AGX and H&R review

[90AWDTalon]

I just installed a set of H&R sport springs and KYB AGX struts. The install was pretty easy, should have only taken an hour or so to do, but I didn't have a spring compressor so I needed three hands. I could do the rears my self, but I had to wait to do the fronts until someone was here to start the nut while I compressed the spring. I started with a setting of 3 in the front and 7 in the rear.

Ride is kind of mixed. When excellerating the car is very well damped, no squat in the rear and doesn't lift off in the front. When the road is smooth it is also very well damped around corners, still understears a little but I haven't tried any other settings yet. But when the road is ruff these things suck. It feels like I've got cut springs with blown struts. The initial compression after hitting the bump doesn't feal too bad. But after that it bounces like hell. It seems like these struts don't have a stiff enough rebound to control the springs, so the springs just keep bouncing. I'm going to try 8 on the rear tomarrow, I hope this will help. I'm really glad I decided to get these instead of the GR2's, they would be even bouncier.

Anyone else have similar results with this setup or any setup with AGX? Did you ever find a solution? Are there any other struts for the 1G that can control these springs? I'm going to keep these for awhile, but I'd eventully like to get some better struts.

 

[focusedrage]

thanks for the review, although you might have detered me from geting the h & rs, cause i too have agx. thanks though

 

[90AWDTalon]

Mines a 1G and yours is 2G so it might be different.

 

[TurboTalon11]

I have the same KYB shocks and H & R springs on my 91 Fwd Talon and to tell you the truth they work good. They keep the car stiff but then the problem is that the car is tooo stiff. Even if I turned down the front to 1, a little bump feels like a big one and it ha some bounce. I started out with 3 in the front and 6 in the back and I had no bounce at all. 3 was way to stiff on the bumps though, it felt like the chass. was hitting the floor, but it wasn't. I'll tell you NYC is a ruff place to drive with these, but they work perfect on smooth roads, I'll give it that. But I'm sorry I can't help you myself.

 

[NDgsx]

I've had H&Rs with AGXs and konis. It's the shocks that make the ride bad, not the springs. Konis ride much better than the AGXs did.

 

[90AWDTalon]

Yep, thats exactly what I was saying. The shocks don't have enough rebound to control the springs. I've had Koni's on two other cars and was very happy with them. I can't afford them now plus there kind of a pain in the ass to adjust on our cars.

 

[NDgsx]

I have mine at full stiff and they're working great, just have to remember to adjust them before putting the rears on

 

[TurboTalon11]

These Konis shocks, how much do they run for and what makes the difficult to adjust? If there better than the AGX, I may switch the next time around.

 

[90AWDTalon]

I've seen them from $650-$750. What makes them a pain in the ass is, the fronts are just cartrigages that get installed in your stock strut bodies. And the rears have to be removed from the car to be adjusted.

I think I may upgrade to these some time in the future, I'll have to make do with the AGX's for now.

 

[NDgsx]

www.shox.com

 

[DaveDSM]

if i remember correctly, your problem may be bumpsteer because the H&R's lower 1.8" on shocks designed for only 1.5" at the very max...otherwise your strut travel is gone.

so make sure its the shocks and not just your shock travel being completely gone and you riding bumpstops.

 

[90AWDTalon]

Originally posted by DaveDSM
if i remember correctly, your problem may be bumpsteer because the H&R's lower 1.8" on shocks designed for only 1.5" at the very max...otherwise your strut travel is gone.

so make sure its the shocks and not just your shock travel being completely gone and you riding bumpstops.

On 1st gen the H&R lower 1.3 front and 1 rear, plus I cut the bump stomps in half. I know its the struts, just not stiff enough to control the springs.

 

[DaveDSM]

Originally posted by 90AWDTalon


On 1st gen the H&R lower 1.3 front and 1 rear, plus I cut the bump stomps in half. I know its the struts, just not stiff enough to control the springs.

ahh ok..i just went by what the listing said on the tuning guide on ehre for the H&R's.

ok then..happen to know if the first gen h&r's are progressive or linear? I've noticed that with my progressive suspension techniques springs, that if i hit bumps or anything the car bottoms out. seems the only answer is to get coilovers with linear rate springs.

 

[90AWDTalon]

Originally posted by DaveDSM


ahh ok..i just went by what the listing said on the tuning guide on ehre for the H&R's.

I noticed that too, I think that is for the 2nd gen. The listing is identical.

Originally posted by DaveDSM

ok then..happen to know if the first gen h&r's are progressive or linear? I've noticed that with my progressive suspension techniques springs, that if i hit bumps or anything the car bottoms out. seems the only answer is to get coilovers with linear rate springs.

I'm not positive but I believe the H&R's are progressive. On the street progressive is a good thing. I really dought that being progressive is why your bottoming out. How much lower are your springs then stock? Did you cut you bump stops? How much siffer are they than stock? What setting do you have on you struts?

 

[DaveDSM]

Originally posted by 90AWDTalon


I noticed that too, I think that is for the 2nd gen. The listing is identical.



I'm not positive but I believe the H&R's are progressive. On the street progressive is a good thing. I really dought that being progressive is why your bottoming out. How much lower are your springs then stock? Did you cut you bump stops? How much siffer are they than stock? What setting do you have on you struts?

well, im running suspension techniques springs, and the agx's are set at 6 out of 8 because the car felt undersprung on a softer setting.

i'd venture to say the cars lowered an inch to 1.25" because it can still be aligned within stock specs.

progressive is fine for street, but it has a lot more play in it over bumps because the coil has to compress to reach the max weight rating..

don't nkow about the bump stops..i bought this car with this suspension already installed..where do i check?

 

[90AWDTalon]

If your only lowered an 1" to 1.25" you shouldn't be bottoming out, progressive or not. Progressive springs don't compress farther than non, they just do so at different rates depending on the force being put on them. You might want to try even higher settings on your AGX's, even if the ride is harsher it will be better than bottoming out.

The front bump stomps you can see if the dust boot wasn't reinstalled when the struts were put on. If I remember right there was one big bulge and 3 smaller bulge's. On the rear you cant see them with out taking the struts off the car and off the springs.

 

[90AWDTalon]

Also you said what your rear struts are set at, what about the front?

 

[DaveDSM]

fronts are set at 4 out of 4 right now.

I'll check for the bumpstops wednesday during the bushing install.

i wonder whats going on