So whoever had my car before put koni yellows all the way around on it. However, I noticed that the front end is rather bouncy, especially on certain roads. So I figured I'd try to adjust it. I got the whole assembly out, and I like how they conveniently made it so the adjustment is on the back side.

However, when I try to adjust it, it only goes one sweep. I'm using a 2.5 Allen wrench. If I try to put the wrench in another hole, it won't budge, either way. I can only go soft and stiff one sweep. Is my shock broken or am I missing something here. The spring is still installed, I wasn't sure if you had to remove that too to adjust...

 

I'm so confused and their website doesn't help. They are the koni 8241 1139 and 1140 shocks. I'm wondering if I need to just take the spring off to adjust...tthat and to install it the other way so I can adjust it on car?

 

Front Shock @ 1:25
Rear Shock @ 2:13

You don't need to remove the spring to adjust the fronts but if the previous owner did not install the shock so that the adjustment window is easily accessible, then you may have to remove spring to rotate the adjustment window for on-car adjustability.

The rears will have to be removed to adjust settings.

 

Thanks for reading the title.

 

Does anyone else have any input pertaining to my situation of not being able to adjust more than 1 sweep?

Here is a video I took. As you can see, I can only move it so far. It does the same thing going the other way. Not sure if this helps, but yeah.

 

Not 100% on the model of the shock, but my Koni SA's on my Camaro have maybe 6 sweeps if I remember correctly full stiff to full soft???

Bouncy does not sound too good to me. That plus it being hard to adjust makes me think something may be wrong. Maybe try spraying some WD 40 in there, let it sit for a day and try again.

But yes, they suck adjusting while on the car. Getting that damn allen wrench in between coils sucks a big one.

 

Koni North America #(859) 586-4100

Good luck.

 

Thanks. I never actually could find a number on their website, but I ended up finding it on their facebook. They finally replied to my email, saying the shock is probably bottomed out. I'll have to check the other side now.

I'll probably just replace them with str-t's if anyone wants some KONI SA's to rebuild.

 

Sounds like the previous owner is an idiot. Fronts should be on-car adjustable if they had been installed correctly. The rears can also be adjusted on the car, but you do have to unbolt it from the axle side. You can then compress it and adjust without removing the top mount. Easiest with two people.

 

So, I took off the other front side and I noticed that the sweeper window was accessible and the adjuster worked fine. It was on full stiff. I backed it down about 4 or 5 sweeps and it does ride noticeably better. However, I still can't get the adjuster on the driver side to budge.

Is it possible that since they were installed backwards the reason for them not adjusting? Or would that have nothing to do with it?

 

Well, I broke down and took the spring off and installed the shock correctly. While I was doing this, I somehow got the adjuster to move all the way and the shock started slowly decompressing all the way!

I put everything back together and it rides 5x better now!

Each shock has 8 sweeps, I set it at 4 on each one.

 

After 20k or so miles I wanted to adjust mine and the adjusters wouldn't budge. So I finally took them off, disassembled them and shot the adjusters with WD-40. They loosened up, I adjusted them to three sweeps from full soft, and I've happy with that since.

Then when I reinstalled them, I wasn't paying attention and installed the DS one with the adjuster backwards

 

I run mine 1 sweep from full firm in front, and 2 sweeps from full soft in the rear. We need a lot less shock in the rear as it weighs a lot less on the rear axle.

 

I'll have to play with them to see what I like. Koni was nice enough to send me an adjuster **** for free for the rears, I have no idea where the previous owner set those.

 

You definitely have to give it attention, between getting the mount and spring in the perch correctly, I could see how the adjustment window could end up on the wrong side.

 

That and getting the lower mount lined up right. I got it right on the initial install and then effed up when I pulled them to work the adjusters.

 

Have you guys been able to adjust the fronts with the tires on? I always had mine off, but I was wondering if I turned the tires completely one direction if I might be able to squeeze in there

 

At stock height I could do it without even raising the car or anything, but I had the 4x4 package apparently.
Now that im lowered I just put a jack on the side I want to adjust and jack it up some until I can reach the adjuster. Never have taken the wheels off.

 

Yep that worked, i basically raised it high enough without getting the tires off the ground. The rears are adjustable on the car.. I firmed them up as well.

 

So far two people have said I have to remove the shocks from the car, or at least unbolt them. I have the on car adjustable shocks (part numbers 8241-1140) so they do not need to be removed. I was able to adjust the rears just fine on the car.