Koni / Bilstein - washboard roads

Whilst I've been trying to save up to change the Mazda, at the moment the used car market is totally stagnant, stuff isn't moving unless sellers drop the price 20%-25% to get stuff to sell - everyone's holding on to their cash whilst awaiting the affects of El Niño over the next 6-12 months and the fact we've *officially* gone into recession.  I had been considering a loan as a temporary measure to give me chance to buy a replacement, take the Mazda off the road for paint, and sell it.  However, bank loans are currently 21% here (!), if it's for a new car that'll drop to 12%, but that's just not an option for us at the moment (I did get quotes on '23 Mavericks, '23 CX5 and a WRX just out of interest, but the monthly payments were around 75% of my pay).   A base spec '23 Mazda 3 would almost be financially possible at the moment, but offers me little real advantage over the current situation (in some ways worse, less ground clearance, more complicated, more stress when 3rd parties hit it and drive off), and I'd have no financial leeway if finances change in the future.

So, once again, thoughts turn to the poor long suffering '08 Mazda.  One of the main complaints is the ride quality.  It's never going to be a luxubarge, but even I've been less than happy on occasions.

I've got Bilstein B4's on the back of it.  There's too much compression damping.  There, I've said it.   It's too damn jiggly.  Fronts are KYB Excel G from before my ownership (minimum 6 years / 30k kms on them, and they've not been easy KMs).  They're meh. 

I've read a lot ot of conflicting reports on ride quality with Koni or Bilstein on rough surfaces (daily driver use).  I've always been a Bilstein fanboi, although the 2 platforms I've had Koni yellows on I've been impressed, but all that experience was on fairly smooth UK roads.

Here in Peru there's a lot of washboard surfaces, pot holes, speed bumps for trucks (5"-6" high), and rock-strewn unsurfaced tracks.  That's all within the city of Lima (ironically, outside of the capital a lot of roads are in better condition).  I'm wondering if a change to Konis would offer a decent improvement - I'd assume it's pretty much the right usage case for Koni FSDs, but how will they hold up in the holes? I've seen a few reports of popped FSDs after hitting potholes (and that happens a lot here).  Sending it back for a warranty claim ain't gonna work from here.  Get some B4s on the front to replace the tired KYBs so it's equal? But compression damping? (Bilstein have the same damper specced for the base spec 3 as the 5, hence me assuming the issue is worse on the rear than it would be on the front).  B6s, like B4s but more so?

The right answer is probably don't do anything, save money for another year and put up with the complaints?  I dunno, I don't like doing nothing..

I'd consider the Koni STR.T. It is basically a stock replacement strut / shock. Valving is similar to stock - a little sportier and controls suspension movements well. Not harsh. The FSD should be better and more expensive but I vaguely remember that shock being redesigned and launched under a different name. 

What used to be called the Bilstein Sport does have some rather harsh valving. Unsure if that is a b4 in current terms. The Koni sport can be a bit harsh too. 

In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :

The Koni FSD's are called Special Active now. I've got them on my Alltrack now and have been impressed so far. I'm usually a Bilstein B8 guy, but I think I'd buy these again 

Mazda3s aren't exactly cushy cars, but stiff aftermarket shocks make it worse.  I've got Koni DAs on mine, and in the cold on cold tires it beats the crap out of you on washboard roads, especially in the back seat.  Softer shocks would help.  On the other hand it really is a happy car in the twisties...

Funny, I have B4s all around on my W126 and they've really improved things. Of course, I am coming from a different side of the coin on a completely different coin so... your mileage may (and obviously has) vary. :)

Try putting a few sandbags in the back to load the rear suspension, I found my father's focus rear suspension kind of skips across bumps as the weight is all up front.  Give it a try, costs almost nothing.