[babis_xo]

Does anyone know what brand and specification (without being too technical  ) of shock absorbers the i30 uses?

Dunno about OZ, originals for our market are gas type ones, manufactured by KYB. But don't bother because you won't find any as an aftermarket (even from your dealer). I copy from their FAQs:

Q: What is the difference between original equipment KYB and the aftermarket KYB components?
A: Original equipment KYB shock and struts are designed to the OE manufacture’s specifications. Although built on the same assembly lines, the aftermarket KYB products are calibrated to compensate for worn suspension components to help restore the vehicle’s original handling and control characteristics.
KYB aftermarket also offers monotube shocks which for most vehicles will provide additional control and handling capabilities.

Q: Are there any differences between the KYB shocks & struts manufactured in the U.S. vs. other countries (like Japan)?
A: No. All KYB products are designed at the KYB world R&D offices and every KYB manufacturing plant then builds each product to the designed specifications. High volume part numbers are manufactured in more than one plant and in more than one country. Since KYB designs and builds their own manufacturing equipment, we can control and duplicate production specifications which ensures identical performance & quality at every manufacturing facility. Specific product performance is determined by part number, not by where it is manufactured. Product quality is a standard in every KYB part number, in every KYB manufacturing facility.

Anyway, if you insist on KYB, you can find from here it's Excel-G:
http://showmetheparts.com/kyb/

[Doggie 1]

Thanks for that info babis.

[babis_xo]

No problem

[2i30s]

i found mention of the early 2007 oz suspension upgrade in this link [about half way down] but no mention of the brand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_i30

[Phil №❶]

surferdude

Are sensa trac shocks any good, or is it just marketing 

[rustynutz]

i found mention of the early 2007 oz suspension upgrade in this link [about half way down] but no mention of the brand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_i30

Supports what I've been saying.....

Thanks Steve....

Oh, and Trev...you've been very quiet........ 

[2i30s]

i found mention of the early 2007 oz suspension upgrade in this link [about half way down] but no mention of the brand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_i30

Supports what I've been saying.....

Thanks Steve....

Oh, and Trev...you've been very quiet........ 

both Trev and Brian. 

[Surferdude]

surferdude

Are sensa trac shocks any good, or is it just marketing 

Sensa Trac come from Monroe and as I said above, always been happy with Monroe.
However, they haven't replied to my e-mail query.
Might be ringing their Technical Manager next week. I have his card at work.

[Surferdude]

i found mention of the early 2007 oz suspension upgrade in this link [about half way down] but no mention of the brand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_i30

Supports what I've been saying.....

Thanks Steve....

Oh, and Trev...you've been very quiet........ 

both Trev and Brian. 

My response to this is there'll be no response.
However in respect to readers of the topic, I made my point. Others disagree however i know what I read in 2009 just before I bought my car.
So topic is closed as far as I'm concerned.
I will, however, continue to post any info on shock absorber availability as and when I get it.

[rustynutz]

My response to this is there'll be no response.
However in respect to readers of the topic, I made my point. Others disagree however i know what I read in 2009 just before I bought my car.
So topic is closed as far as I'm concerned.
I will, however, continue to post any info on shock absorber availability as and when I get it.

Bat, ball, home? 

[Phil №❶]

My response to this is there'll be no response.
However in respect to readers of the topic, I made my point. Others disagree however i know what I read in 2009 just before I bought my car.
So topic is closed as far as I'm concerned.
I will, however, continue to post any info on shock absorber availability as and when I get it.

Bat, ball, home? 

Just coz he's out   

[rustynutz]

It just concerns me that Trev was unsure about these supposed suspension upgrades until 2i30s made mention that he had read in 2008-2009 that the Aussie i30's had upgraded suspension. Steve never said they were upgraded then, just that he had read it then.
Trev seized on that as proof that his memory was right.

Now Trev has said there are different shocker listings for KYB shocks, I have downloaded the latest 2012 catalogue and it shows no such thing. Any i30 review I read makes no mention that the i30 received any suspension upgrades mid life so in the interests of having correct information I was hoping Trev would present his "proof" that what he "recalls" is correct......

The evidence so far seems to point that any suspension upgrades were made before the i30 was launched in OZ. 



