Red Orange 96

iTrader: (2)

Just curious if any fellow tech-ers are patiently waiting for Koni NA to get stock of 4th gen SA front shocks? Mine have been busted since late April & the horrible handling is driving me nuts.

libertyforall1776

iTrader: (2)

How long did you have them on before the problem started? How many are busted? What happened? Are you lowered?

Red Orange 96

iTrader: (2)

I've had them on about a year and a half, no more than 6k miles. On stock springs, lower perch in front, hose mod out back.

Started w/the right front, handling was off so i went to adjust the shocks and the adjuster was very loose and wouldn't stop turning. Left side adjusted fine at that point. Got the warranty started on right side &then i hit a pothole w/left side. I could hear the shock hit the bumpstop. Left side adjuster barely turns now.

So now I've been waiting on koni to stock the fronts and riding around on busted $500 shocks for over a month. Lemme tell ya, after experincing how good the car handles on working koni's, driving it like this is worse than 100k mile decarbons. O and my regal is out of service right now so its the only ride for my 50 mile daily commute.

Nastyc4

iTrader: (13)

Im honestly shocked 1 hard bump could destroy a shock on stock springs :o

Black02SLPSS

iTrader: (5)

stranger things have happened. I need to get the warranty process started on my fronts because one of them is very very soft, like i can compress it by hand with little effort and it just pushes itself out very quickly and the other one is very difficulty to compress and it barely pushes itself out, no matter what i have the rebound adjusted to. Now i realize that i wont be able to put the dynamic forces on the shock like the spring does, but when i was on the phone with Koni they said i should be able to see a rebound difference depending on what i have them set on.

Nastyc4

iTrader: (13)

Lol wow. I am in the garage adjusting my shocks and my front right adjustment spins forever...... I guess mine is blown too... Just wow !

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

If you guys think that anything is bulletproof, you're nuts. That said, they will be covered under warranty.

If you are a customer of mine, call me--as I know how to keep that from happening to you again (the shock is bottomed out internally when the adjuster spins and spins).

Killer_Z

iTrader: (1)

sam is the man. always lookin out for people. always helpin

Red Orange 96

iTrader: (2)

Alright cool, I will call you this week Sam. I did some searching here & found the larger koni bumpstops may help, if thats what your refering to.

I purchased these from you in 2008. And I'm still waiting on koni to stock these shocks. Its been over 5 weeks since i filed the claim.

Red Orange 96

iTrader: (2)

I know no part is bulletproof but I just expected a much longer life from the best shock you can buy for these cars. &I only say best in terms of performance. IMO value is of equal importance so that perception of koni has changed in my eyes. My bilstein equipped ta had no issues in 20k plus miles of use...

svg210

iTrader: (1)

what about the rest of us that want to prevent this? is there any methods sam? I took my drivers side off yesterday to loosen it up, and it's fine. but reading this made me let me know sir. thank you.

Nastyc4

iTrader: (13)

Well I guess I'm Sol again I was going to buy new but decided not to because my car isnt perfect its just a beater. I picked up a used set off this forum that were purchased from you Sam. I know the warranty isnt transferrable but I installed the Ground control coil overs and believe any warranty is voided when the top is removed.

If I may ask, How much would you charge to mod the struts to keep it from happening again? Do they need a rebuild? The car still seems to drive fine so is the shock just stuck in a setting like this?

I just checked the other side and same thing now so both have bottomed out.

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

this isnt a common problem is it?

Nastyc4

iTrader: (13)

The more I google the more common it's seeming. Mista forums, BMW forums, civic forums.. Blown shocks left right and centre . Maybe it's konis way of milking customers by offering lifetime warranty and having so many easy ways to void it and empty your wallet some more !

I for one will never buy koni again. I lower all my cars last thing I need is to drop a g note and then see them fail on me after 1 week.


I think I'm just mad tho lol

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

i hope mine are ok but i expect a lifetime warranty to be honored. im sure sam would take care of us if you bought from him.

JD_AMG

Google "any name" blown shock. **** happens, especially when you make the shock try and work on overly low springs. You said so yourself you are currently lower than sportlines, which is WAY too low, and you should be sitting on your bump stops, I would be surprised if you DIDNT blow a shock out (not to mention you bought them used, have no real idea if they were blown before, revalved, or how they were used before.

Greggy

I had this happen 3 times to the right shock. I would think that Koni would have addressed this by now. It is an easy fix to protect your warranty replaced shocks. The fix has lasted me 40,000+ miles of winter potholes.

Note: As the shocks wear, you do need to increase the aduster to compensate. I do this when the weather gets warmer as the oil is thinner and thus provides less damping.

I'll let Sam advise you, as that is who told me about it. Koni may or may not help you depending on who you talk to.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Important point being it was only happening to the right shock on Greggy's car. On most cars its never an issue. The fact it kept happening to one side is pretty telling (after all the shock doesn't know what side it's on!).

Again, if you are a Strano Performance Parts customer, and have had an issue with a Koni adjuster breaking, just call me and I'll tell you how to fix it (it's easy and it's inexpensive).

99ssleeper

iTrader: (98)

Koni warrantied one rear SA for me very fast after all the paperwork was subimitted. The credit back took much longer.

MasterV8

iTrader: (7)

Koni won't honour my warranty because I took them out of the USA!
Called Koni here because the adjuster tab twisted off on one of my shocks & they refered me to one of their repair shops, apparently it happens quite a lot even though I found little evidence from doing a search, maybe people just stick with where they left them.
Anyway! still don't think they'll cover it under warranty.