Koni Question
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Redondo Beach, CA
Koni Question Although I have used and worked with Koni's on several chassis (Miata, Fox Mustang, Vintage Mustang, Chevelle, as well as aluminum "universal race") I have never looked at one for a Gen 4 F-Body.
How is it that the adjuster is obscured by the spring in these cars? I have seen the adjuster at the foot valve (bottom of shock) and thru rod with the adjuster on top of the tenon as well as a window on the rodend (uppers) but I do not recall ever seeing a Koni with the adjuster near the seal carrier (rodguide) Does anyone have a photo?
I cannot seem to wrap my mind around how this is possible.
I keep seeing that this is an issue with certain springs.
How is it that the adjuster is obscured by the spring in these cars? I have seen the adjuster at the foot valve (bottom of shock) and thru rod with the adjuster on top of the tenon as well as a window on the rodend (uppers) but I do not recall ever seeing a Koni with the adjuster near the seal carrier (rodguide) Does anyone have a photo?
I cannot seem to wrap my mind around how this is possible.
I keep seeing that this is an issue with certain springs.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Pics can be found here:
http://www.greenfries.info/Koni_shocks.htm
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com.../photo_14.html
http://www.greenfries.info/Koni_shocks.htm
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com.../photo_14.html
edit: doh! beaten to the punch!
here's about the best pic i could find of them online quickly....the "adjuster window" is circled in yellow. it just requires a small allen wrench inserted into a hole on the adjuster, and you can turn it only 1/4 turn at a time. depending on the springs used, and how the shock is aligned when installed, the adjuster window can be blocked, making it hard (or impossible) to adjust them while on the car.
i personally have the koni's with strano springs, and took extra care to align it properly so that i would not have this problem....i can adjust mine easily once the front wheels are removed.
here's about the best pic i could find of them online quickly....the "adjuster window" is circled in yellow. it just requires a small allen wrench inserted into a hole on the adjuster, and you can turn it only 1/4 turn at a time. depending on the springs used, and how the shock is aligned when installed, the adjuster window can be blocked, making it hard (or impossible) to adjust them while on the car.
i personally have the koni's with strano springs, and took extra care to align it properly so that i would not have this problem....i can adjust mine easily once the front wheels are removed.
It's not Koni's fault the adjuster is how it is. GM, in their infinite wisdom didn't make the shock tower open on top where the fronts shocks could use the "****". Because Koni's adjust the piston and not the foot valve (which is good), the couldn't just slam a **** on the side ala AGX's and QA1's, etc.
Adjusting them is not that big a deal with good information/instruction which I provide all my customers, and a little patience.
As for the window and Mustang... I'm not aware of any Mustang that is setup this way. Some Mustangs are compress to adjust (specials), and all the Sports have the **** on top. Having just checked and rechecked the Koni model available for all Mustangs from 64 to now, they are all either 80 and 82 series (standard compress to adjust shocks) or 8241 and 8741 series shocks which use the ****.
Adjusting them is not that big a deal with good information/instruction which I provide all my customers, and a little patience.
As for the window and Mustang... I'm not aware of any Mustang that is setup this way. Some Mustangs are compress to adjust (specials), and all the Sports have the **** on top. Having just checked and rechecked the Koni model available for all Mustangs from 64 to now, they are all either 80 and 82 series (standard compress to adjust shocks) or 8241 and 8741 series shocks which use the ****.
__________________
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Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Redondo Beach, CA
It's not Koni's fault the adjuster is how it is. GM, in their infinite wisdom didn't make the shock tower open on top where the fronts shocks could use the "****". Because Koni's adjust the piston and not the foot valve (which is good), the couldn't just slam a **** on the side ala AGX's and QA1's, etc.
Adjusting them is not that big a deal with good information/instruction which I provide all my customers, and a little patience.
As for the window and Mustang... I'm not aware of any Mustang that is setup this way. Some Mustangs are compress to adjust (specials), and all the Sports have the **** on top. Having just checked and rechecked the Koni model available for all Mustangs from 64 to now, they are all either 80 and 82 series (standard compress to adjust shocks) or 8241 and 8741 series shocks which use the ****.
Adjusting them is not that big a deal with good information/instruction which I provide all my customers, and a little patience.
As for the window and Mustang... I'm not aware of any Mustang that is setup this way. Some Mustangs are compress to adjust (specials), and all the Sports have the **** on top. Having just checked and rechecked the Koni model available for all Mustangs from 64 to now, they are all either 80 and 82 series (standard compress to adjust shocks) or 8241 and 8741 series shocks which use the ****.
I would also question the strength of putting the adjuster through the tenon for adjustment underhood. That would create a very thin wall in a 10mm attachment.
It makes sense the way Koni has done it.
Race Koni's have used a window like for years... couldn't figure out what Koni's you were speaking of, but it makes sense now
I agree they didn't have much choice given what GM gave to work with and the way the Koni adjuster works.
I agree they didn't have much choice given what GM gave to work with and the way the Koni adjuster works.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
The "4/3" means 4th gen front/3rd gen rear shocks(internally adjustable rears). The "4/4" means 4th gen front/4th gen rear (externally adjustable rears)
Basically this is the main thing to know about the 4/3 vs the 4/4. The 4/3 uses the 3rd gen rears which only have 4 settings of adjustment and need to be taken off the car to adjust. The 4/4's have the 4th gen rears which are infinitely adjustable like the fronts and are adjustable on the car. The 4/3's are what I went with becase I felt I would be able to get what I wanted out of the car with the 4 setting possibilities and I didn't feel I would be tinkering with the adjustment much after I found where I liked it. Turns out I was right.
They were either put on and oriented incorrectly, or the spring coils are just too tight at the top of the spring to reach the adjuster. This is something I consider with springs when selling them with Koni's.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
Even if you use a jack to compress/decompress some of the coils to move them out of the way of the adjuster? I have a few coils that sit in front of the adjuster window when I jack the car up, but if I put a second jack under the lower arm, I can compress them out of the way. Hotchkis springs, btw.
-Mike
-Mike
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
Mine arent installed yet but when i put the little **** onto the adjusting slot on the top, it turns more than 360 degrees. about how many times should it turn? the instructions says like max is 360