Koni Shock/Strut & Epic Engineering Spring Install

Was going to say, why would you torque them AFTER they were in the car? In the literally 1000s of shocks/strut installs we've done since 2000, we've never once did them in the car.

 

-Paisan

Personally I had trouble torquing them properly out of the car because I didn't have a vice to hold the strut and couldn't hold the center shaft in place while using my torque wrench. I got them as tight as I could off the car with my pass through wrench, repeated again when they were on the car, then tried the torque wrench (though IIRC it just wanted to spin w/o being able to hold the center in place)

 

For getting off the rear bolt, the key for me was getting the car higher. On my first attempt I couldn't budge it even after tons of PB Blaster because I wasn't able to get much leverage. I came back with a few blocks of wood on the jack to get the car a few inches higher, and that made the difference. There still wasn't much room to get a good angle on a breaker bar or get leverage on a long cheater pipe, but I was able to do it with a 1/2" drive ratchet, an impact socket, and a short cheater pipe. A friend held a breaker bar to the ground on the outside of the bolt while I went at the inside under the car. I was very close to busting out the blow torch, but it ended up being unnecessary.

Love this walkthrough. This setup is next on my list.

Happy to help! You will enjoy them even more once they are on the car.

Perfect walk through, followed it to a 'T' and now I have these:

 

http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad187/BarManBean/DSC_0046-4.jpg

 

Might be a while before install, but for now these are sitting pretty on the shelf.

 

I'm jealous. Still waiting for the springs from the GB.

 

 

The Koni's are still in the shed, the new hats have been riding around in the car with me every day. And the new bolt and nut.

Glad I didn't go with the the group buy. I'm loving my setup.

So is a bump steer kit required for this setup? I am going to go this route but I want to know if I should hold off and order the whiteline kit before I install the lowering springs. I wanted to do the install over the holiday break from work.

Not required. Drop from Epics is minimal. But it makes for a nice upgrade.

So is a bump steer kit required for this setup? I am going to go this route but I want to know if I should hold off and order the whiteline kit before I install the lowering springs. I wanted to do the install over the holiday break from work.

 

As mike said, not necessary but if I were diving in I would do the roll center kit and steering rack bushings. Let us know if we can help you out we are a Whiteline performance center.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/145749898/original.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://www.whiteline.com.au/images/logos/perf1.jpg

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I cant be a "Performance Center" yet. I dont have an alignment machine. Figures that is the qualification that stops me. Lol. Instead, I put all Whiteline on sale for 10% off this month. Lol at myself. Maybe I can sell a boat load and afford a new rack with alignment capabilities.

 

Prolly a better chance of winning a power ball lottery.

 

If in the Tri-State, deff check out AZP. I did.

Thanks for the quick reply. I am going to run kyb's with the epic springs for now. I figure this way I can save up for the konis and everything else that is needed. The rear shocks are gone, I have bottomed out twice with no one else in the car.

By the way on the rear swing arms/control arms, do any of the bushings get worn out like the LCA bushings? Any bushings I should pay attention to?

I cant be a "Performance Center" yet. I dont have an alignment machine. Figures that is the qualification that stops me. Lol. Instead, I put all Whiteline on sale for 10% off this month. Lol at myself. Maybe I can sell a boat load and afford a new rack with alignment capabilities.

 

Prolly a better chance of winning a power ball lottery.

 

If in the Tri-State, deff check out AZP. I did.

 

We also sell not only local but can drop ship like everyone else out there.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/145749898/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.

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Rear control arm bushings tend to last far longer than the fronts. Different pivot angle.

Rear control arm bushings tend to last far longer than the fronts. Different pivot angle.

 

Agreed, we've usually only seen them go on cars that are heavily tracked and or if the bolt seizes inside the bushing.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/145749898/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.

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Thanks for a great write up, I was able to install my Koni/Epics with out any hang ups.

Great writeup, thanks a ton. I have one question - is the 40mm measured from the top of the goldish cap with holes in it (Dimension A below), or from the strut body as seen through the holes in the cap (Dimension B)? The difference seems to be about 5mm.

 

I realize I could assume A, test fit, and cut again if I discover that I've guessed wrong, but I'd rather cut once instead of twice =)

Looking back at the pictures, it's hard to tell where I was measuring from. I would recommend measuring from datum "A" (top of the gold cap). Like you said, you can always remove more metal. A couple of extra mm won't hurt anyways, as long as the shock insert bottoms out in the strut.

Are you using a pipe cutter? If so, just butt it up against the silver/bronze/gold colored part and cut from there.

 

All the cut is for is to allow the top of the new strut insert to clear, while getting the three bumps on the new insert within the old tube (torquing the bottom bolt pulls them in).

 

It just needs to look like this when done (plus the rubber boot that seals the space between the wall and the insert)

 

http://www.v6z24.com/mods/howto/images/koni/koni7.jpg

I used the pipe wrench method, and ended up being 35mm from B.

Are you using a pipe cutter? If so, just butt it up against the silver/bronze/gold colored part and cut from there.

 

All the cut is for is to allow the top of the new strut insert to clear, while getting the three bumps on the new insert within the old tube (torquing the bottom bolt pulls them in).

 

It just needs to look like this when done (plus the rubber boot that seals the space between the wall and the insert)

Ah, thanks. Duh, should have figured that out myself from the Fred Beans photos. Without paying attention to that detail when I read through the complete walk thru, I failed to look at the assembled photo to see how it comes out. Looking at the Koni, I figured that cinching it down would result in the flange portion butting up to strut body where I was cutting. Now I see that 5mm is irrelevant. Thanks!

Thought I'd post up for ideas before I take a look at the car this weekend.

 

Konis/oem struts/Spec-B top hats = clanking in the front end driving me nuts.

 

I take it I'm missing a washer? Conical is in there but I read somewhere above (and M Sprank) that I'll need another.

 

Where exactly?

Basically you need to build up the conical washer to be "thicker" what I did was go to Lowe's and picked up some stainless steel washers that matched the flat side of the conical washer.

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/104843625.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/104843625.jpg

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/145749898/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

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what is the cheapest place to get these inserts? The prices I was getting quoted you could buy coilovers for not much, if any more money. Depending on what coilovers you are comparing the price to obviously

Wait until their annual spring sale

what is the cheapest place to get these inserts? The prices I was getting quoted you could buy coilovers for not much, if any more money. Depending on what coilovers you are comparing the price to obviously

 

Fast, Cheap or Good, pick 2.

 

While you can get coilovers for $500, they are not terribly good.

 

Pricing on the inserts run in the $600-700 range depending on which reseller you purchase them from.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/145749898/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!"