For those with yellow Koni sports - Looking for install advice

1449 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by marcucci, Mar 30, 2001

aklucsarits

Discussion Starter · Mar 28, 2001

Ok. I'm finally installing my suspension this Saturday. It has sat in my kitchen for long enough.

I have Tanabe Super H springs and Koni Sport adjustable shocks... I want to lower about 1" exactly.

I will be doing the install with a freind who is a semi-professional mechanic. The car will be on jackstands, and we have air tools and a good spring compressor...

My main concern is the Konis. I searched this board and several others looking for info on the install. One common theme is that the stock rear mounting bolts do not thread properly through the Konis. Anyone here exeperience this? How did you work around it?

Also, some who have just installed the Konis without new springs on the "stock" C-clip on the konis have noted that the Konis will settle the car about 0.5" lower after installation. Can anyone confirm this?

What spring perch should I use? It's on the factory C-clip setting now. I can make the front lower by 2cm. And I can raise OR lower the rear by 1.5cm. Should I switch C-clip mounting points?

Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

As soon as this is done, my new wheels are going on and I'll post plenty of pics...

Andrew

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HRC

· #2 · Mar 28, 2001

i'm installing my set this sunday, so unfortunately, that's a day late for you. i can tell you that i already lowered the c-clip to the lowest settings front and back. i'm using prokit's already, and i think this will drop it another inch. if you want to only go down about an inch, don't move your c-clip setting. i have a base by the way.

d

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Resist, and you'll be overcome

[This message has been edited by HRC (edited March 27, 2001).]

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Ghost

· #3 · Mar 28, 2001

About the rear mounting bolts not threading properly, I suggest before you install the shocks on the car, screw the bolt on to the koni's and see if there any problems. I think it is just the paint that causes. I had no problems with my install.

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NVR2FST

· #4 · Mar 28, 2001

W/ the C-clips in the factory setting (middle), it'll add about .5" drop to your springs. I'm happy w/ my ride, but if you want to go lower, then you can lower the c-clip.
HRC will see my car on Sunday and compare, to see if he really wants to keep that c-clip in the lower position. My car dropped about 1.7" w/ Eibach Prokit(1.3") and the c-clip in the factory setting.

You'll want to place the perch so that the spring sits LOWER along the tube.

As for the rear shock install. WELL YEAH! I had problems w/ one of the shocks, stripped nut.

Then i got a new shock delivered and that too STRIPPED again!

What ended up happening:
1. I bought new damper mounting bolt from Honda (PN 90020-SM4-962; $9.33/each).
2. I bought a new nut from Home depot that fits the bolt.
3. took the shock to a local body shop; they grinded off the stripped nut; fitted and tacked on a new nut on the shock.
4. installed the shock w/ no problems.

*WD40*WD40*wd40*WD40*!!! Use it...don't abuse it!

------------------
99 Pearl White Prelude
AEM CAI
Konig Tantrum 17x7 / Nitto450 215/40/17
Koni Sport / Eibach Pro-Kit
PIAA 1100x
RF AMP / RF 12XLC SW

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NVR2FST

· #5 · Mar 28, 2001

i Agree w/ Ghost. I believe the painted threads (nut) screwed up the damper bolt. Then I used the (screwedup) damper bolt to fit the replacement shock and stripped that nut.

Like I said! *WD40*WD40*WD40*

------------------
99 Pearl White Prelude
AEM CAI
Konig Tantrum 17x7 / Nitto450 215/40/17
Koni Sport / Eibach Pro-Kit
PIAA 1100x
RF AMP / RF 12XLC SW

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HRC

· #6 · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by NVR2FST:
W/ the C-clips in the factory setting (middle), it'll add about .5" drop to your springs. I'm happy w/ my ride, but if you want to go lower, then you can lower the c-clip.
HRC will see my car on Sunday and compare, to see if he really wants to keep that c-clip in the lower position. My car dropped about 1.7" w/ Eibach Prokit(1.3") and the c-clip in the factory setting.

You'll want to place the perch so that the spring sits LOWER along the tube.

As for the rear shock install. WELL YEAH! I had problems w/ one of the shocks, stripped nut.

Then i got a new shock delivered and that too STRIPPED again!

What ended up happening:
1. I bought new damper mounting bolt from Honda (PN 90020-SM4-962; $9.33/each).
2. I bought a new nut from Home depot that fits the bolt.
3. took the shock to a local body shop; they grinded off the stripped nut; fitted and tacked on a new nut on the shock.
4. installed the shock w/ no problems.

*WD40*WD40*wd40*WD40*!!! Use it...don't abuse it!

that was some bad juju man...the memories are coming back, NOO!!!

