car is missing the one thing I wanted MOST in the SE package: DCC.
The ability to adjust for comfort and sport on the fly.
Those of you who have DCC, please keep it. You are luckier than you know (unless you're building a track-only setup). If you want more low, pick out the mildest drop spring with the same or slightly more spring rate than stock.
"Everything was perfect. Until it wasn't..."
I remember the first year or so, I was blown away by the smoothness and isolation of my GTI compared to my other car, an old but well-maintained Toyota Camry, with a rock solid powertrain, tons of wind/road noise, and a crappy aftermarket sunroof that creaks and pops like the knees on a retired linebacker when you ask the suspension to flex into a driveway...
After the honeymoon with the GTI subsided, and I later noticed "wow this car has some firm dampers on it." I felt more of the road than I wanted to, and mostly "just lived with it."
What was more inexcusable for me is how easily the chassis gets "upset" when loading it up in a corner.
The 25mm rear sway helped a good deal, but I later learned that my front control arms were squirming about like a mental patient anytime I gave the car a dose of power (straight or in curves).
This led to the sticky tires grabbing and slipping since the LCAs couldn't keep them located on one axis, and lots of SQUISH in the corners when lateral forces were at play.
Anyway, after a good 30-40 hours of reading and talking to folks over the last year ( I love reading!), I believe the Konis Special Actives are going to be my ticket.
But I'm still open to the adjustable Sports. Hence this thread.
The car and my goals: 2017 GTI SE DSG, <41k miles, driven all over the southern US
Tighter front end and suspension, and either full time comfort, or adjustability for the days I want to Hoon and chase exotics on our local fast roads.
OEM+ Build so far:
-18x8.5" Neuspeeds wrapped in 245/40 Michelin PS4S
-Basic bolt-ons, EQT's magic, 330whp/385wtq SAE on 93-octane
-APR torque strut mount since ~6k miles
-Moog HD end links front & rear
-APR 25.4mm rear sway bar w/poly bushings
-ECS rear spoiler
-Full 40k service just completed, including DSG & fresh plugs
And that's it so far.
The car and these mods flew under the radar of other enthusiasts, and my dealership, for all five years.
Notably, it recently received high praises from the owner of a new Mustang Mach 1 and C7 Corvette Stingray in our car club, on a cold day when Stormy (my GTI) couldn't find traction to save her effing life. He couldn't get over how much the car spun and pulled, then disappeared like a scalded pig on bath salts once the tires had a grip.
So this past week I went a little crazy and installed (but have not yet driven) the parts that have been waiting on my shelf for some time:
-H&R OE Sport springs + TT rear pads
-Whiteline front LCAs with poly bushings
-Powerstop Z32 pads w/coated, high carbon rotors
I also inspected my strut mounts, bearings, and ball joints, all of which are still in great shape. 
End Goal:
I want a minimal drop on my car, 15-20mm max F/R, to reduce the wheel gap without surrendering all compression travel. A ride improvement over stock, and a car that is more composed in corners and not "Skitting about".
Target camber (when everything is complete) is -1.5 to -2* (max), with the help of some Eurojet S-C mounts.
Camber is a compromise in my experience: straight line contact patch versus lateral grip and turn-in precision.
I value suspension travel and compliance, but I also don't need (nor expect) the cushy isolation of a Lexus. I just feel that the aftermarket can do much better than the stock Sachs dampers, which set the comfort/performance bars mid-range if we're honest, being "meh" in both categories.
And yes, I researched the DG springs extensively. Comfy but still "floaty" in corners per a half dozen users. I'd love to test-drive a car with those + a quality damper, TBH.
Anyway, I promised the shoppers and researchers some good materials. Enjoy!
The Suspension Godfather tries all combinations and reports on them (ed. - love you, Hammer!)
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/beginner’s-guide-tips-for-buying-a-street-based-suspension.358504/
Koni Special Actives...
