Hey all,

I was just looking for some pragmatic advice.

I have a 2004 G35 coupe (no sport suspension) with 110k miles (recently bought it), and the front-end struts have never been replaced. The ride is harsh right now (I feel every bump in the road). I recently installed KYBs on the rear wheels, but I've never tried KONI and I was looking for some advice.

KYB is roughly 90dollars a piece, while KONI retails for 185 a piece, roughly $100 more per strut. I'm considering the: KONI Sport Yellow Shocks & Struts OR the KYB Excel-G shocks.

I plan on owning this car for a while (hopefully another 80k-90k miles). So, is KONI worth it? Or, will the difference between these two parts be negligible? Like I said, having recently bought the car, I have no idea what stock suspension should feel like, but I value a smooth ride and I can tell that the suspension system in this car is relatively minimalistic (and outdated). So, I was wondering if the extra $200's spent on KONI would improve my situation (significantly), or will both parts be about the same?

Thanks for the insight, in advance.

Also, I guess I should say that I tend to drive it fast. No granny panties here.

 

Check my thread in the suspension section. i'm using 350z spec Bilsteins and Eibach proKit springs and I'm VERY happy with the ride. Firm but controlled, feels like a tuned GT car should. Bolt it on once, no fiddling like with coilovers.


Huge difference in quality between Kyb and KONI btw. KONI is the only shocks I would upgrade too from where I'm at.


I'm on a 2003 6mt sport coupe

 

KYB's are a great shock that will last as long as you own your coupe, firm factory ride! Unless you intend to track your ride, Koni's aren't worth the extra $$ and I've seen the fail all too often!
Gary

 

Hmmm, I need tiebreaker advice.

 

We've seen just the opposite recently. Many people that purchase the KYB Excel which is your "OEM Replacement" have been contacting us back with in a year or so that there shocks have blown.

 

Hmmm, well, now I'm even more conflicted

 

How about a 3rd choice? I've been running Tokico D Spec adjustable shocks for 5 years without issues of any kind and they give me a great road feel and ride! Replacing just the fronts and not the rears isn't my idea of having a great ride. Compression is different between all shocks, replacing one and not the other isn't my practice!
Gary

 

Koni shocks are definitely higher quality than the KYB shocks - you will get what you pay for. Konis are some of the most widely used and respected shocks in many forms of racing, and it's not due to some advertising or marketing campaign - it's because they're well built and they work. That being said, it's likely that KYB built the OEM shocks on our cars for Nissan, as they are the OEM supplier for many Japaneses manufacturers.

The question you seem to be looking for the answer to isn't necessarily what brand you want to buy, but which one will fit your personal ride preference. You say you feel that your car rides hard in the front - ride comfort is a combination of spring rate and shock firmness, so changing shocks isn't necessarily going to change the ride comfort as much as you might think. Also, if you drive "hard", you generally want a firmer shock to help control the suspension better, but that won't likely be more comfortable than what you've got on there now.

Gary C. has a great suggestion as well - adjustable shocks will give you a little bit of control over the compression damping setting, so you could play with them until you find the setting that feels right for your driving style.

Have you driven other G coupes to see how they ride in comparison to yours? I'd recommend seeing if you could get rides in some other G35s that are using different shocks, and see which feels best to you.

 

There are several different grades of both brands also, offering both adjustable and non adjustable damping to suit lots of tastes


my bilstein are not adjustable, but the valving is perfect for me, looking for a firm controlled sporty ride.


I've used all of them on other cars in the past. most of the time the KYB are just a stock replacement and degrade quickly if combined with lowering springs. Tokico will hold up better to modified used, and KONI is the gold standard for static (non coilover) shocks.

 

^^Probably the most helpful post in this thread, thanks.

 

Much love. Thank you for all of the replies.

 

I've not tried KYB, but Koni yellows are a noticeable improvement over stock, especially if you are lowered. The ride is firm but not jarring. You feel the road but are not traumatized by it. Basically, you get the performance but it feels like a refined ride at the same time.