Just got Koni's for the rear. I opened the box, only to find the worst directions for installing such a quality product. Anyone have any insight to make this painless? Will I need any parts from the old shocks? I'll just wait for the expert advice that's available on this forum! Thanks in advance for your tips!

James

 

boy did you hit the jackpot today!!! im in the process of doing this with konis' as we speak. a biatch of a job if you cant read chinese mumbo jumbo!!!
you will need the rubber bushing from the top of the old shock, the sleeve and the yellow bushing under the sleeve. i didnt know this and as a result i have mounted these konis' 3 times!!! on my 32 i had to drill the hole in the top of the sleeve a bit to fit the new shock.

remove the top shock bolt with the weight of the car on it. after you remove it raise the rear and remove the shield from the lower control arm. remove the lower shock bolt. jack the arm up till it bottoms then release and grab the shock and jerk it out of the top housing quickly!!!! i dont have enough strength to compress the shock in the tower.

reinstall the new shock with the yellow bushing then the white cut washer the sleeve then the top bushing. install shock then the metal sleeve in the hole then lock washer then bolt. if all goes well you should be done

 

If you know what to do it's easy. You do need to reuse the black dust cover or "hat". The shock rods on the Koni's are larger than the stockers so you need to drill them out which I found to be the hardest part of the job. You reuse the yellow bump stops which you will find under the dust cover. If your car is not being lowered you just slip them on the new shocks (takes effort because of the larger rod) The rest is normal. Check out this thread.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ravaganza.html

Les

 

I appreciate the info. The car is lowered so I have to trim the bump stop. That's the easy part. I no longer have the OEM rear shocks. I have the OEM fronts and can take the bump stops from thtem. Will I still be trimming the same amount off? I know.........................can't have mothing nice!!!

 

When I installed my Koni's I was at stock height. Then I lowered the car and the shop didn't trim the bump stops. When I found out I trimmed them myself and it was obvious that they had never hit the bump stops. In other words, if you don't have the rear ones you should be ok without them until you can find some. The trimming should be more or less equal to the drop of the car. My instructions were to trim 30 mm if I remember correctly. Look at the pictures in the suspension extravaganza to know how much. Woody also has a thread somewhere.

Les

 

One last detail! The instructions are hinting to "NOT" tighten the bolts with the suspension unloaded. Should the car be on the ground before the lower bolt is fully tightened?

 

if you have lowered progressivly wound springs and koni shocks why do you have to trim the bump stops? mine is so stiff rite now i doubt they will ever hit the stops.

 

Maybe your suspension is stiff because it can't travel like mine!

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...e-img_0346.jpg

I have Eibach's with Dot 1 pads and adjustable camber links and my swaybar is hitting the frame and the camber link. Check yours and let me know.

The bump stops are a protection for the shock. If you don't cut them you won't have full travel before hitting the stop. But if the sway bar is hitting the frame and upper link then it will never get near the bump stop.

I would just follow the instructions and do the final tightening on the ground.

Les

 

the oem springs on my 32 are eibachs and had dot 2 pads. actually saw some rubbing when i removed the wheels but the shocks have 50,000 miles so prolly wore out.
the new setup is b&g springs with dot 1 in the back. rear has great squat now and set for stiff ride for now. tvt camber bars installed for the alignment. the fronts actually look the same if not a tad higher than stock. fronts had eibachs as oem and dot 2 also. now b&g springs again with dot 4 pads.

 

I now have Eibach's on all four corners with custom valved Koni's. Stock pads were Dot 2 in the front and Dot 3 in the rear. Now I have Dot 5 in the front and dot 1 in the rear. Well I did, I just put the Dot 3 in the rear today to see if it solves my sway bar interference issues. My aftermarket camber arms are thicker than the TVT's so perhaps yours don't hit the sway bar like mine. I put the Koni's on before lowering the car and I absolutely love them. The Eibach's, IMO, are horrible. But that opinion could change when they are no longer being handicapped by binding problems from the drop with the rear sway bar. I'll know soon. I have a track day on the 11th. The track timer doesn't lie.

Les

 

well its all done!!! i have to say this was prolly the hardest install i have ever done. from all the little mistakes i made to the front control arms absolutely refusing to cooperate in lining up to chipping the edge of one of my oz wheels it never seemed to end!!
so the damage to my hands and wheels will mend,and im happy with the look. low,aggressive from the rear and hopefully with the camber bars adj. to get a proper alignment. the front seems stiff even at the soft setting. i dont know if theres any rubbing yet you have to remove the wheels to look inside!!! i do know i need a smaller jack now, mine wont fit under the car

 

You can hear it if it rubs. Mine rubs a little backing up and turning at the same time. Now that it's done, don't you feel like you accomplished something worthwhile? Don't forget to post pictures.

Les

 

Glad to hear you have it done Steve. I know what you mean about the jack...... If I use the jack points, I have to get the wife to push the jack under while I lift the car by the fender wells. LOL I need to get me a low profile floor jack. My back is getting too old to be lifting cars.

 

as long as i dont think i need to change any of the pads it will be worthwile!!
bob theres a jack on sale at harbor freight im going to try. 59.99 and liteweight to boot

my measurements were 25 1/4" in the front and 25 1/8" in the back. hoping it settles and i dont have to do the fronts with #3 pads to even everything up!

 

LOL..... Only you would redo your pads to correct a 1/8" difference in the front and back. Gotta love your dedication Steve. But, if it were me, and I did do it, I think I would raise my back 1/8 before I would do the fronts again. I hope I never have to touch my front suspension again.

 

shoot bob i had to redo the pass side rear after i got it all finished for the 2nd time and left a darn washer off!! knew i had to find were it went or i would never sleep. hoping the car will settle and it will be all good!

 

I changed my rear spring pads today and it was a piece of cake! I'm going to have to do it again unfortunately. I need to lift the back a little more. Are you guys sure nothing is banging back there on your lowered cars? I don't understand why mine is the only one.

Les

 

i dont know yet. just finished today and havent driven it yet. the shocks are stiff as all get out and theres virtually no body movement. ill try to get it out this week for a test drive, and shoot some pics and let you know.
remember im in a 32 and run 18" wheels as opposed to your 19 and 20 setup

 

18's and 19's but point taken. If it feels like you have unyielding shocks of steel only on the back it's an interference problem. I didn't see it for months until it left a crater. My current drop in the rear is approx. 30 mm and it looks like I need to lift it a few more mm's.

Les

 

sorry always get them mixed up! the backs have movement when you push on the rear and the fronts are very stiff. little movement at all. i have all 4 corners set at 1 full turn from the softest setting.
let me ask you if you did the install are the shocks installed correctly? i did mine so many times because the konis' instructions are terrible and i had to trial and error to see what parts i needed from the old shocks. just a thought. i left so many parts out from lack of knowledge and pure frustration of having to tear it all apart for a sleeve or a washer or rubber stop installed upside down! the list goes on! not my best day under the car by far. now you know why theres no pics! all i could do to stay sane!