i'm thinkin if these will go well with swift springs ...

anyone know anything about them ?

read on tirerack ... they are stiffer then oem , but not bouncy or anything ...

 

I've run KYB shocks on other cars and they always did a decent job.

I have Swifts and Progress rsb on my 12 sport with stock dampers and they are a near perfect match.

I decided not to go with coils and when It's time for new shocks I will go with either KYB or Koni if they ever make a damper for the GE Fit.

It really boils down to what you intend to do with your car.I run in the canyons all the time and the tires are the limiting factor at this point.

 

I've been running the KYB Excels for about 20k now. I also have swift springs and a progress rsb and have enjoyed the ride. Granted it can be a hard ride since I drive crap roads but they are capable.

cheap too.

 

I looked into this briefly and the website confused me. What is the difference between GR2 and Excel-G? Do we believe the statement that it's "a little bit stiffer" than stock? What does that mean? How much stiffer? It bothers me they don't talk about this.

If true of course I would like a "little bit" stiffer shocks, but I don't want to buy something and find out I've just paid $350 to replace a funcitoning OEM part with an aftermarket part made to exactly the same spece.

 

i might go with stock first ... anyone know how long stock shocks will last with swifts ? i prefer to wait for agx's or something ...

 

Forever. Well, no, but as long as they would otherwise. Swift specifically makes their spring heights within the normal "resting" range of the stock shock; because it only drops the car about 1/2 inch the shocks are operating in something very close to normal compression. The shocks will not wear faster if you put Swifts on. At least, this is my understanding.

 

I've had my Swifts for a few thousand miles now with stock dampers.
I really think the stock dampers will last as long as they would with stock springs.

The Swifts eliminate the body roll and just plain work with the rsb and tire upgrade (Kuhmo Ecsta 4x 205/50/16)

I don't think anyone will develop shocks for the GE at this point so I will replace with stock or KYB.

I've checked into all the options like Spoon and Fit RS etc and at that price I would just move to coils.This is my DD and I'm very happy with the performance of the Swifts and stock shocks.

 

They are the same thing, here you go:
KYB Americas Corporation Shocks & Struts | News and Events | Press Releases | Release Sample

I wouldn't bother swapping unless your OEM shocks are blown or badly worn. They are meant to be OEM replacements and the money spent isn't really justified vs. the "improvement".

 

wonderin what's the most miles on swifts for the ge's ...

anyone ?

 

Does kyb excel G adds stiffness when paired by lowering spring? does it makes the car sits higher than oem?

thanks

 

No on both. It will have different damping characteristics, but doubtful about being stiffer. Since they are designed to be oem replacements, this is almost for sure set for the same ride height. I did put some kybs on the rear of one of my cars, and it lowered it a half inch! That was over a decade ago though, and on one of their adjustable performance-oriented models. Never hear of that happening though, so no worries.

 

^^ thanks. so for the ride height its a matter of comparison between worn out shocks to a new one. because replacing the new oem fluid shocks with new gas type kyb has no effect in terms of ride height. like replacing new set of springs with the same spec and brand.

 

Correct, the spring holds the weight up at static height, and the KYBs do not effect that.

 

Couple thoughts. The stock shocks are low pressure gas shocks just like the KYB. The KYB is a stock replacement, and in my experience, not any better than stock shocks. The stock shocks are fairly good.

For the rear, running a Koni Sport shocks is by far the best option. Absolutely worth the little extra money to have adjustable shocks back there. And we are working on Koni Sports for the front. There is no Koni Sport insert that fits into the front strut housings of the Fit because they are too small diameter... so that is why we are having to do full custom housings and it's a bit more money.

But the rear Konis are quite easy and therefore a no-brainer.

Chris

 

whats the difference between excel G and A-just?

 

Excel G is twin-tube and Gas-A-Just is monotube. Twin-tube is fine when dealing with most road cars because they have the suspension stroke needed to make them work well. When you start to go up in spring rate or have much less stroke (suspension travel) than stock), then a monotube shock becomes more important.... but well designed and valved twin-tube shocks work really well even on many road car street setups.

Also, monotube shocks that have more damping at low velocities also transmit more imperfections to the chassis; so you feel ever little bump. Some like that and it's obviously ok if you are into track handling, but most people don't want that. The Koni Sport is a twin-tube and considered a great street shock because it's adjustable and controls the mass of the car and increased spring rates really well without transmitting every little bump into the chassis... so a Koni Sport (Yellow) car will feel comfy while still having great control through slaloms.

Oh, and they don't make a Gas-A-Just for the GE or GD fit.... so you have to run the Excel G if you want a KYB product.

Chris

 

^^So you do offer a Koni on your website for a GE?

 

for the back yes. for the front not yet. pm or email me for details. I'm not a sponsor vendor; so I can't get into anything more than that publically.

Thanks,
Chris at RedShift

 

Great overall info, Chris. I guess I was not aware that the stock dampers were gas filled units. I was also not aware of some of those benefits of a monotube design, despite considering myself more versed in suspension tuning than other areas of car mechanics.

How many auto manufacturers do that now with the gas struts? This info is almost impossible to find online.

I want some Konis on the rear! Will be looking into this.

 

haha... cool. Basically everyone uses gas charged shocks. It's done to pressurize the fluid so it doesn't foam when it gets hot. You can have non-gas shocks (hydraulic only), but the lack of gas means the fluid can foam easier so it's usually a very low use shock. Sometimes you'll hear people running gas-free on stock springs to get the car to sit lower (because the gas charge does exert a small force upward on the car) but then you have to use fancy synthetic fluid in the shock....well koni does that anyway on specialty race stuff.

Anyway gas-charged hydraulic shocks are the standard in OEM and aftermarket. That's why they all say something like "sealed, do not drill or cut open".... because the fluid can shoot out at you; so it's a liability thing.

Chris