Koni Yellow Sport Shocks - 2010+ Legacy Fitment

Let's keep it on topic while this gets sorted out. We don't need anything getting mucked up until we understand if this works or not.

 

For certain we can say that NEW Koni Inserts (8610-1453S) are impossible to find at this point, they're all gone guys.

^^^ Funny thing human nature. I was never considering these, but now I want some.

First, I'd like to thank GT for all his efforts in finding solutions to our 5th Gen platform. The shit we got to deal with and the mistakes company's make to screw us even further!! Halfway through installing the rears, GT PM's me to STOP lol!! I'm like ahhhhh, ummmm.... not good. He wanted to 100% make sure the new assemblies up front would work. I continued and finished installing both rears.

 

It was a nightmare removing nuts and bolts that were seized onto the control arm. Took a half hour just on the sway bar links. New England just kills cars!!

 

Took a before pic with rears blown out and pic with newly installed KONI's. Couldn't take pic outside with KONI's installed as it got dark.

About 2 fingers from fender to tire and will certainly settle a bit more over time.

 

First impression's and thoughts:

 

First thought was, wow, I'm running shitty ass BC's up front and pure sexy times KONI's in the rear. First test was hitting some bumps and first good size bump I naturally cringed right before the impact as I did with the BC's. It was so bad to the point of thinking of renting a car for a few days until fixed. After the impact, I grinned from ear to ear, felt little to nothing and car stayed level in the rear at least. I was skeptical that the car would roll more in the corners compared to the coils. Yeah I'm on snows, but no diff noticed, stayed planted and couldn't get the rear end squirrelly. Super happy so far, leagues above coilovers and will hopefully last forever.

 

So, looks like I will be purchasing the new updated full assemblies. With my wheel offset and width GT thinks they will fit with 3/8" spacers for matched height. As I am eager and ready to order I will be patient and wait for GT to test fit for better information. Will be researching best price for now. Oh, now I need to return the OEM KYB struts back to Rock Auto as they are useless as of now.

 

Let the adventures continue!!!!

Edited January 12, 2017 by wrxwhit

Excellent! Wait so, Whit Wednesday has returned?

 

Waiting to see one of these full assemblies installed. A Legacy owner, non-forum member was looking into these and was sad to hear that the inserts were no longer available. I can't wait to finish up mine.

Only a couple episodes though lol! Taking a mod break, spent entirely way too much money on her. Keeping it simple and practical now until something breaks or makes noise...

 

Will be installing front assemblies asap once TEASE confirms they are good to go.

Hold tight guys. We have been heard. I was just contacted by Koni and I will speak with them tomorrow.

 

Hello,

 

My name is XXXXXX and I am the Product Manager for KONI North America. A consumer gave me a link to a forum thread where you are discussing KONI struts and inserts for the 10-14 Legacy, a discontinued WRX insert, etc.

 

KONI had not known that the Legacy community was using these inserts so they were discontinued when we had full struts become available. In the last 48 hours, we have reopened our internal discussion on the WRX struts which may also open an opportunity to offer something for the Legacy as well. If you are willing, I'd like to speak with you about it. I'm regularly looking for viable new application opportunities and now might be a good time to put something together for the Legacy but I need the assistance of someone who is familiar with the cars and has some reach into the Legacy community. From reading that thread, you seem to be a good candidate but I don't know how else to reach you.

 

Would you please either send me an email to........

 

If you'd rather not participate, then please let me know that as well.

 

Many thanks,

On a tangential thought, if they're open to creating something new for the Legacy, definitely have them consider including the 6th gen community in that. I'm sure there's plenty of folks over there that would be interested in Konis. (If there isn't something for them already, I honestly haven't really looked)

On a tangential thought, if they're open to creating something new for the Legacy, definitely have them consider including the 6th gen community in that. I'm sure there's plenty of folks over there that would be interested in Konis. (If there isn't something for them already, I honestly haven't really looked)

Basically they need a left n right front strut from each gen n model off that.

 

I'm not sure the legacy rears in the 6th are different

 

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

Freakin amazing. Nice work fellas. Glad we have finally been heard.

There's nothing for the 6th Gen yet, but Koni rears (8010-1055S) would bolt right in like they do for us. And you know me better than that Humble. I am disappoint. I got this. Not only am I plugged into the 5th Gen Leggy community, but by default also the 6th Gen Leggy community, and the Forester and WRX communities as well. Forester guys that were lowered were just starting to put Koni inserts on their cars when they got discontinued. There are multiple markets here for a single product.

 

Let me speak with him first and find out their thinking behind discontinuing the inserts when it is one single product that has so many application potentials. And then see how easy it would be for them to adapt their full WRX strut for correct Legacy (and 11-14 WRX) fitment. Honestly, I think it's as easy as moving the perch up the requisite amount and then for the Legacy changing the attachment tab for the wheel speed sensor. Nothing else needs to change.

 

Let's keep the comments to a minimum until I speak with them. I will update as soon as possible.

Edited January 13, 2017 by GTEASER

Confirmed, the new Koni struts are modeled after the 2008-2010 WRX struts, so the spring perch is 3/8" lower than the 5th Gen Legacy perch. And just to restate, the 5th Gen Legacy spring perch is 1/4" lower than the 2011-2014 WRX perch.

