Koni Shock/Strut & Epic Engineering Spring Install

Darn, thought you might have found a sponsor.

 

If we were only that lucky. We may actually attempt to enter a continental tire grand am race with it if we pull it off.

 

Mike

Good luck! Sounds like a ton of fun.

Posted this in another thread, but I knocked out the Koni/Epics on my car last night after work. Only took me about 4-5 hours including taking a break between front/back for dinner. All my bolts surrendered to my Makita cordless impact easily so I think I got lucky, everything went back together with anti-seize for the future. So far the quick impression is great, good bye lift/dive!

Ok guys, I'm buying some Konis next year to lower my legacy. Was going to use GR2's but after reading and searching I found the Konis are the best route to go. I'm going with some H-Tech Springs. Might consider the Epics but that can wait right now. My question though, for a noob at working on cars, how hard would you rate this job? I read the walkthrough and it seems complicated.

That is going to be very tough to answer for you specifically. Do you have all the tools listed in the walkthrough?

My dad is a truck driver. He Should have the tools since he does his own maintenance and also works on other peoples trucks. So yes.

Then you should ask your Dad.

 

It's not overly complicated, just take your time, and follow the very thorough instructions posted here.

Alright then will do. The thing that makes me nervous is the cutting. I'll thouroughly read the walkthrough and when the time comes at get to it.

Hi Rick, have not seen you round these parts for a bit.

Then you should ask your Dad.

Good advice.

Measure twice, cut once. If you don't want to use the hacksaw then use the pipe cutter that msprank linked to, a couple posts down from the OP.

 

*edit* Hey Mike. Been lurking mostly... trying to save my money for equipment rather than just parts.

Yea I read that. Def going to use that.

How are you guys torquing the strut top nut on the rears in a sedan? The fronts were no problem with a thru ratchet and a 9mm deep socket on a 3/8" drive ratchet, but in rears, the hole in the bottom of the trunk that provides access to the nut doesn't allow any room for ratcheting with the standard 19mm thru socket. I can get the socket on the nut, but the trunk body blocks any horizontal movement of the ratchet. My thru socket set has a socket extension (~2") which provides enough clearance to ratchet, but that creates 2 problems. First, the socket+extension on the thru ratchet is longer than my deep sockets, so I can no longer reach the inner nut. Second, even if the length wasn't a problem, the 9mm socket expands at the end to fit the 3/8" drive connector, and at the point where the socket expands, it no longer fits through the 19mm thru socket. That means adding an extension to the 9mm deep socket isn't an option.

 

What are my options here and what have you guys been doing? I'm thinking I'll have to get a 1/4" drive 9mm deep socket and a 1/4" drive socket extension. It seems like that would work as long as the extension stays slim enough to fit through the thru sockets.

I assume the car is on the ground?

 

I used a torque wrench on the inner and one of those special kobalt/craftsman socket sets with the external thru-drive to tighten the nut against the torque wrench.

 

I only had issue on the fronts, go figure.

 

Have you tried just torquing the nut without holding the center in place? I didn't hold the rear in place while torquing mine.

Edited August 20, 2012 by compsurge

Do it before install. Or, cut a small portion of the metal out and make the circle hole larger. Much easier to do prior to install.

Thanks for the install walkthrough. I just put a set on my lowered outback and were just what the doctor ordered. I now have my eurowagon look/feel. Only problem I ran into was the shaft going limp on me while trying to install the tophat LOL! Other than that was a breeze.

 

Running right now at 1 turn from soft and I think I might go another 1/4 to 1/2 turn as once the struts settle in it they will probably soften a touch.

Edited August 21, 2012 by dan04103

I was able to torque mine down with the wheels on the ground without a problem. Getting those rears off was a pita, my electric impact didn't budge em Took brute strength, pb blaster, and lots of yelling and swearing to break the bolts loose.

I could just reuse all these parts off my stock strut, right ?Or do I have to replace any of them with new ?

 

 

B) OEM dust cover (P/N 20322AG00A, qty.1/side)

C) OEM top mount (P/N 20320AG00A, qty.1/side)

E) OEM bump stop (P/N 20321AA201, qty.1/side)

F) OEM conical washer (P/N 20326AA000, qty.1/side)

G) OEM upper spring seat (P/N 20323AG00A, qty.1/side)

You can reuse them all. The only one that really wears out is "C", the top mount. It has a bearing in it that gets beat up, especially if you had been on lowering springs.

Nope I'm completely stock. Other than C. I just need to get the Koni kit and be all set ?

 

Any other tips or guides people learned from this install. I keep reading people having trouble tightening down the top strut bolts ? why ?

THMotorsports has a full set for $490 shipped with promo code taxbreak2010 ( yep still works )

 

now looking into springs . Might go with H & R

I see that promo code still works, I just placed an order.

 

Thanks

Go with the epics! gb opening soon...

 

I was looking to go a tad lower than the epics. but I dunnnnnoooooo shit bout springs/ brands.

 

Max, I tried to use taxbreak 2011 and 2012 too, didn't work

They probably caught on after he ordered and he'll find it canceled XD