How to adjust Koni yellow rear shocks doityourself

[Smolck]

For those of you blessed enough to have Koni Yellows (like me), this is how you adjust them. I have seen no good video of the process, here is my way. BTW, the 1.75 turns toward stiff is just about the best my car has felt in a WHILE. I was surprised how much improvement I got over the 1 full turn I had been running.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DmhhcEYsVs&feature=youtu.be

[danewilson77]

Great info Smolck. Thanks.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[brettbimmer]

Thank you Smolck. I have Koni yellows on my E36, but hope to one day add them to the ZHP too! Excellent "How-To" for rear adjustments.

[Smolck]

Thanks guys. I know this isn't the right sub forum, but moving from 1 turn stiff to almost 2 turns made a HUGE difference in cornering and the sharpness of turn in, it is a blast.

[Sockethead]

Yea that's a about where I have my rears adjusted to... Seems to be the sweet spot for the Koni

[Smolck]

Yea that's a about where I have my rears adjusted to... Seems to be the sweet spot for the Koni

Yea, I figure I am at the limit of what the stock springs will work well with. Any stiffer and the spring would be too weak. Funny though, when I first installed them, I tried 1.5 turns stiff and it was way to harsh. Now, after 10k miles or so, it seems PERFECT. Still stiff, but not harsh.

[M0nk3y]

Nice video. I'm anxious to get some SAs or even DAs on this car. Alittle damping like you said makes a HUGE difference.

[Smolck]

Nice video. I'm anxious to get some SAs or even DAs on this car. Alittle damping like you said makes a HUGE difference.

Indeed. I was surprised at how much improvement I got at full soft, let alone when I started to up the damping. And the best part was that I bought them when Koni had it's annual sale. I paid $555 shipped to my door for all 4!

[Sockethead]

Yea, I figure I am at the limit of what the stock springs will work well with. Any stiffer and the spring would be too weak. Funny though, when I first installed them, I tried 1.5 turns stiff and it was way to harsh. Now, after 10k miles or so, it seems PERFECT. Still stiff, but not harsh.

Yea shocks need to break in for a period. That's why you noticed that at first.

I put H&R sport springs & UUC sway bars on my car and about 1.75 is still the sweet spot.

[Smolck]

Yea shocks need to break in for a period. That's why you noticed that at first.

I put H&R sport springs & UUC sway bars on my car and about 1.75 is still the sweet spot.

Yea, I had H&R's on my 323 and really want another set for the ZHP. I need to quit buying guns and start buying car parts again.

[blalor]

smolck! Man, you keep popping up everywhere. I found this video on YouTube a few minutes ago and it really made the process very clear. I kept searching looking for a solution that didn't require removing them from the car; I'd gotten the impression from one of your posts elsewhere that it could be done just by disconnecting the bottom, but apparently not. Oh, well. Very informative; much appreciated.

[Smolck]

smolck! Man, you keep popping up everywhere. I found this video on YouTube a few minutes ago and it really made the process very clear. I kept searching looking for a solution that didn't require removing them from the car; I'd gotten the impression from one of your posts elsewhere that it could be done just by disconnecting the bottom, but apparently not. Oh, well. Very informative; much appreciated.
Yea, the bump stops keep you from bottoming them out enough while installed. They gotta come off. TC Kline used to make top adjustable rears, not sure if they still do.

[blalor]

Dammit, they *do* sell just the individual shocks: http://www.tcklineracing.com/webdocs/Items/Details30.cfm I'd thought these were only available as part of one of their kits.

[Smolck]

Dammit, they *do* sell just the individual shocks: http://www.tcklineracing.com/webdocs/Items/Details30.cfm I'd thought these were only available as part of one of their kits.

In my world, $284 is not worth the money, yes it's easier, but you get pretty good at taking them off over time. And once set, I don't change them often.

[derbo]

Ground Control also has an top adjustable rear Koni shock as well. I am not sure they sell it individually or not.


I change my settings for track and street driving. I definitely enjoy not removing them off everytime I wanted to adjust them.