User review of SAs with a Golf R Estate on crappy UK roads (VERY good vid):
TireRack's road and track testing of Konis Sports, FSDs (the older version of the Special Active), and the OE BMW sport suspension (the notes feel very relevant when you read them:
https://www.tirerack.com/suspension/tests/koni_fsd.jsp
A decent price (not the lowest) for the Konis Special Actives:
https://store.ngpracing.com/koni-sp...shock-kit-vw-mk8-mk7-golf-gti-golf-r-gli.html
A really good and detailed Special Active user review from MrMattOlsen on our boards (he's using OE stock springs in his setup):
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...koni-special-actives-with-oem-springs.412313/
Koni SAs + Eibach Pro Kit, GTI:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ibach-pro-kit-034-strut-mounts-review.343434/
A shorter, quicker, SA thread:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ied-these-koni-active-shock-absorbers.356476/
See post # 1 and 5: Mk6 owner reports on Konis SAs + upgraded rubber bushings:
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/index.php?threads/koni-special-active-shock-review.312495/
Koni Sports:
The Konis Sports vs Bilstein B8 Debate (some good content here):
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/bilstein-b8-vs-koni-sports.371090/
Post#7 from that thread stood out nicely:
1/28/20 from CDM MK7 (post #7):
"I've driven both, but settled on the Koni Sport's for my car - mainly because the B8's weren't available.
Depending on which springs you have, I'd echo the statement that the B8 and the Koni on full soft are fairly comparable. I run the Koni's on full soft in the front, and +15% in the rear with the Eibach Pro Kit for daily driving and it's absolutely perfect in my opinion. Very well balanced, supple, but the progressive rates of the Pro Kit keep things fairly flat in aggressive cornering. Very much an "OEM+" kind of feel.
When I first installed them, I ran them at 50% rear and 25% front (went to 50%-50% at the track) and it was way too stiff for daily driving. However, that's the good part about the Koni's - the ability to adjust dampening to match a variety of different springs, and to adjust on the fly for track days.
Both are very good quality and great choices."
H&R OE Sports + Konis yellows (sports):
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/h-r-sport-oe-koni-yellow-feedback.353192/
Eibach Pro Kit + Koni FSDs + 034 mounts on an Mk7 GTI w/pics and a nice review:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ibach-pro-kit-034-strut-mounts-review.343434/
A REALLLLLY good KS review from a Mk6 GTI fellow:
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/index.php?threads/review-koni-sports-on-stock-springs.306325/
REVIEW: 1" drop Eibach PK + Konis Sports on a Mk6 (owner his identical complaints about stock suspension that others + myself have reported):
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/inde...port-adjustable-yellows-review-w-pics.228967/
HammerSticks and many others have done a great job at posting their experiences with the Konis Sports and Bilstein B8s.
I wanted to put a sharper searchlight on the Special Actives in here since they have not receive nearly as much attention or feedback as the other common aftermarket options.
Hopefully this thread stays productive, and can help others with their selection and suspension combo, with less buyer's remorse.
Cheers!
There is a lot of scattered info already available on here regarding Konis (and Bilsteins), with several threads derailing from the central subject:
"How does Konis set A work on real world roads, particularly in areas where the roads are trash?"
"Are they harsher than stock? Or smoother?" (ed. - notice I didn't say "softer")
This thread will fix that, and become a succinct place to drop your review, experience, and to keep it lively: a photo of your car and setup.
That established, please post the following about your setup:
1) Which springs and which Konis you're running
2) How are the roads where you live?
3) How satisfied are you with your suspension's road manners?
4) How happy you are with their handling when pushed?
5) How you would rate them compared to the stock Sachs dampers?
(low bar!)6) If doing it again, what would you change or do different (if anything)?
Finish by throwing up a pic of your car looking poised and sexy.
The Issue (as I see it):
Most of us daily our cars, our at least have 90% street/family duty with them.
Installing aftermarket suspension and engine parts often results in a compromise, a loss of street manners, or straight buyer's remorse. Hence the massive unloading of VWR/ED springs and solid strut mounts in the classifieds every week (ed. - it needed to be said).
