Lopoetve

iTrader: (1)

So I just got done installing my new Koni/Strano combo, and I just want to sanity check something - anyone have a pic of the 3/4 konis and what/where the two spring perches are? I keep reading that there is an upper and a lower, but I only saw one way to mount the spring, and want to make sure I didn't use the lower with the shorter springs. It didn't look like there was any way at all to chance the location of the perch either.

Undertow74

iTrader: (45)

Yes there is. i have mine sitting in my garage right now because im waiting on new control arm bushings to come in. There is a snap ring that hold the lower perch in place and 2 possible spots to put it in, obviously one lower than the other. When i got mine in from strano the snap ring was already set at the higher one, wich should be right considering having lowering springs. I would have double checked first before installing, but they both should be set at the higher of the 2, at least mine were when i got them in and thats what i went with

JD_AMG

This is not a pic from a koni for our cars (its a pic for a honda from a google search) but its the same idea:

To put it on the lower perch you remove the black perch, and then the ring and move it down to the lower one.

Undertow74

iTrader: (45)

^^BINGO! haha there you go thats what i was talking about, i just didnt feel like googling anything. The snap ring on mine are set to the higher one.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I'm pretty positive that it's not a Honda shock, I think that pic is actually an F-body shock..... The Honda guy probably swiped it in the first place.

Here's why I think that.

1. The bolts that are laying on the book are the T-50 Torx head that there are two of on the driver's side of the car.

2. The book sure looks an awful lot like a GM Factory Service Manual.

3. The spring perch and spacing between the two positions for the clip are just right.

4. The big washer laying in the upper right of the picture is exactly what comes with a set of those shocks.....

Tell me I'm not detail oriented.

Lopoetve

iTrader: (1)

Ok, so I know I didn't take off any rings, so I'm assuming that I got that part right.

But... I never got that washer :p Is it important?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The washer is very important. Two of them come in a bag with the nylock nuts. It's not big and many miss it. Sometimes they fall out of the boxes. Yet another reason I *beg* my customers to call me before installation, that's one of the things we go over.

You will need them (sorry), running without them will cause your upper mounts to fail prematurely.

Lopoetve

iTrader: (1)

ok... where does it go? And where do I get replacement washers?

Edit - and what are the nylock nuts? All I had in the box were a pair of shocks - we bought new mounts (originals were a disaster - tons of corrosion from water getting in there), put the top of the shock through, put a nut on, and then bolted the things up the same way the originals came off - and the originals didn't have a washer in there either.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The originals don't have a washer.. it's specific to the Koni's. Sounds like the hardware bag was missing from your shocks. The big washers go on the top of the shock, under the strut mount. The nylock nuts, aren't an issue since you have others--though you should use lock washers with those.

Lopoetve

iTrader: (1)

so between the shock and mount? Fun times... back apart she comes.

What size washers are they approximately? I'll go get friendly with Lowes again. Thanks for catching that for me!

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I don't know the size of the washers off hand... if they are missing I call Koni and get some. If you need to buy some, then you need the ID to be small just big enough to fit the upper mounting stud on the shock. The OD needs to be big enough for the upper mount to sit on. I'd guess 1-3/4" or so.

joecar

+1 that is the GM F-car Service Manual, you can see the upper A-arm on the RH page, and the writing on the LH page matches my paper SM... and what you see thru the page is a side view of the damper/spring/mount with the J34013 compressor tool on top of it.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

The large washer in the middle(3/8" hole, 2-1/8" diameter, 3/16" thick) is what you need. If you can't find a 2-1/8"dia., any dia. between 1-3/4" and 2-1/8" will work.

libertyforall1776

iTrader: (2)

Would you say the same thing about other shocks which do not have a washer like that -- say Bilsteins? Do you advise adding them in that case? My guess is it's not necessary if you're reusing the stock integrated bumpstop dustboot, since the top of it serves a similar purpose to the big washer... Koni has a different design.

White.Lightning

iTrader: (53)

I'm installing the strano springs on my car sunday. I had installed the koni 3/4 a while ago and don't remember if I had those washers or not. I will make sure I check though! Thanks for the washer size info

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Amazing isn't it? Most shocks for the car are that way. Koni, Bilstein, deCarbon....

Lopoetve

iTrader: (1)

Thank you sir!

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

So true. I remember pinching that snap ring with my fingers and sliding it down to the lower mount and thinking "all the force generated by spring is contained by this thing?"