[blalor]

I was thinking it was "only" $100 more than the standard shock, but those are $110 at Tire Rack with the sale. So $150 more, more than twice the price. No, not worth it.

[WOLFN8TR]

Thanks for the video.

[Stewbie]

FYI - Koni's having their 25% off spring (as in the season) sale again this year: http://www.koni-na.com/uploads/30261_Shock_Value_Consumer_PR.pdf

http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/brand.jsp?brand=KONI

[brettbimmer]

FYI - Koni's having their 25% off spring (as in the season) sale again this year: http://www.koni-na.com/uploads/30261_Shock_Value_Consumer_PR.pdf

http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/brand.jsp?brand=KONI

Yes, we had this going somewhere else on the forum too, but they are actually cheaper at Bavarian Autosport then Tirerack and elsewhere that I have seen.

[WOLFN8TR]

Getting some Koni Yellows for my ZHP beings they are on sale. Want to know which rear shock to use because Koni recommends two different models, the 8040-1250 and 8040-1271. Is the difference in length, valving or both? Can the 8040-1271 be used with stock ZHP springs?

[brettbimmer]

Getting some Koni Yellows for my ZHP beings they are on sale. Want to know which rear shock to use because Koni recommends two different models, the 8040-1250 and 8040-1271. Is the difference in length, valving or both? Can the 8040-1271 be used with stock ZHP springs?

So I ordered from Bavarian Autosport, and here is a photo of my box:

13536

Also, it appears that the difference is:
1250 is non-sport (+1" overall length)
1271 is sport/ZHP spring compatible.

[WOLFN8TR]

Ah good to know. I will be ordering some 1271's tonight then. What are the best rear sock mounts and reinforcement plates to go with?

[WOLFN8TR]

Smolck do you know where the Koni's are set at from the factory?

[blalor]

I wouldn't count on any particular factory setting; it can get changed when you're assembling things if you're not careful. Even if you are, I found that the rear shocks rebounded at slightly different rates for a given number of (partial) turns. I used Smolck's technique to make sure they raised at the same rate and then installed them.

[WOLFN8TR]

Roger that, Thanks...

[WOLFN8TR]

Today I replaced my stock rear shocks with some Koni Yellows. After reading Smolck's review on these I set them at 1/2 turn from full soft untill they break in then I will set them around 3/4-1 turn. Also made sure they both rebound at the same rate. My stock shocks were bad to say the least. My drivers rear doesn't rebound at all when compressed and the drivers side rebounds but at a turtles pace. The difference in the ride is absolutely night and day!

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/05/myqa4a4y.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/05/narumusy.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/05/a3uterys.jpg

[Vas]

Sorry about the thread bump but I figured I rather shine some light on the adjustment procedure here instead of making a new thread.

Going clockwise while looking down at the shock = stiffer setting
Going counter-clockwise while looking down at the shock = soft setting

However the speed that the shock shaft comes out of the body does not determine the level of dampening of the shock.

Basically if the shock shaft comes out of the body at a slower pace then the other shock shaft, there is more "seal drag" in that shock.

"Seal Drag" is the amount of drag that the seals, wipers and internal piston band have on the shaft as it moves in and out of the body. Anything that touches the shock shaft as it comes out of the shock body creates a drag and slows down the shock shaft. Too much of it is a bad thing and if the "seal drag" is greater then the amount of rod pressure pushing it out, the shock shaft will extend out at a slower pace.

When I was adjusting the koni yellow shocks, I was trying to make the shock shafts come out at the same pace. But that results in the dampening being at different settings.

So when you are adjusting these shocks, push down the rod all the way down to compress, engage the adjuster inside, spin the body counterclockwise to full soft so you are at the starting point. Then turn the shock body clockwise to make the rear shocks stiffer. Keep constant pressure down on the shock shaft so the adjuster is engaged fully during the process.

Hope that helps.

[BMWCurves]

Huh I didn't know that, but makes sense. My rears are both at roughly 3/4 turn from soft, but I adjusted them minutely so that they rebounded at the same speed.

Thanks for the info!