KYB shocks, any good?

[UomoBello]

My 944 needs shocks and the KYB's seem rather cheep. But are they any good? Anyone here running those?

[John_AZ]

1. Koni
2. Bilstein
3. Boge/Sachs---I use these. OEM. Comfortable ride for daily driver

Do you wonder why none of the major Porshe parts suppliers lists KYB?

?. KYB

GL
John_AZ
1988 924S + 1987 924S

[flash968]

i have run kyb for years on a number of cars, including 944s - they are a decent shock, especially on light cars (the 944 is pretty heavy) - that being said, they work fine for a street car, but tend to be a bit soft for anything beyond that - a commuter would be ok - an autocross car would not - also, the valving is not particularly linear

they do have a lifetime warranty though

does that help?

[alxdgr8]

KYB aren't bad for a stock car, but like others have said they are very soft.

[ScoobySteve]

KYB does the OEM shocks for many Japanese cars. Most notably, they do the struts for Subarus, including the inverted ones for STi's.

With that said, even when the valve is right, they seem to screw up the ride / handling balance. Over on the Subaru forums the adjustable KYB are the cheapest stiffer option, but they will make your car ride like a truck. Everyone knows if you want it to ride more like a BMW, get Konis or the Tokicos. The stock units also lack any durability. Even very light lowering (less than 1") seems to cause failure within 40,000 miles.

I think my Porsche mechanic said it best when he told me he had installed 4 sets of KYBs at the behest of customers and every single one of them changed them out within 12 months.

[ernie9944]

For some 24 years I use Boge sport shocks on my 944 ,in march this years I had switch to Sachs in the front since the old one were done with,din't notice any difference in handling or ride, in my opinion they are #1 for street use,without breaking your piggy-bank.But again handling & ride on a 944 is a combination off many things included tires sizes -wheels and lowering the car (mine was lower 1.5" front 3/4"rear wheels were fuchs 16x7.5 all around-tires were falken 452- 205-55-16frt , 225-50-16 rear)this I found over the years that I own the car would not put any stress either on your motor or drive-train and permit you to spirit drive the car on any kind of roads.So hope the infos will help ******

[flash968]

they definitely don't seem to be the perfect solution on this particular car - the non-linear function of gas seems to be exaggerated in the kyb too - they have been perfect on a number of lighter cars, but with as much weight as the 944, i think the valving is less than optimal

i have never had one fail, including on the sandrail, where it was subjected to horrendous loads and abuse - i'm not sure why they would fail on a 944

however, if they fail, they get replaced, which is a big deal to those who are budget conscious - that can't be said of other shocks

frankly though i am not a fan of any gas shock on the rear - the car works much better with an hydraulic shock - i am currently running double adjustable hydraulic carreras on the blue car - MUCH more civilized than anything else i have seen - i have twice the spring rate of stock and it rides very smoothly, yet controlled in the corners - a lot more money though

[ernie9944]

Sorry off subject,and Flash 968 youre the one witch can problably help me out.The original owner of my 968 did a little suspension mods to the car ,in fact I got the O.E pieces all wrap up in a box, complete struts assemly -springs & rear shocks not many miles on them that for sure.Anyway there it is?? front of the car is 4 3/4" from the ground, the Springs as (porsche 968 va ) written on them, the adjustable strut assembly #19734335201 top with bleu hat. The rear shocks are bilstein #28988535963670-----400-200 ,calipers & rotors look O.E.??? if the top hat is bleu will the insert be Bilstein & what could be the springs rate,the car drive like a GO_KART even at over 150 mph it has very good road handling and the ride is not bad at all. THANK IN ADVANCE

[HondaDustR]

Yeah, stay away from the KYB's. Mine ended up needing shocks in the front and when I replaced them with Bilsteins, I found they were previously replaced with KYB's. I was never impressed with them, but the Bilsteins are nice for the money.

[UomoBello]

Hey thanks a lot for all the responses, looks like it's Bilsteins for me! The price seemed a bit too good to be true. Especially if I upgrade to stiffer springs/bars in the future.

[Rasta Monsta]

I have Billies on my 931. Many people complain that they are harsh, and they likely are on rough roads (roads are good in my area). Great handling!

I have KYBs on the S, they are nothing to write home about in the handling department, but they are a nice mellow ride for the wife, and are way better than the blown ones that I removed!

[HondaDustR]

I would definitely not consider them harsh. They are firm when they need to be, but they ride nicely on the highway, but then again, I run stock 15" wheels/tires/springs.

[ernie9944]

UomoBello sorry I bump in on your tread wasn't bad intents hope I'm forgiven ,still learning here *******

[UomoBello]

No biggie Ernie!

[porsche4life]

Ya I put some KYBs on the Corrado cause they were cheap. They don't ride bad... Don't handle like PSS9s though

[uvachief]

Not to revive an old thread but....someone switched out the existing shocks with just KYB insets and rear shocks in August of 2009 or about 10,000 miles ago on my 86 944 na. It rides very smoothely on the highway and city roads. We have some rough cobblestone roads in Richmond. I was going to remove them and install Sachs/Boge inserts. However, a local shop suggested just adding a stiffening brace to the front sway bar, redoing the bushings with OEM rubber and maybe adding a strut brace. Much cheaper than what I had planned. After that, if it still doesnt' handle well, I could then do the Sachs/Boge or Koni inserts with new springs. Thoughts?

[Gawernator]

.....I went from KYB to Koni and it was amazing.

John_AZ pretty much nails it:

"1. Koni
2. Bilstein
3. Boge/Sachs---I use these. OEM. Comfortable ride for daily driver

Do you wonder why none of the major Porshe parts suppliers lists KYB?

?. KYB"

[ScoobySteve]

If the shop is recommending new bushings -- do them. None of the suspension works right and the car feels loose.

Originally Posted by uvachief

Not to revive an old thread but....someone switched out the existing shocks with just KYB insets and rear shocks in August of 2009 or about 10,000 miles ago on my 86 944 na. It rides very smoothely on the highway and city roads. We have some rough cobblestone roads in Richmond. I was going to remove them and install Sachs/Boge inserts. However, a local shop suggested just adding a stiffening brace to the front sway bar, redoing the bushings with OEM rubber and maybe adding a strut brace. Much cheaper than what I had planned. After that, if it still doesnt' handle well, I could then do the Sachs/Boge or Koni inserts with new springs. Thoughts?

[porschetub]

CHEEP yes,last choice,standard BOGE aren't that expensive

[mike leborgne]

I needed some quick cheap temporary replacements so I put KYB's on my 924S about 3 years ago. They were pretty good for the first year but have been going downhill ever since then. Just ordered new Bilstein's.
Good Luck
Frenchy