Here's yet more proof.....this review is from October 2007....

http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2007/small-passenger/hyundai/i30/hyundai-i30-5252

The i30 uses conventional coil-spring, MacPherson strut suspension up front, but multilink 'torsion blade' rear suspension like Ford Focus, and better than Toyota's semi-independent set-up for Corolla. Hyundai says the i30's suspension and steering have been optimised for local conditions including thicker sway bars, uprated shock absorbers and revised mapping of the ECU for the car's electric-assisted power steering system.

[2i30s]

It just concerns me that Trev was unsure about these supposed suspension upgrades until 2i30s made mention that he had read in 2008-2009 that the Aussie i30's had upgraded suspension. Steve never said they were upgraded then, just that he had read it then.
Trev seized on that as proof that his memory was right.

Now Trev has said there are different shocker listings for KYB shocks, I have downloaded the latest 2012 catalogue and it shows no such thing. Any i30 review I read makes no mention that the i30 received any suspension upgrades mid life so in the interests of having correct information I was hoping Trev would present his "proof" that what he "recalls" is correct......

The evidence so far seems to point that any suspension upgrades were made before the i30 was launched in OZ. 



Here's yet more proof.....this review is from October 2007....

http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2007/small-passenger/hyundai/i30/hyundai-i30-5252

The i30 uses conventional coil-spring, MacPherson strut suspension up front, but multilink 'torsion blade' rear suspension like Ford Focus, and better than Toyota's semi-independent set-up for Corolla. Hyundai says the i30's suspension and steering have been optimised for local conditions including thicker sway bars, uprated shock absorbers and revised mapping of the ECU for the car's electric-assisted power steering system.

hey don't drag me into this. 

[Doggie 1]

I think I might have started this 

[rustynutz]

I think I might have started this 

'Tis fine, Dave.... 

[2i30s]

I think I might have started this 

yes,the original post. 

When I was looking to buy mine in mid 2008 I read that the Oz car had its suspension retuned before release... but it's only my recollection. And in any case I cannot understand why we got  a skinnier rear bar than the UK when for me it needs a fatter one than we got.

I'm assuming the UK got the original and we got a smaller one as part of our "tuning". Maybe they only tested a petrol version and not the diesel.

[rustynutz]

When I was looking to buy mine in mid 2008 I read that the Oz car had its suspension retuned before release... but it's only my recollection. And in any case I cannot understand why we got  a skinnier rear bar than the UK when for me it needs a fatter one than we got.

I'm assuming the UK got the original and we got a smaller one as part of our "tuning". Maybe they only tested a petrol version and not the diesel.

Pip, if you look at the link in post 71, the review there says we got thicker sway bars....

[babis_xo]

Maybe there was some changes made in early 2009, when part of the production transferred at the Czech factory
I can recall the length of bumb-stops on all 4 shocks/struts

Pip, if you look at the link in post 71, the review there says we got thicker sway bars....

Nuh, don't think that's right; thinner. Went from 17mm ? to 14mm.

[rustynutz]

I'll have to take your word for it, pip...lol.

Actually, I'm surprised you say your i30 understeers so much.....I purposely gave mine a bit of stick coming home this afternoon through some nice bends and thought mine felt fairly neutral. 

You are obviously a better driver than me... although I have to admit growing up on seriously oversteering cars with live axles that had no chance of hanging on and still think (to a degree) that that is normal.

[rustynutz]

You are obviously a better driver than me... although I have to admit growing up on seriously oversteering cars with live axles that had no chance of hanging on and still think (to a degree) that that is normal.

What makes you think I'm a better driver? 

I'm just saying how my car feels to me and given that we both have pretty much the same car I'm surprised that we see things so differently. 

You are obviously a better driver than me... although I have to admit growing up on seriously oversteering cars with live axles that had no chance of hanging on and still think (to a degree) that that is normal.

What makes you think I'm a better driver? 

I'm just saying how my car feels to me and given that we both have pretty much the same car I'm surprised that we see things so differently. 

How the car actually handles as against its over/understeer setup is I believe somewhat controllable by the driver. I wasn't being facetious. I've only driven FWD cars for last 20 odd years and never came to grips with the understeer. This car would probably be the worst of them and not helped I imagine by the relatively heavy diesel engine. It relies very much on the tyres to hang on; which they seem to do quite well albeit with lots of noise... all from the front but it does appear to run wide for me. I could be doing it all wrong of course.

