HKS Hipermax damaged, can it be repaired? Or replaced

[Rich196]

I am based in the UK. On a track day I took a heavy hit on a kerb and my hipermax didnt take it too well. Luckily I could dial out the increased camber and it drove home perfectly.

I have attached a pic, but basically I have bent the threaded portion that goes through the pillow ball. Now a couple of questions:

Has anyone had this happen before?
Can it be fix / straightened or would it be forever weak?
Can I get it rebuilt or just a replacement shock.

[Shankenstein]

After reading the support section on HKS USA's website, it's likely that they will send the repair out to their Japan facility (between Tokyo and Nagoya). Turnaround time appears to be a couple weeks.

I'd contact the main HKS support and start the process. It's up to you to decide whether to buy a new unit or service the bent one. If this is not your daily driver, I'd let HKS take their time to rebuild the strut to spec. If you need the car ASAP, I'd swap back to stock, thoroughly inspect the nearby components, and get a professional alignment.

Best Guess: They'll replace pillowball cartridge, top nut, upper strut tube, seals, and piston assembly.

If the strut tube is scored on the inside, they'll probably swap the entire damper out. Many aftermarket coilovers use "cartridge" dampers, but I haven't had HKS coilovers before. Since your lower mounts look OK, I'd bet it's cheaper to rebuild than to buy an entire new unit.

Keep us updated, as the repair continues. I'd love to learn about the quality of their customer support.

[Lynxis]

Originally Posted by Shankenstein

After reading the support section on HKS USA's website, it's likely that they will send the repair out to their Japan facility (between Tokyo and Nagoya). Turnaround time appears to be a couple weeks.

I'd contact the main HKS support and start the process. It's up to you to decide whether to buy a new unit or service the bent one. If this is not your daily driver, I'd let HKS take their time to rebuild the strut to spec. If you need the car ASAP, I'd swap back to stock, thoroughly inspect the nearby components, and get a professional alignment.

Best Guess: They'll replace pillowball cartridge, top nut, upper strut tube, seals, and piston assembly.

If the strut tube is scored on the inside, they'll probably swap the entire damper out. Many aftermarket coilovers use "cartridge" dampers, but I haven't had HKS coilovers before. Since your lower mounts look OK, I'd bet it's cheaper to rebuild than to buy an entire new unit.

Keep us updated, as the repair continues. I'd love to learn about the quality of their customer support.

Same here, mine have a few miles on them already so they'll need servicing in the next 2-3 years at the rate I'm going. I'll be keeping an eye on your experiences to determine if I decide to rebuild or get something else when it's time.