KYBs help with cornering by putting a high pressure gas shock at each corner. The high pressure in the shock slows the cars reaction when being thrown into corners, which makes them feel like a decent performance shock on twisty roads. This high pressure also can make them feel harsh when just dealing with road irregularities. Compare this to a true performance shock which achieves its feel through differences in internal construction and chamber valving, and you will understand why KYBs are more of a value shock than a true performance shock. They are comparable to using shackles to lift a car; they work, but are not the best way to achieve the result.
Just a change from a conventional oil shock to a gas shock will make large difference. If you are a budget minded person using your car for cruising with stock leaf and t-bars, Gas-Matics or Sensa-Tracs are the good starting point. If you want more performance and are willing to put up with the occasional rough ride, KYBs are the next step up. Moving into heavier wheel rates require more shock control. Ebrocks are probably the minimum of you have swapped to larger t-bars. After that you start getting into the adjustable range with Rancho and QA1 being the entry level in price and performance. Of course there are the non adjustable ultra performance shocks offered by Koni, Bilstein, Spax and at the ultimate end of the spectrum are aluminum body, adjustable shocks from companies like Pro, Afco, Stock Car products, Penske, and other big names. Expect to spend up to $1000 each at this end of the spectrum.
At one time, an often overlooked shock was the Mopar Performance oval track racing shock. It was a fixed valving gas shock manufactured by Carrera for Mopar. At $35 each, they were a screaming good deal, but I believe they are discontinued now. BTW, QA1 bought Carrera, so they don't exist any more.
Shocks are an often overlooked part of the suspension equation, but in reality they are much more important than most think. Look at it this way, much like a camshaft determines an engines operating range and temperament, so do shocks determine the speed, atitude, and manners of suspension system.
