Koni Install Issue

[WolfSongX]

Hopefully I have the right part number, but I'm doing a rear strut install with Koni struts and RCE yellows, but the shaft of the Koni is thicker than the OEM shaft. Unfortunately the hole in my rear strut top is too narrow for the threaded portion of the Koni shaft.
Anyone run into this before?
If I need to drill out the hole in the top mount, what size drill bit.
Part # on box is 8041 1416SPORT

I've bought another set of suspension, so the top mounts I'm using are from a FR-S and my car is still together, so I'm not stuck, but I'm getting a bit frustrated.

[FastLane1000]

Yeah, you got to drill it. I'm not sure of the size just match the bit up with Koni threads. I'm not sure on the part numbers but I remember having to drill.

[feldy]

just checked for you. same part number as mine. We didnt have to drill anything. Also on konis with RCE yellow springs. Ill go take a pic

Scratch that Im a big fat liar. I just got confirmation that the top hats were in fact drilled. I was away taking the fronts apart. Sorry for any confusion. I believe this is described in the instructions no?

[WolfSongX]

Thanks guys, I didn't see anything in the instructions, but the Koni instructions can be a little confusing. I'll look at them again just in case I missed it. I'll just try stepping up one drill bit size until it clears.

Also on the rears, the RCE bumpstops don't fit over the spacer that is welded below the threads either, so I wound up using the OEM bumpstop cut down to the same size. I also reused the OEM gaiter as well since the OEM bumpstop wasn't wide enough to hold the RCE gaiter in position.

The fronts went together easily in comparison...

I've been taking a lot of pics and notes to post a DIY on the conversion...
Any more feedback/suggestions are very welcome.

[WolfSongX]

Well I had a 7/16ths and a 1/2" bit... and 7/16ths is not quite enough and the 1/2 is maybe a bit too much. I hate not having a set of metric drill bits.
I'm waiting for the paint to dry and will try again a bit later or tomorrow depending on how I feel.

[SVThis]

Use a 12mm drill bit per instructions

[WolfSongX]

Originally Posted by SVThis

Use a 12mm drill bit per instructions

I must be missing a sheet then, there was no reference to drilling in the instructions I received with the struts from Koni.

[JRP]

Originally Posted by WolfSongX

I must be missing a sheet then, there was no reference to drilling in the instructions I received with the struts from Koni.

The 12mm is the size hole you need to drill in the bottom of the strut body for the bolt that holds the damper in place. I just took a round file and carefully opened the hole until the top of the damper fit.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by WolfSongX

Also on the rears, the RCE bumpstops don't fit over the spacer that is welded below the threads either, so I wound up using the OEM bumpstop cut down to the same size. I also reused the OEM gaiter as well since the OEM bumpstop wasn't wide enough to hold the RCE gaiter in position.

Girly man arms? It don't look like it fit, but you can muscle the bumpstop over it (I did). Watch out though, don't want to cut yourself on that slag-welded POS.

I used a 1/2" drill bit for the rear top hats...fits fine. Not many people on this side of the pond have metric drill bit sizes or tradesman's assortment of bits.

[rikdrt1]

Originally Posted by FastLane1000

Yeah, you got to drill it. I'm not sure of the size just match the bit up with Koni threads. I'm not sure on the part numbers but I remember having to drill.

that scares me already... don't like drilling something that will affect OEM if I ever go back..
?

[Sccabrz192]

Originally Posted by rikdrt1

that scares me already... don't like drilling something that will affect OEM if I ever go back..
?

New top mounts should be relatively cheap... significantly cheaper than buying completely new front struts since you just gutted those for the front inserts.

In all, its a 2mm ID delta, you can always use a spacer/washer if you are that worried about it not being centered or if you are worried about the interfacing area being insufficient for the load when you go back. The rear damper doesn't play into the alignment of the rear wheel, so that tiny fraction of a degree of change you would get from +/- 1mm in each direction will be insignificant.

I'm not sure why exactly you would ever want to go back to OE dampers... Koni yellows shouldn't be considered a performance modification in terms of a warranty, if that is what you are concerned about. They are basically an OE replacement damper, using very typical OE replacement damper installation methods.

[WolfSongX]

I took a ton of pics with doing this conversion and finally got them on the car. I didn't document the install/removal because that's been done a few times already. Hopefully my ancient computer will behave and work (I use a tablet from home now and I'm not allowed to use my work computer for image editing/uploading.) so I can get the images processed and uploaded.

I still need to get the alignment done, so I haven't had a chance to really test things out or play with the adjustable settings on the strut. I'm running the struts on full soft at the moment, but the most noticeable thing is how smooth the weight transitions are with this car now... and stock it wasn't a slouch, so that's saying a lot.

I wouldn't say that you give up a lot of comfort, but the car feels noticeably lower now and very solidly planted. Win-Win in my book.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by WolfSongX

I wouldn't say that you give up a lot of comfort, but the car feels noticeably lower now and very solidly planted.

Heh, turn it up to 2 turns from soft and see how you like that. At full soft they DO ride better than the OEM setup, though.

[raul]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Heh, turn it up to 2 turns from soft and see how you like that. At full soft they DO ride better than the OEM setup, though.

Bouncy as bananas though.