Folks with deeper pockets can jump straight to a coilover setup, and if you have $1500-2k to play with, there are indeed some options for this platform that deliver comfort right out of the box, or with the aid of adjustable damper settings. KW Street Comfort. ST X and XA. Possibly EQT. I digress.
This thread will focus on the simpler, more budget approach of stock to mild drops (1" max), paired with either Konis Special Actives or Sport dampers.
In that spirit, I will continue adding resource material to this post to simplify the research process for other users/shoppers.
My Situation:
...May be familiar for some of you: I was 32 when I bought this car. I'm dangerously close to 40 now. And with only 40k miles on the car, I find the stock suspension to be inadequate for my needs.
It's firm and jittery over rough roads, but still allows a ton of body movement during quick transitions, even with the aid of a nice fat rear sway bar and HD end links. The reward for firm used to mean flatter handling. Not cool, VW...
And unfortunately for me and my kiddos, my car is missing the one thing I wanted MOST in the SE package: DCC.
The ability to adjust for comfort and sport on the fly.
Those of you who have DCC, please keep it. You are luckier than you know (unless you're building a track-only setup). If you want more low, pick out the mildest drop spring with the same or slightly more spring rate than stock.
"Everything was perfect. Until it wasn't..."
I remember the first year or so, I was blown away by the smoothness and isolation of my GTI compared to my other car, an old but well-maintained Toyota Camry, with a rock solid powertrain, tons of wind/road noise, and a crappy aftermarket sunroof that creaks and pops like the knees on a retired linebacker when you ask the suspension to flex into a driveway...
After the honeymoon with the GTI subsided, and I later noticed "wow this car has some firm dampers on it." I felt more of the road than I wanted to, and mostly "just lived with it."
What was more inexcusable for me is how easily the chassis gets "upset" when loading it up in a corner.
The 25mm rear sway helped a good deal, but I later learned that my front control arms were squirming about like a mental patient anytime I gave the car a dose of power (straight or in curves).
This led to the sticky tires grabbing and slipping since the LCAs couldn't keep them located on one axis, and lots of SQUISH in the corners when lateral forces were at play.
Anyway, after a good 30-40 hours of reading and talking to folks over the last year ( I love reading!), I believe the Konis Special Actives are going to be my ticket.
But I'm still open to the adjustable Sports. Hence this thread.
The car and my goals: 2017 GTI SE DSG, <41k miles, driven all over the southern US
Tighter front end and suspension, and either full time comfort, or adjustability for the days I want to Hoon and chase exotics on our local fast roads.
OEM+ Build so far:
-18x8.5" Neuspeeds wrapped in 245/40 Michelin PS4S
-Basic bolt-ons, EQT's magic, 330whp/385wtq SAE on 93-octane
-APR torque strut mount since ~6k miles
-Moog HD end links front & rear
-APR 25.4mm rear sway bar w/poly bushings
-ECS rear spoiler
-Full 40k service just completed, including DSG & fresh plugs
And that's it so far.
The car and these mods flew under the radar of other enthusiasts, and my dealership, for all five years.
Notably, it recently received high praises from the owner of a new Mustang Mach 1 and C7 Corvette Stingray in our car club, on a cold day when Stormy (my GTI) couldn't find traction to save her effing life. He couldn't get over how much the car spun and pulled, then disappeared like a scalded pig on bath salts once the tires had a grip.
So this past week I went a little crazy and installed (but have not yet driven) the parts that have been waiting on my shelf for some time:
-H&R OE Sport springs + TT rear pads
-Whiteline front LCAs with poly bushings
-Powerstop Z32 pads w/coated, high carbon rotors
I also inspected my strut mounts, bearings, and ball joints, all of which are still in great shape.
End Goal:
I want a minimal drop on my car, 15-20mm max F/R, to reduce the wheel gap without surrendering all compression travel. A ride improvement over stock, and a car that is more composed in corners and not "Skitting about".
