Yes, we would like to do that. :)

- andrew

Do you have a side pic

Ding ding ding...

-Mike Paisan

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/14...8/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg
11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.
Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.
Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber |AIM: AZP Installs
"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I'd love a set of Koni shocks on RCE Yellows. I just won't do inserts, though. That's a half-assed solution in my opinion. I don't feel comfortable re-using the stock shocks on aftermarket springs, so I'll wait for good shocks or go to a coilover setup.

I'm getting itchy and I really want to get a new suspension, but I won't go with a half baked solution.

What is your reasoning behind not liking inserts? Koni has successfully been using the insert system for years. We have actually raced on Koni inserts on all 4 corners for sprint and enduros. If they are installed properly/professionally, inserts work as well as any "regular" struts. We've installed probably 300 sets maybe more in the past 10 years and they perform well and haven't had any issues with longevity. The Koni lifetime warranty is also nice for a street driven car as well.

-Mike Paisan

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/14...8/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg
11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.
Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.
Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber |AIM: AZP Installs
"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

you don't win auto-crosses by 2 seconds from a damper and spring upgrade, sorry broskies, i think you've just had poor competition.

I'm not saying that inserts won't perform well enough. I just don't like cutting apart perfectly functional shocks that I could possibly resell or put back on the car when I want to sell it. I'd rather get full-bodied shocks.

Gotcha. I've always just left em in or sold the swapped Konis to someone with a stock setup if I were parting out my car.

-Mike Paisan

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/14...8/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg
11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.
Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.
Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber |AIM: AZP Installs
"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I will keep the OE springs and struts to sell if and when the car is sold minus suspension. Once can off load the custom blue anno GC/Koni setup I just ordered for a bit more $$ than the cut-n-gut I considered. The coilovers will keep some value should I ever ebay those.

inserts are a pain in the ass if you don't have access to drills, tube cutting tools and a general work area that would allow you to leak fluid all over and not give a fuck

if i was to get inserts i would have to pay a mechanic quite a hefty sum to install them, the final cost would end up being more than a competitor's off the shelf ready to use unit.

Not everyone has personal garage to tinker in.

Hell, I barely have a space to store my jack and tools!

The only way i'll buy the inserts is if somebody (RCE) puts them in a stock housing and allows me to send my old ones back as a core...

Interesting. When we started we did them on he city streets of NYC. No garage at all. As for making a mess, an oil pan you use for oil changes is all you need to catch the fluid. Cutting tools are a pipe cutter from Home Depot under $15.

I am unaware of any off the shelf units with the performance and warranty of the Konis in he price range.

We only charge about $90 more than a regular spring install to do Konis. So for under 300 labor they can be installed.

-Mike Paisan

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/14...8/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg
11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.
Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.
Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber |AIM: AZP Installs
"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

Nice, I wish you guys were near me.

You gotta appreciate that something like this could be intimidating to someone that's never done it before.

I'll admit it's not something that's fun to do, but Konis are pretty darn good shocks and the only option at this point. Bilsteins will come as a full replacement, and be awesome, and we will have a custom valved sport option....but it's gonna be a while.

The inserts are intimidating but I don't know of anyone that's screwed it up. I do recommend getting an extra set of used front struts to use as your donors though.

- Andrew

I assume (I don't know much about RCE so forgive me) that the revalves will be very well matched to the RCE springs? They (Springs) are on my short list of springs to do STX autocrossing until I can afford JRZ/KWs.

Listen if you want to measure ****s I'm all for that, there are many things you can do if you have the will and determination.


thats already 300 more than zero, the cost for me to do a regular install myself without having to cut drill and drain anything. A torque wrench and a few 14mm sockets is all one needs. For someone like me your 90 dollars extra is actually 390 extra because.

assuming we're talking generic cars, since nothing for this has been announced yet, bilstein sports come to mind as a direct and quality competitor.

Yes, we (actually our sister company GTWORX) worked with Bilstein for a custom valved full strut for Impreza matched to RCE springs and that's something we plan on doing for the BRZ and FRS. It takes time though.

Bilstein vs. Koni is a tough call with advantages to both. Bilstein being a quality inverted front monotube with gas pressure that's easily and cheaply revalved vs. Koni being a quality twintube that's damping adjustable and has tons of support as well. I run Koni Yellows on my personal car. While some are "Koni til I die!" or vice versa I know that I would be very happy with Bilstein sports too. :)

- Andrew

Definitely. It can be pretty intimidating but there are a lot of DIY writeups and it isn't terribly bad, also if you can find a shop that is pretty reasonably priced it's worth it.

