Is this normal for Koni inserts?

This may be a dumb question, but I've searched and haven' t found the answer.

 

I purchased some like new Koni struts. The OEM strut housings were a bit rusty so i cleaned them up and painted them. While doing so i noticed that i could hear fluid moving around inside. Should you be able to hear fluid moving from one end of a strut to the other when you move it around?

If they've been stored or shipped horizontally there is air mixed up with the fluid. When you move the dampers through their stroke the bubbles make some noise as they pass through the valve stack. Leave the units standing vertical for a few hours and everything will be fine.

Perfect! They have been shipped and stored horizontally for about a month now. Currently they are mostly right side up so I can check how they are doing later today. Planning to install tomorrow.

Still can hear the noise after they have been right side up for a while. Not sure if it's any better or not. Do they need to be in use for this to go away?

I wouldn't worry about it too much - the Koni's are low pressure shocks and mine did the same thing before installed, and they work perfectly.

You can get rid of completely by slowly running through the stroke while upright, but honestly, it doesn't matter. Once you park the car for a while the bubbles will all work their way through the system.

If you have no leaks you are fine. Enjoy!

Ok, I'll probably try and help them along a bit before installing them.

I don't have a garage or air tools, and have never installed suspension before so I'm headed to a local Subaru community members shop today for the install.

 

I can't wait! Funds have been extremely tight with only one income and moving this summer so I've been sitting on a set of NIB Eibach springs for a few months and the Konis for about a month and a half.

Hope you update your results, over time, as I was thinking of just getting Konis to go with my Rallitek (Eibach) springs versus going to coilovers.

So far I've driven about 60 miles and the front driver side seems to be fine. The front passenger side I'm still unsure about how well it will recover.

Both rear ones are clunking something awful (driver side worse than passenger). I'm going to make an appt to go back to make sure we didn't mess something up on the install.

Clunking is almost certainly an install problem. Remember too - your car can drive on correctly installed, and completely worn out, struts with no clunking or noises.

You didn't tighten the rear top hats all the way. Happens all the time.

I was pretty sure we got the top hats tightened down all the way and after it was clunking even took everything out of the trunk again to try and tighten them some more. There isn't anything else it could be is there? If it's not raining tonight when I get off work maybe I'll try and tighten some myself.

You need an impact hammer to get them tight enough.

You need an impact hammer to get them tight enough.

 

This is correct.

 

It happens to almost everyone at some point.

Sounds like my problem is an easy enough fix then... With only one dilemma.

 

How do you fit an impact there? I paid a local subaru entheuist to do the install since he has a lift and all the tools necessary. We pulled the back seat to make the bolts more accessable, but still only fit a wrench on the top hats. Now, behind the back seat is a divider that looked like it could come out as well. Does this need to come out too?

 

This is on a sedan. I wasn't doing all the work, but I gave a hand here and there and watched pretty closely. There isn't a whole lot of room to work with.

 

Sorry for my spelling. I'm a horrible speller an my iPhone isn't helping much today...

Today my car was even worse, grabbed out my in car tool set and was able to tighten the rear tophat bolts. Wasn't able to get my ratchet on the front ones though. Clunking is better now.

 

Headed back to my installers shop tonight. I have a 6:30 appt to get the rears fixed. It's going to be a bitch to get an impact on the front bolts... Looks like the seat will have to come out again.

 

Any last minute tips?

Torque everything to spec and you shouldnt have any problems:

 

3 x 12mm top hat to chassis bolts (front) = 14.5 lbs +/- 5 lbs

17mm self locking nut for securing the top hat (front) = 43 lbs +/- 7 lbs

Camber bolt (1 of 2) = 145 lbs +29 or -7 lbs

Lower Strut bolt (2 of 2) = 145 lbs +29 or -7 lbs

Rear Shock Anchor bolt = 116 lbs +/- 14 lbs

2 x 12mm top hat to chassis bolts (rear) = 22 lbs = +/- 4 lbs

17mm self locking nut for securing the rear top hat (rear) = 43 lbs +/- 7 lbs

 

Specs courtesy of Xenonk

Thanks for the tips everyone. Just got home and everything is nice and tight! Just needed to be tightened up is all.

 

:-D

 

I'm probably going to try and stiffen them up a bit and see how I like them. Right now all 4 corners are 1 full turn from full soft.

FYI, it seems to me that they have a break-in period. I also ran them at 1 full turn from full soft initially, but after a week or two I feel they got a little softer/bouncier/under-dampened.

 

I'm now at 1.25 turns front, 1.5 turns rear. Keep in mind your final settings may vary since you have different springs.

I went stiffer and ended up with an upset spouse. Lol. Now I'm nearly full soft and ride is almost as smooth as stock while being stiffer. I've got some more tweaking to do though.