Target camber (when everything is complete) is -1.5 to -2* (max), with the help of some Eurojet S-C mounts.
Camber is a compromise in my experience: straight line contact patch versus lateral grip and turn-in precision.
I value suspension travel and compliance, but I also don't need (nor expect) the cushy isolation of a Lexus. I just feel that the aftermarket can do much better than the stock Sachs dampers, which set the comfort/performance bars mid-range if we're honest, being "meh" in both categories.
And yes, I researched the DG springs extensively. Comfy but still "floaty" in corners per a half dozen users. I'd love to test-drive a car with those + a quality damper, TBH.
Anyway, I promised the shoppers and researchers some good materials. Enjoy!
The Suspension Godfather tries all combinations and reports on them (ed. - love you, Hammer!)
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/beginner’s-guide-tips-for-buying-a-street-based-suspension.358504/
Koni Special Actives...
User review of SAs with a Golf R Estate on crappy UK roads (VERY good vid):
TireRack's road and track testing of Konis Sports, FSDs (the older version of the Special Active), and the OE BMW sport suspension (the notes feel very relevant when you read them:
https://www.tirerack.com/suspension/tests/koni_fsd.jsp
A decent price (not the lowest) for the Konis Special Actives:
https://store.ngpracing.com/koni-sp...shock-kit-vw-mk8-mk7-golf-gti-golf-r-gli.html
A really good and detailed Special Active user review from MrMattOlsen on our boards (he's using OE stock springs in his setup):
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...koni-special-actives-with-oem-springs.412313/
Koni SAs + Eibach Pro Kit, GTI:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ibach-pro-kit-034-strut-mounts-review.343434/
A shorter, quicker, SA thread:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ied-these-koni-active-shock-absorbers.356476/
See post # 1 and 5: Mk6 owner reports on Konis SAs + upgraded rubber bushings:
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/index.php?threads/koni-special-active-shock-review.312495/
And in the other corner, all painted yellow and ready for war...
Koni Sports:
The Konis Sports vs Bilstein B8 Debate (some good content here):
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/bilstein-b8-vs-koni-sports.371090/
Post#7 from that thread stood out nicely:
1/28/20 from CDM MK7 (post #7):
"I've driven both, but settled on the Koni Sport's for my car - mainly because the B8's weren't available.
Depending on which springs you have, I'd echo the statement that the B8 and the Koni on full soft are fairly comparable. I run the Koni's on full soft in the front, and +15% in the rear with the Eibach Pro Kit for daily driving and it's absolutely perfect in my opinion. Very well balanced, supple, but the progressive rates of the Pro Kit keep things fairly flat in aggressive cornering. Very much an "OEM+" kind of feel.
When I first installed them, I ran them at 50% rear and 25% front (went to 50%-50% at the track) and it was way too stiff for daily driving. However, that's the good part about the Koni's - the ability to adjust dampening to match a variety of different springs, and to adjust on the fly for track days.
Both are very good quality and great choices."
H&R OE Sports + Konis yellows (sports):
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/h-r-sport-oe-koni-yellow-feedback.353192/
Eibach Pro Kit + Koni FSDs + 034 mounts on an Mk7 GTI w/pics and a nice review:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ibach-pro-kit-034-strut-mounts-review.343434/
A REALLLLLY good KS review from a Mk6 GTI fellow:
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/index.php?threads/review-koni-sports-on-stock-springs.306325/
REVIEW: 1" drop Eibach PK + Konis Sports on a Mk6 (owner his identical complaints about stock suspension that others + myself have reported):
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/inde...port-adjustable-yellows-review-w-pics.228967/
HammerSticks and many others have done a great job at posting their experiences with the Konis Sports and Bilstein B8s.
I wanted to put a sharper searchlight on the Special Actives in here since they have not receive nearly as much attention or feedback as the other common aftermarket options.
Hopefully this thread stays productive, and can help others with their selection and suspension combo, with less buyer's remorse.
Cheers!
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