Koni red Special Active struts?

[Corydms7]

Has anybody ran those Koni red special active dampening struts? If you have, how are they compared to oe strut ride?

[Iwantyourcar]

I have yellows and they are niceeeeee. I gotta think red would be good too.


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[Dorny1]

I have the Yellows, they are fine. HOWEVER, dont run them at the recommended two clicks back from full hard. Run 3 back (like 6 clicks of adjustment), much smoother and confortable, but grips the road amazing.

or better yet, just get ECS coilovers, wish those had come out when i did my suspension.

[oaybar007]

In the B6 forums owners ran the predecessor before they rebranded the line, Active. The feedback we came up with was that they tended to float at speed on highway dips. I considered them during a total refresh for my b6 back in 2018 but ultimately went with Koni Yellows with rebound adjustment and set them at 60% max stiff up front and 40% max stiff in the rear. I paired them with Eibach Pro-Kit springs and it's about as perfect as a suspension could be. I can have an open coffee and no spilling. No crashing over bumps. The car is smooth and glides but digs in like nothing else.

No one could ever technically explain why so many felt float, but my conclusion was that many spring choices were just not a great match with the Actives at the time, for that chassis. On my S4 I am definitely considering them with Eibach Pro-Kit springs. While a B12 kit would be just fine, Bilstein B8 shocks are stiffer than stock, and I suspect that kit actually uses some linear-biased spring (based on photos). On an active shock, I want a spring that is progressive. So I'm looking into that. I want the progressive pro-kit springs on the active struts/shocks for that balance. If the shocks are adjusting in real time, I want the springs to have a working range of softer/higher spring rate depending on what's going on. My thinking could be wrong on this but I'm just researching and trying to find feedback, etc.

As a product overall, I've heard many good things. I've had both Koni and Bilstein on so many cars over the years and they've always done great.

[Corydms7]

I have the Yellows, they are fine. HOWEVER, dont run them at the recommended two clicks back from full hard. Run 3 back (like 6 clicks of adjustment), much smoother and confortable, but grips the road amazing.

or better yet, just get ECS coilovers, wish those had come out when i did my suspension.

Did you run these with oem springs? I would be retaining the factory spring. I think I will go with the Koni yellow.

[Iwantyourcar]

Did you run these with oem springs? I would be retaining the factory spring. I think I will go with the Koni yellow.

I have to think most people running yellows like myself end up lowering the car or already have a lowered car. Being stock I may just go red and save a few bones if I were you.


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[Dorny1]

Did you run these with oem springs? I would be retaining the factory spring. I think I will go with the Koni yellow.

No i'm on HR Sports, so heavier spring.

[Corydms7]

I have to think most people running yellows like myself end up lowering the car or already have a lowered car. Being stock I may just go red and save a few bones if I were you.


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I just wonder how the reds would ride. If you didn’t know already, they have a damper that adjusts on it’s own. Supposedly makes the car stable in turns and comfortable over jarring bumps. It’s supposed to change firmness or stiffness based on the bump size I think. I’ve looked online, and can’t find any real reviews of them on a B8 S4.

[onlyaudis]

Did you run these with oem springs? I would be retaining the factory spring. I think I will go with the Koni yellow.

I run the Koni yellow with factory springs, run them on full soft and they are like OE++. better ride quality than stock, plus better car control. again, they are set up to run with the stock springs at full soft setting. I had to find that out the hard way. on and off, on and off

[Tjtubbs]

I actually just had some installed but the weather hasnt been above 0°c here yet really so havent really tested them out much. Ride quality has been great, and from what i can tell so far it does what it says, stiffens up on corners as well. If you've ever driven something with gm's magnetic shocks, its like a cheaper shittier version of that lol its not quite as soft on the bumps, and not quite as stiff or fast reacting on a corner. Its like you can feel the body roll start a bit, then it just stays and flattens out, which is what i was hoping for basically a shock better than stock, softer when i want it to be, stiffer when i want it to be. Like i said weather hasnt been there to see if its floaty at higher speeds, or tight enough for the track, likely not

[oaybar007]

I actually just had some installed but the weather hasnt been above 0°c here yet really so havent really tested them out much. Ride quality has been great, and from what i can tell so far it does what it says, stiffens up on corners as well. If you've ever driven something with gm's magnetic shocks, its like a cheaper shittier version of that lol its not quite as soft on the bumps, and not quite as stiff or fast reacting on a corner. Its like you can feel the body roll start a bit, then it just stays and flattens out, which is what i was hoping for basically a shock better than stock, softer when i want it to be, stiffer when i want it to be. Like i said weather hasnt been there to see if its floaty at higher speeds, or tight enough for the track, likely not

Thanks for sharing. I'd love to hear more. Are you on stock springs or lowered?