I'm being quite critical here and while the understeer detracts a little for me from the driving experience, overall I couldn't be more pleased with the car. As I once said here... best so far for me.

[rustynutz]

What tyres do you have on your car, pip? Mine are Hankook......oh, and you run high tyre pressure like myself, don't you? 

I've driven quite a few FWD's over the last 20 something years too and I'd say the i30 is one of the better handling cars as far as understeer is concerned, even with the diesel fitted.
My little Holden Barina was a pig with bad understeer which I managed to improve a little by fitting slightly wider tyres.

I browsed a few reviews trying to see what they thought of the diesel's handling and here's what one had to say....

Autospeed 17 February, 2009

The ride is firm and strongly damped – if you’re expecting cushy, luxurious ride quality, you won’t get it. However, the corollary of that is safe, effective handling. The combination of a little understeer and the electronic action of the standard stability control system results in a car that is quick point-to-point but in an unfussed way. However, the outright grip of the Kumho Solus KH15 tyres on 16 inch alloy rims is not great – owners should explore better tyre options when the originals wear out. The power steering – like the suspension, calibrated specifically for Australia – is well-weighted but a little lacking in feel.

Same tyres, pressure between 36 and 40 psi depending how often I check. Always pump before a trip.

Did the review say whether the handling notes referred to diesel or petrol? EDIT: I see where you already said diesel

In any case it's quite subjective of course including your and my assessment. I'm only expressing slight disappointment in the "balance" for and aft. The grip is fine and suggests the tyres are held nice and square to the ground. The multilink rear suspension is similar to my last car, along with the front struts and not surprisingly, handling is much the same albeit with a little more body roll - and a little more understeer.

As you probably read in another thread I've been toying with beefing the rear roll bar ever since I got the car. I'm much better at thinking up things to do than actually do so there's a chance I'll just keep talking about it.

I think that because for many drivers understeer is easier to cope with than oversteer that it's seen as a sort of primary safety feature and manufacturers either build-in or prefer to leave (too much) inherent understeer in an effort to appear to be safer - or actually safer depending on your point-of-view. ESP/ESC would seem to provide that, and better, layer of safety now so handling could be allowed to be more neutral perhaps?

[rustynutz]

Same tyres, pressure between 36 and 40 psi depending how often I check. Always pump before a trip.

Did the review say whether the handling notes referred to diesel or petrol? EDIT: I see where you already said diesel

In any case it's quite subjective of course including your and my assessment. I'm only expressing slight disappointment in the "balance" for and aft. The grip is fine and suggests the tyres are held nice and square to the ground. The multilink rear suspension is similar to my last car, along with the front struts and not surprisingly, handling is much the same albeit with a little more body roll - and a little more understeer.

As you probably read in another thread I've been toying with beefing the rear roll bar ever since I got the car. I'm much better at thinking up things to do than actually do so there's a chance I'll just keep talking about it.

I think that because for many drivers understeer is easier to cope with than oversteer that it's seen as a sort of primary safety feature and manufacturers either build-in or prefer to leave (too much) inherent understeer in an effort to appear to be safer - or actually safer depending on your point-of-view. ESP/ESC would seem to provide that, and better, layer of safety now so handling could be allowed to be more neutral perhaps?

Ok, so we run much the same tyre pressures then.....

I must admit from your comments re the beefier roll bar I was assuming you thought the handling was downright bad....

I think you're right about understeer being probably easier to cope with for many drivers....
Pretty sure when I did the Defensive Driving Course a while back they made reference to this.

Although my little Barina understeered quite badly on sealed roads, it was always the backend that let go first when punting it along on gravel roads....made for some fun driving! 

[Surferdude]

Bad news. Monroe don't have shocks/ struts for the i30 in their plans for Australia in the forseeable future.
So. A dead end at least for a year or two it would seem.
Strange though as they have units for the Getz up to (IIRC) 2009.

[Doggie 1]

That's just not good enough. 

[Surferdude]

That's just not good enough. 

I absolutely agree. In retaliation I'm refusing to buy Monroe shocks for my i30.