------------------
Resist, and you'll be overcome

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2kLuder

· #7 · Mar 28, 2001

lol!! juju, yes please!

Yeah, my bolt didnt thread properly, i took it to a machine shop and they fixed me up for like $12

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aklucsarits

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 28, 2001

Thanks, great info guys. Keep it coming...

Where are you, 71dsp? I'm pretty sure I remember you saying that you've installed this spring/shock combo at least once before...

Andrew

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marcucci

· #9 · Mar 28, 2001

I can speak for "71DSP" : ) We've done this about 40 times between the two of us, I'm sure. Check out http://www.ntpog.org/mods/fifth-springs/fifth-springs.shtml for the install, the info is 99% the same.

As long as you install everything on the car w/o load you shouldn't have a problem stripping anything. I had the Koni/Tanabe setup and had no problem the 4 or 5 times I installed them getting the bolts to thread. **DO** get a torque wrench (and use it), most auto parts places will loan them out w/CC #.

The Honda manual says to torque the lower fork bolts and pinch bolts under load. You can do this (with the car on stands) by jacking up the lower ball joint or the rotor (don't jack up the rotor dust shield, though!!!) until the car starts to lift off the stand in that corner. I've done springs/struts, though, multiple times and torqued these while up in the air (unloaded) with no problems.

You WILL need an alignment after you do this. Go get one. It may not pull (or it may), but even if it doesn't you could still have toe problems in the front or in the back. These will eventually lead to increased tire wear. Unfortunately there is too much slop in the mounting points of the strut/spring combo which makes the alignment necessary after removing/replacing them.

The spring/strut should not settle. What *will* settle is the rubber in the spring cap (the isolator). This deforms slightly to fit the spring crown and has to "re-deform" for the new spring's different position. This will amount to about 1/8", though, and shouldn't be more than 1" from stock. When you lower the car down, though, the suspension will be loaded all funky as the suspension goes to positive camber when unloaded completely. Drive the car a few minutes or even back up and pull it back into your garage to correct the camber/height when you first lower it. It should be 3/4" or more lower than stock, within the first few hundred miles it should drop to the 1" lowering the Tanabe's produce.

Good luck!!!

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aklucsarits

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 29, 2001

Originally posted by marcucci:

The spring/strut should not settle. What *will* settle is the rubber in the spring cap (the isolator). This deforms slightly to fit the spring crown and has to "re-deform" for the new spring's different position. This will amount to about 1/8", though, and shouldn't be more than 1" from stock. When you lower the car down, though, the suspension will be loaded all funky as the suspension goes to positive camber when unloaded completely. Drive the car a few minutes or even back up and pull it back into your garage to correct the camber/height when you first lower it. It should be 3/4" or more lower than stock, within the first few hundred miles it should drop to the 1" lowering the Tanabe's produce.

Wow, thanks Marucci! ...So you had the Koni Sport and Tanabe SuperH combo, and it still only lowered about 1"? ...That's awesome, because I really don't want it any lower than that. I was afraid that I might end up 1.5" to 2" lower becuse I have heard more than one person claim that the Koni's will lower an ADDITIONAL 0.5" beyond the lowering the springs give, even at the Koni's higher "stock" spring perches...

Andrew

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OvaDaLimiT

· #11 · Mar 29, 2001

Alright...enough talk! Get to it!!

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·-÷• [email protected] •÷-·
'*·-÷• HA Chat ·-=-· Prelude FAQ •÷-·*'

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aklucsarits

Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 30, 2001

ttt

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marcucci

· #13 · Mar 30, 2001

Originally posted by aklucsarits:
Wow, thanks Marucci! ...So you had the Koni Sport and Tanabe SuperH combo, and it still only lowered about 1"? ...That's awesome, because I really don't want it any lower than that. I was afraid that I might end up 1.5" to 2" lower becuse I have heard more than one person claim that the Koni's will lower an ADDITIONAL 0.5" beyond the lowering the springs give, even at the Koni's higher "stock" spring perches...

The one thing you need to watch for is that you install all the washers and dust boot. The Factory struts (if I remember) have a flat washerr and the dust boot (as thick as one of the washers) on top of the strut, under the spring perch; this will effectively "lower" the car more if you don't install them on the Konis. In turn, you can also install more washers there to raise the car if you like. I installed an extra washer in front to bias the car ever-so-slightly more neutrally.

I really liked the combo. With the Konis/Tanabes I had the same right height as a friend with stock struts and Tanabes. The ride around town was great while still being very firm and responsive. They simply weren't stiff enough for me on the track so I recently switched to the GC coil-over setup. I've actually still got the Tanabes around the house, somewhere, which reminds me I need to get rid of them!

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