And FYI we don't even sell Konis so this isn't a sales pitch either.

-mike

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg
AIM: AZP Installs
E-mail: paisan@azpinstalls.com
725 Fairfield Ave (Rear)
Kenilworth, NJ 07033

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I'm sure the guys at RCE will have a very nice setup. I've known them for a long time and always have quality suspension parts.

-mike

100% agree, both are great setups and I would say the RCE custom valved setup is probably even better than the Konis, the only downside as you said is the adjustability and availability.

-mike

NICE, :happy0180:

We just have used em for a long time and hope to help out folks who may have less experience in tracking/modding in general.

-mike

AZP are good peoples!

- drew

I had an 02 WRX wagon so inserts were the only way to go. It wasn't the funnest mod experience, but the results were more than worth the effort involved. The were very well-matched to the Prodrive springs I was running and offered comfort, performance, and feel that few WRX suspensions could match. Driving my car was enough to convince several guys with high dollar coilover suspensions to go back to a strut and spring combination. In suspension tuning, sometimes less is more, and simpler is better.
I would do Koni shocks again in a heartbeat, even if all they offered were inserts.

coilovers are cake, get a quality set you can afford if going beyond rce yellows+ inserts or whatever

We will likely be offering pre-built Koni inserts for the BRZ once they become available. Depending on how much we can get the front housings for.

-Mike Paisan

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/14...8/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg
11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.
Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.
Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber |AIM: AZP Installs
"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

Offer a discount for return of OEMs, like a core charge refund? Keeps your supply higher, keeps customer cost down as well.

Can someone answer this for me:

I thought that BRZ struts are dimensionally equivalent to 05+ STI front struts, and rears are equivalent to 08+ STI struts. If this is true, then can't any existing Koni insert for those years work? I'm sure the valving is different, but revalving isn't that hard.

Actually, that means coilovers should be directly portable also, ignoring spring rate and damping forces.

That is the plan as well.

-Mike Paisan

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/14...8/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg
11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.
Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.
Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber |AIM: AZP Installs
"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

Exactly what I would be looking for. I have no desire to do the inserts myself. Do you have a waiting list? If so, please sign me up. Thanks

They are not at all similar to anything Subaru has done before up front.

- Andrew

FWIW, I have placed (weeks ago now) the first official order for the Koni's. I will be getting the first sets arriving in the USA. Such are the perks for helping Koni out by giving them my stock stuff. :)

The cost is $770 a set, which is the minimum allowed advertised pricing. The Koni set is on my website here http://stranoparts.com/partdetails.p...229&ModelID=37) Pre-orders will be shipped for free when then arrive.

Also, while I need a valid CC number to hold pre-orders there is *NO CHARGE* to your card until the dampers arrive from Holland to Koni NA for shipment to Strano Performance Parts.

It's a toss up between doing my suspension or doing wheels/tires with my tax return. The amount of tire tread left might influence the decision, as will the amount of money the wife lets me spend. :) I'll be doing both next year... but there may be some saving involved between the two.

If I go suspension first I'm I'd be interested in doing a RCE/Koni package if one's available, that sounds like it could potentially be the best bet short of spending $2500+ on good coilovers and offer a good mix of comfort, handling and appearance.

Doing two inserts doesn't bother me at all, but depending on the pricing that AZP is offering, it might make sense to keep things easy and let them do it. I'm not as young as I used to be, so I HAVE learned the benefit of paying someone else to do some of the dirty work. :)

I wonder if these will go with swift springs? How would the setup be like?

I was thinking the same thing earlier, i will be offering the Koni's so think i need to try them out anyways.

I thought I read that Koni is using RCE springs to help with their development, as an example of an aftermarket spring.

I doubt RCEs springs are much different then Swifts. The drop might be off by a few mm's and the stiffness might be a few percent off, but for a Koni adjustable I doubt the difference will be noticeable from the dampers point of view. That isn't to say the RCE and Swift springs will handle the same, just that both will be close enough to be able to work within Koni's adjustable range.

We will be offering Swift Springs for this setup as well as if anyone wants to do Swift Springs upgrade on their Koni's it should be freaking awesome!

Also we will be doing these setups for any FR-S/BRZ that wants them!