Shocks

What tire pressure are you running?  Around 24 psi?

What do you mean by "the car at 30mph made me want to throw up"? Too stiff? too soft? We need more input.

Yes. It performed great last year. The only thing different was that I lowered it and "Up?" Graded to the Koni's

@ALB posted:

What do you mean by "the car at 30mph made me want to throw up"? Too stiff? too soft? We need more input.

@56widebody posted:

Yes. It performed great last year. The only thing different was that I lowered it and "Up?" Graded to the Koni's

I'm still confused.

ALB, I'd say too soft. It was just bouning my whole 15min ride to the bodyshop. Unfortunately I haven't had much drive time in this car to know all the differences.  But in the 100 miles I put on it last year breaking in the motor. It drove great, all I did this year was lowered the front about an inch and a half and swapped out the original KYB's. Again the Koni's are at the middle setting.  1 and a half turns

My Speedster was super bouncy with KyB gas shocks. I also had my front sway bar laying against the lower support arms of my front bumper.  My final happy place consisted of lowering my tire air pressure to 18psi, changed to koni Red adjustable shocks on middle setting and fixed the sway bar situation. My Speedster handled like a different car. It feels smooth and firm and always in control 0-100 mph. I am happy with it. Trial and error is the path to perfection. Keep at it 56Widebody. We widebody owners have to stick together. I sought out a flared fender Speedster when I decided to buy, I love the muscular offset by the sexy curves of the body. Go Widebodies!

Oh, My radiator and heater core and fan are in the frunk placing some much needed weight up there. If you haven't already , get some added weight in the front to help settle it. If not you may need to run the Koni's at the softest setting or both.

Oh dear. You changed more than one thing at a time.  That makes tuning suspensions infinitely more difficult, especially over the internet.

If you only have one adjuster on your beam, lowering ride will make it stiffer by changing the spring rate and preload.  With two adjusters on the beam you should be OK with moderate changes in ride height (1-1.5inches). It shouldn't change the spring rate much. 

1) First set your tire pressures correctly, no more than 24psi front, no lower than 18 if you have 65 series sidewalls.  Most use 22 or there about.

2) Set your shocks. MAKE SURE YOU START WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF CLICKS ON EACH SIDE! Don't trust little numbers printed on the side or knob. Click all the way one way and then the other, Count the clicks. Then set the shocks in the middle of their range. All 4 of them. They work together, or not as is the case right now.

3) Test drive, and always use the same road at the same speed.

4) If the ride action is a wallow or a large amplitude motion like a ship at sea, try upping the damper settings (stiffer) until it gets better.

5) If the ride action is jumpy and jittery and harsh then try going lower (softer) on the damper settings until it gets better.  If that doesn't fix it the problem it's probably spring rate or tire pressure to high or the shocks are too stiff (BTW, KYB gas shocks will be stiffer than the Koni)

And if all that doesn't work find a good shop to help you out. There may be an issue that we can't diagnose from afar, or a problem that's obvious when looking at it, that..well, we can't look at it from here. Example you lowered it 1 inch on one side and 1.5 on the other by mistake...or something.

Good luck, and report back. 

Not sure if your chastising me or 56widebody but in my un-needed defense, I abbreviated my story, I never change more than one adjustment at a time that would be just plain silly. I was recounting all the things that I did to arrive at my perfect ride. I read earlier that 56 widebody started having the issue after lowering the front beam, I am sure it isn't the case but check to be sure your front anti sway bat isn't resting on the bumper supports. If so you will bouncing off the bumper supports. 

@Jimmy V. Not chastising anyone, especially you as you've got a set-up you like. How you got there ain't none of my bees knees.

I used to be "The Guy" setting up bike suspensions back in the olden days. I wasn't anywhere's close to being a genius, it's just that I only changed one thing at a time so I knew what had made it better or worse. It's only a few things to change, yet it is easy to get lost without a process. 

I run Koni's on my Z4 at the lowest setting; it's a 2,800 pound car. They work great.

On the Speedster I run the KYB Excel-G. The ride is firm. After modifications (caster shims, camber compensator) it handles well. 22psi front.

I think many here are using the stock VW shocks. My guess this would be a "cruising ride"

Normally when using Koni's you start soft, adjust up to where it feels right and firm them up as the shocks age.  How is the front lowered- adjustments on the beams, lowered spindles or both?  Is it so low that it's banging against the limits of the ball joints (which will destroy them prematurely), or as Jimmy mentioned, the sway bar's hitting the bumper supports?

JMM, jumpy and jittery is exactly what I experienced.  I had in my mind that was the sensation of a soft ride. But obviously I had it backwards.  Now I have a direction to go in thank you.  

Jimmy V , my wide body brother. You are correct.  The swaybar is against the front subframe. So now I have to figure out how reconfigure that. Thanks 

I see you have bumpers on your wide body. 

Is it hitting the bumper brackets or something on the VW pan?  The front bumper brackets usually have to be modified to clear the anti-sway bar.

Exactly Wolfgang. The sway bar is slammed under that lower bracket like Jimmyv mentioned. 

So I'm assuming this is causing extra load on the suspension and making it stiff?

Having the sway bar slammed against my bumper bracket caused my front end to bounce like crazy. I removed the sway bar and left it off. The car barely leans in a corner and I have driven for the past 2.5 years 4500 miles without it. I don't advertise that I don't have one and that way not open myself up to the onslaught of opinions. I would take off your sway bar for now to see how your car feels. You may never want to mess with modifying the bracket or you may ,your choice.