FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

I've got the shock out of the car, and am wondering how in the hell you take that little gold hat off of the top so that you can slide the sleeve onto the shock? The instructions that came with the coilovers say just tap it with a hammer, but it looks like the top of the shock is all 1 peice.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

There are threads about this over on frrax.com... that top will NOT come off by hitting it. One of the issues with GC is their ****-poor instructions. It does take some work to install them on Koni's, despite what some would have you believe.

Do not use a hammer, those instructions are for the stock DeCarbon's and Bilstein's, and it's a completely different "gold cap".

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

Thanks Sam, I looked over the sight, bought the tool and made the necessary modifications to it, and STILL can't get that damn lock nut to break. I'm real close to saying f*** it and living with the car sitting alittle higher than I'd like. This install has become a nightmare!

dailydriver

If you don't have the whole suspension apart, or if you don't need the car for daily use, I'd send the whole deal to Sam (hopefully you bought the shocks and GC kit from him) and pay him to remove the gold hat and install the GCs. I (and the installer) had major problems with that thing and I probably paid 2-3x to the installer as to what Sam would charge. It was worth it after all the trouble though!!

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Well, I do it a little differently. Because that jam nut is usually so tight, I actually carefully (if you nick the shaft of the shock you'll tear out seals) cut the flange off the "hat" so I can get at the nut with an open end wrench. I can't use the dust boot with Coil-overs, and I know that any warranty is pretty much void because the coil-over sleeve will leave tell-tale marks. So I just make my life easier.

FAST LS1

iTrader: (2)

Go to Sears, they should have this wrench.

Buy it, cut a section out of it 5/1000 larger than the shocks shaft diameter.
Then jam something between the gold hat and side of the wrench that tries to open up when you atempt to break the nut loose. I used a small nut jammed in between the hat and the wrench to keep it from spreading. It came off with caution after all of that.

I detailed this in my post from my install. Read all the way down, there are two long posts.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/320401-koni-sa-shocks-ground-control-coilovers-bear-gt-brakes-bmr-lca-reloc-brkts-pics.html
Also posted here.
http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=4514&

We did the Koni's coil overs, relocation brackets, front and rear brakes etc all in about a day and a half. It was a tough install due to no clear instructions even from people who had installed the shocks and CO's and had spotty write ups.

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

Did that, there was no way in hell that nut was coming loose. Didn't think to jam something in b/w the hat and the wrench. Oh well, I've already got a set of springs on order. I'm just going to throw those on when they get here, and sell the Coilovers. I would have liked to set the ride height to exactly what I wanted, but damn if I have to look at that lock nut one more time

But GC definitely needs to work on getting instructions for the specific models of shocks that the coilovers are made for. Had I not had the common sense to get on here and ask before I went hammering away ... I would have one messed up shock

Anyways, Sam, thanks for all your help through the whole ordeal. You were very helpful on the phone with picking spring rates and whatnot even though you don't sell GC anymore.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Your welcome for the help.... BTW, was I able to help you with springs? Did you call me for springs? I can't know seeing as screen names and real names are rarely the same.

Just asking for the chance to make a living off the help.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

And the offset wrench thing... doesn't always work. Never has for me.... Again, part of the trouble with installing coil-overs on Koni's and one of the things those full of hype don't tell you. I always made sure folks knew what they were in for before I would sell them coil-overs for Koni's on this car.

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

Yea, we talked on the phone about what spring rates I should chose, and you advised me to go straight through GC b/c of why you don't deal with them anymore ... we played phone tag for a few days before we finally got to talk though.

JP

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I was talking about the springs you have on order to use in place of the GC's.....

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

Ohhhh ...

No I looked through your site for the SLP 1" springs and didn't see them on there so I went to a different sponsor. Don't tell me you could have gotten them, I'll feel like an ***

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Um.... yep I have them. I don't have 10% of the product we carry on the web. I spend too much time on real time customer service than I do on the isolated, cold and impersonal web.

If you don't see something, please CALL!!!!!! Chances are huge that I have whatever it is for a competitive price....

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

damnit. sorry man