Started playing with the shocks. Turned each corner 2 turns from soft. WOW! Talk about firming up the ride. I will be setting it back to full soft for the street. Last night driving with my son on a concrete road the expansion joints caused my voice to tremble while I was talking. Also makes the results of the good life shake like a bowl of jelly (now I know how Santa feels).

Any way I'm curious how the adjustment works. I would expect the adjustment to change the size of the opennings oil can escape from. It would seem that the rate of compression and extension would be slowed which would be felt as a stiffer ride. Given enough time with a load on them travel should ultimately be the same just the rate of movement should be slower. So body lean on sweeping turns should eventually be the same.

Still for quick tight turns it should reduce body roll. Not sure why I really want to know but the changes are so dramatic I was curious.

Dave

a single-adjustable damper adjusts only in rebound. been a while since i last saw a Koni cutaway but i believe there is at least one check valve in the picture that isolates separate sets of orifices for jounce and rebound.

driving over very rough or undulating roads will tend to pump the suspension down, as does 'performance' driving. this tends to lower the car when it's driven hard. if you have already lowered the car and limited your suspension travel, you might just be down on the bump stops. (harsh ride there...) if you've lowered it -a lot- without doing something to raise the damper rod, you can bottom the piston into the foot valve, which will damage the damper (and void the warranty, BTW ...)

Well, going from full soft to full hard is a bit of a shock.....kinda like sneaking into a screening of Debbie does Dallas after Bambie....

ANywhooo, try incremental adjustments until you get a firm solid ride....I run 3/4 hard when running on the track...when I have time, not much lately....and 1/2 hard on the street.....

my yellows came without any intructions other than a vague assembly diagram. how do you raise the damper rod? WHEN my springs ARRIVE, i'll have some questions for you dave.

kevin
"patience being tested"

Don't they have a white plastic knob for the top?

yes.

kevin

Ok, Would it be a reach to suggest that adjusting the shocks to a firmer ride and driving over rough road aggressively would increase the tendency to unweight the inside wheel. My feeling was the car was more backend happy exiting corners under hard throttle.

It would seem performance may be better on soft for rough conditions.

Dave

Kevin

The documentation sucks. I tried to copy the stup of the old shocks with the new rubber and bump stop.

Dave

Then the instructions are on the knob.......<-----soft-- hard ----->

The plastic knob fits on the top of the shock and you turn it to adjust....

Mike

It's the installation instructions that are bad. Adjustment's simple, turn one way soft the other way hard,: arrow"s on the knob

no stretch at all... stiffer in rebound will definitely hang the inside wheel...

you can only get racetrack performance on racetrack-smooth surfaces...

for Kevin - a typical way to raise the damper rod is to run a spacer under the top nut. yes, this will increase the tendency of the shock rod to hit the trunk lid. last set of Konis i installed, i ground about 3/4" off the shaft - they had been turned for the spacer by the prior owner, who dealt with the hood interference issue by adding 'power bulges' in the hood ...

WOW!! grinding so they don't hit the trunk? very nice!! i was pretty happy until a couple minutes ago. this $500 future adventure is starting to suck. but no worries at this point. BECAUSE I CAN'T ASSEMBLE THE DAMN THINGS. now my day is officially ruined.

kevin

Kevin

I didn't have do any grinding and I can't picture why you should. I even have the rubber conesover the top of the shocks on. I have my car at work today, swing by and take a look.

Dave

thanks, but i can't today dave. rain a coming and i have to work in the yard. 2 914's and 2 acres are killing me. edit:you're telling me there were supposed to be rubber bump stops included as well? if so,

kevin

Kevin

Too much time in the yard. It's like 914's. No matter how much you do there's always more. The key is learning not to look too close.

dave, check your email.

kevin

Koni's website is full of all the info that you are looking for.

i could'nt find anything relevant as to assembly intructions. where did your find them at their site?

kevin

Sorry I was mistaken, No install instructions just firm soften instructions


I visited there site a few weeks back looking for instructions to 911 rear reds, which are a much bigger PITA than just turning a button

thats because reds are 'ajustable for wear'.........the idea being when they get old and soft, you take them off, adjust them to the firmer setting, and they get their life back.........pain in the arse if you ask me.......

Ummm Kevin,

All you have to do is call. You know I'll help. I didnt have time to read the BBS today. I ASSUMED that you had at least installed different springs in the past on stockish shocks. It should literally take 10 minutes per side to slide the threaded body down onto the spring clip and sit the spring on the collar. Then put the top on it. Your springs will NOT touch the bottom. Use tie wraps to hold the spring to the top cup and tighten the new long cad stud nut to hold the billet top on. It should be 15mm for the new cad shanked nut and 9mm for the shock shaft. It doesnt need to be torqued to 500lb ft. Slide the old rubber from your old shocks down the new cad shanked nut and slap it under the car.

You have to use some pieces from your old shocks. Koni doesnt supply the 914 specific rubber.

B

I don't understand what the problem is... Are you trying to get shorter shocks, like the PO of Rich's car?

If not, then the Konis are a simple bolt-on swap. Most aftermarket springs don't even require spring compressors to remove or install. The Haynes book has diagrams of how the whole shock assembly gets put together. The factory manual (downloadable you-know-where) does as well. The Koni just replaces the shock, nothing more.

Here's the pic from the factory manual, which is also in Haynes.

--DD

I think he is confused because I sent him 10 inch springs. They dont even come close to touching the bottom perch until you drop the car down. I *think* he was trying to compress the shock



B

i'm not that confused. really. i dented the hell out of my trunk whilst pushing the car and jouncing it up and down

kevin- buy a sticker

I'm assuming front ?? It sounds like you left something out. The Bilsteins are known for doing this, but not the Koni's.

I'm not sure who suggested cutting them off... but you CANNOT do this with a Koni Yellow.. the f-ing adjuster is on TOP.


B

no the back. i was doing it by myself. planted my ass on the trunk and bounced up and down whilst pushing it forward. it's a joke man.

kevin