[Corydms7]

I actually just had some installed but the weather hasnt been above 0°c here yet really so havent really tested them out much. Ride quality has been great, and from what i can tell so far it does what it says, stiffens up on corners as well. If you've ever driven something with gm's magnetic shocks, its like a cheaper shittier version of that lol its not quite as soft on the bumps, and not quite as stiff or fast reacting on a corner. Its like you can feel the body roll start a bit, then it just stays and flattens out, which is what i was hoping for basically a shock better than stock, softer when i want it to be, stiffer when i want it to be. Like i said weather hasnt been there to see if its floaty at higher speeds, or tight enough for the track, likely not

Great response! Thanks for the input. Like oaybar007 was saying, did you have them installed with your factory oe spring or a lowered stiffer spring?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

I run Koni Actives on the wifeys car and she loves them. To me they're very very comfortable daily driving on our roads, and when we take her car for back road blasts the tighten up pretty much as advertised and really perform well in the twisties.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-koni-parts/v-audi-b8_s4/

-James

[Corydms7]

I run Koni Actives on the wifeys car and she loves them. To me they're very very comfortable daily driving on our roads, and when we take her car for back road blasts the tighten up pretty much as advertised and really perform well in the twisties.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-koni-parts/v-audi-b8_s4/

-James

Like by comfortable, do you mean softer then oem, or a similar oem ride?

[Corydms7]

Bump

[spin0rz]

I've got the Koni Special Actives with Eibach Pro-Kit on my A4, which may not be an S4 but it came with the same swaybars and I've added the CR15 strutt brace on it. Coming from the S-Line, or sport suspension, which is the same shocks as the S4, minus different load rating at the front. I'd say these perform better on imperfect roads than OEM sport suspension, the latter felt crashy and would not handle cornering so well. Felt wheels hopping around when I'd take a turn on uneven roads or imperfection roads.

These corner as flat, or as well as OEM, they adjust well over bumps but it's nothing "magical" or magnetic ride like. Your ride comfort would be greatly affected by tire pressure, tire size/sidewall overall.

I run 19x9ET32 with 255/35/19 (s5 rotors, heavy 33lb wheels) and Michelin supersports, it was a comfort improvement. It was better at cornering and precision. With and without the CR15, I've added the brace after so I was able to judge. Not many springs are "made" to go along with them, initially Eibach was supposed to make a kit to be released with them much as Bilstein was. I guess Bilstein didn't like that. If I had to compare them to B12 kit, or bilstein combo/cup kit, I'd say. Go for bilstein b12 if you want the sportier variant, go Koni if you want something that "tries" and sometimes succeeds at soaking consecutive imperfections.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Like by comfortable, do you mean softer then oem, or a similar oem ride?

Similar to stock until you get the car on the twisty roads, then it firms up a good bit.

[Corydms7]

Similar to stock until you get the car on the twisty roads, then it firms up a good bit.

Did you run them on your wife’s car with oem springs?

[Tjtubbs]

Mine is on oem springs

[Corydms7]

Mine is on oem springs

Awesome. Thanks for the info. I’m definitely going this route, probably around Christmas. The koni red looks to be a better oem replacement, which is what I’m looking for. I also like the idea of having a softer ride, not harsh like stock, and stiffening up when I’m having fun with the car. I might even pair an 034 rear sway bar with it. lol.

[Tweakophyte]

Hi-

Any long-term feedback? I am daydreaming about something like this or the PSS10s. I don't want to lower my S4 at all from where it is, but I do want to tighten things up.

This is for my daily driver. Here in CO we need to be mindful of pot holes, even on fun twisty roads.

Thanks,

[wraedeohed]

I'd like to hear about this as well. I just bought am A4 B9 with the sports package, but the psychos owner has H&R's on the car.

I'm thinking about going back to the original Sports springs with the 20mm lowering, and a set of Koni Actives, plus an 034 RSB.

Seems to be the best all round setup.

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[Corydms7]

I replaced mine with KYB struts. Ride is exactly like oem and they were $65 each strut plus new mounts.

I'd like to hear about this as well. I just bought am A4 B9 with the sports package, but the psychos owner has H&R's on the car.

I'm thinking about going back to the original Sports springs with the 20mm lowering, and a set of Koni Actives, plus an 034 RSB.

Seems to be the best all round setup.

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