Hey guys. I've been searching and reading threads for days now regarding the installation of my Koni+Strano combo. I think I'm going to do the install after work today. Just wondering a few things before I get started:

How long did it take/should it take to do all 4 corners?

Any problems arise while doing the install?

Things to pay attention to while doing the install? (spring direction, etc.)

Any other useful pointers that may keep me from having to go back in and re-do the install?

I've been looking at installuniversity.com for the procedure. Any other good step-by-step sources for this project?

I would like to be able to get this install completed tonight after work, so I don't want to run into any problems during the install. Any pointers or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!!

 

ttt...anyone do this themselves? I'm sure someone did...

 

i havent installed koni's before but have done many other lowering springs swaps and the install is pretty easy and straight forward. if its your first time, i would dedicate about 4 hours for the install... just my .02

i would also recommend using some penetrating lubricant on the top bolt of the shocks in the front also before attempting to loosen because these have been known to rust and break

i ordered my koni 4/4's and strano springs yesterday and cant wait to throw them on...make sure to post up pics and your expereince when finished. goodluck man

 

Thanks FadedSS.

Any more pointers or things to look out for?

 

sure, no problem bro. make sure to also use a spring compressor when installing the springs on the front even if it doesnt look like you have to. doing this will allow you to tighten the bolt without having it bear the stress of the spring

 

Over the 4th of July weekend I put AGXs and Stranos on my 02 WS6 (28,000 miles) and the factory springs and shocks off of my 02 onto my 98 TA (128,000 miles.) I moved the entire spring strut assembly from the 02 to the 98 without taking it apart so that was easy. However, I used the 98 hardware on my 02 and as mentioned about the nut at the top was completely rusted over. I couldnt get it off with anything...impact, wrench and vicegrips...nothing. Since the shocks were junk anyway I just colapsed the springs and cut the ends of the struts off with a grinder cut off wheel and took them apart that way. That was BY FAR the easiest way if you run into that problem and dont ever plan to reuse the shocks.

 

It would be handy to have a deep socket and an impact gun to blow the top bolt off the strut assembly. They get rusted from water just sitting in there whenever u wash it or it rains. It took me and a friend more than 4 hours but then again, we didn't get all the tools together before hand so we spent a lot of time scrounging for em. Oh yah, and a spring compressor is definitely a must...

 

Thanks guys. Have the spring compressor (rented from Autozone for Free!!!)

Hope that nut doesn't give me any issues...I guess only one way to find out.

What about lining up the springs? I remember hearing something about this for the rear springs. Something about making sure the top of the spring faces the front of the car?

 

taken from one of strano's posts:

"You need to make sure the front perch is in the upper position, you also need to make sure the rear springs are oriented correctly (pigtails running across the back, sort of along the rear bumper line), and that the spings are correctly seated in the upper isolators, the pigtail complete in it's notch and the isolator correctly positioned in the spring pocket (there is a bump up there, and the isolator can hang on it which will raise the car)."

 

Okay, so I guess that means for the rear springs, the top should either be facing inward or outward towars the back, depending on how they look. Tallest portion towards the rear?

 

I did mine and followed Sam's instructions and had no problems whatso ever until getting the top bolt off . Prepare yourself for it. I used a deep socket also and they so bad I ended up stripping the bolt. I had to use a air chisel to cut that bad boy off. Like he said it took about 4-5 hrs. Good luck

 

A couple of links 4 U.

http://ls1howto.com/index.php?article=6

http://ls1howto.com/index.php?article=8

Hint: The rear is easier than the front.



.

 

^^^ Thanks, those are actually the links I am going to follow. For some reason I wrote "installuniversity.com" in the original post...meant LS1HowTo.com.

Will some PB Blaster or Break Cleaner help loosen this "nut" up? Or should I prepare to destroy my stock strut just to get it off?


Sasquatch...Where did you get instructions from Strano? I only received a box with springs (by the way, how do you tell the fronts from the rears), a box with Koni's (and a stupid picture which is their instructions), and a box with a panhard bar. No instructions anywhere...

 

Actually with mine the bolt would nut would spin the shaft of the shock and the end was so rusty there was no way to hold it to turn it. If that appears to be the case save yourself some time (as described above in several posts) and just cut them off. I f'ed with the 1st one for hours before going that route....then I knew what to do on the second one and it took minutes!

 

One thing commonly over looked is the strut mounts. They are 42 each from car quest. Mine were destroyed during disassembly of one of the struts. The other one wasn't in great condition either so I ordered two.

 

You have to call for setup help. I can't e-mail it, or write it down. There are some details that we need to cover with you looking at the shocks. And let's face it, even Koni's instructions suck. While I could do better, folks also tend to "borrow" information like that when it's written down and what makes me me is the fact I know this stuff and can pass it along and explain how it works.

The front and rear springs are very different. When you get them out you'll see the stock front and rears look similar to mine. The taller, lighter ones are the rears. The shorter heavier ones are the fronts.

 

Thanks Sam, didn't want to bother you with a phone call before. I know how busy you always are. I was just messing around a bit with the fronts, but decided to wait until the weekend due mainly to a) hyper-aggressive mosquitos from the rain and b) I'd like to have ample time to do it correctly. Can't miss work in the morning because I f'ed up my car...lol.

I'll give you a call when I go at again this weekend if anything comes up.

Thanks Sam.

 

I just installed Konis with stock springs this past week.

One piece of advice that may save you some time: Don't use a pickle fork to separate the upper ball joint. Rent a "Tie Rod separator" from AutoZone (free) and use a small socket to center the tool onto the balljoint studded section. It will pop right off with no problems.

Using the pickle fork, it's inevitable (at least for me it is) to tear the ball joint boot while you are struggling to pop the ball joint loose.

The nut on the top of the shock wasn't rusted in my case.

Good luck with the install.

 

The upper isolators in the rear of my car are formed for the curvature of the car body above, so I took a black marker and made a witness mark on the isolators and the body to make sure they were oriented correctly during re-installation.
The fronts were easier than the rears, I thought...

 

Sounds like you're able to deal with the spring compressor, but if you're chicken like me , NAPA will change the springs for about $20. (plus that left them to deal with the rust top nut. )