 

 

 

 

That being now known, before I set wrxwhit loose on installing these in his Legacy, I would like to have a good look at the relation of my Legacy's front tire to the Legacy spring perch to determine if the offset/width of the wheels/tires he is running will clear the new 08-10 WRX Koni struts. I did not get the opportunity to do so this last weekend but will try tonight or tomorrow night. Hold tight guys!

Edited January 16, 2017 by GTEASER

Confirmed, the new Koni struts are modeled after the 2008-2010 WRX struts, so the spring perch is 3/8" lower than the 5th Gen Legacy perch.

 

Your the man Joe! so if i went to those and 13-14 springs I'd likely net a ~3/8" drop?.... just so i can say i'm lowered:lol:

Your the man Joe! so if i went to those and 13-14 springs I'd likely net a ~3/8" drop?.... just so i can say i'm lowered[emoji38]

I'm with you rip, I was worried about what I was going to do to replace my 120k struts... yeah no leaks but wore out unless they were changed at one time. Anyhow I didn't want to go with the boaty stock struts again and I can't give a 1/2" of ground clearance up I drive off road daily and that would end up catastrophic I already scrape my RA flaps and I set them as high as possible.

 

Edit- forgot to mention I planned on using spacers but didn't want to deal with changing studs or buying more expensive top hats with longer studs. So if I can get some 1/8" - 1/4" spacers should get by without using new studs. Haven't really researched the studs yet because I'm still not quite sure when I'll get to do suspension with a wedding planned for later this year it's hard to set aside finances.

Edited January 17, 2017 by foxrider28

 

Edit- forgot to mention I planned on using spacers but didn't want to deal with changing studs or buying more expensive top hats with longer studs. So if I can get some 1/8" - 1/4" spacers should get by without using new studs. Haven't really researched the studs yet because I'm still not quite sure when I'll get to do suspension with a wedding planned for later this year it's hard to set aside finances.

 

Subtle solutions has 1/4" spacers for $25 and you don't need to use longer studs with them.

According to Patrick at Anderson Design Fab, even with a 3/8" spacer as needed to level out the car, extended studs should not be needed with oem top hats. He is sending me extended bolts anyways, super nice guy and businessman!

According to Patrick at Anderson Design Fab, even with a 3/8" spacer as needed to level out the car, extended studs should not be needed with oem top hats. He is sending me extended bolts anyways, super nice guy and businessman!

 

I am little surprised you are going with the spacer route. Since you mentioned about the wheel gap as concern about going back to struts, I would have assumed that you would have machined the rear shock lip 3/8" lower.

If your rear suspension was as horrible as mine you would want to get them in as fast as I did. As I'm realizing as of late that I'm actually not disliking the slight raise in the back, switching from a coil setup to these KONIS are a blessing. I can actually go over bumps where before I would fear for my life, so smooth. I just had to get something in the car to make it driveable. I can always change things up later but I'm getting older and being more practical :)

Okay gents. In the two pictures below, the view is of the right side looking toward the back of the of the car at the strut.

 

My wheel/tire sits 4mm (3/16") closer to the strut than the stock 225/45-18 on 18x7.5+55 stock GT wheels. Currently I can't get a finger in between the strut perch's fluted base and the tire shoulder, there is perhaps 1/4" of clearance. The clearance between the bottom of the spring seat portion of the perch and the tire tread is around 3/4". Stock Legacy strut with Koni insert.

 

 

The side profile of the Koni perch looks identical to the OEM Legacy perch. But as we know, it's welded 3/8" lower on the strut tube body.

 

 

Whit's 245/40-18 tire is a slightly smaller diameter than stock, and his 18x8.5+35 wheel sits about 7mm farther away from the strut than stock, so 11mm farther away from the strut than mine. I have no reason to believe that there will be any clearance issues if he runs the new Koni struts. [emoji3]

Edited January 19, 2017 by GTEASER

How difficult(expensive?) would it be to have the perches moved up 3/8"? I guess this is more directed at Koni if they are reading this thread

How difficult(expensive?) would it be to have the perches moved up 3/8"? I guess this is more directed at Koni if they are reading this thread

 

It looks like in the picture that the Koni strut perch slides over the strut and sits on top of machined tube which welded together. This appears to be a little bit different construction than the OEM strut. It seem like maybe the top part is an strut insert and maybe that is welded. I am only going my pictures and don't have the part in my hand.

My wheel/tire sits 11mm (7/16") closer to the strut than the stock 225/45-18 on 18x7.5+55 stock GT wheels.

 

Whit's 245/40-18 tire is a slightly smaller diameter than stock, and his 18x8.5+35 wheel sits about 4mm farther away from the strut than mine

 

Maybe math and logic is wrong, but it seems like he would have more than that much clearance.

 

My math for comparing the 18" x 8.5" 35mm offset and 18" x 7.5" 55mm offset.

 

The offset 35mm vs 55mm offset mean the wheel is spaced out 20mm more than stock. His wheel is 1" wider, but since the offset is taken from the middle the inner portion of the wheel is inset 0.5" or 12.7mm which reduces the clearance.

 

+20mm - 12.7mm = 7.3 mm more clearance than stock for the rim width. If your wheel set up has 11mm less clearance than stock would it mean his 18" x 8.5" would have 18.3mm or ~3/4" clearance. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Maybe math and logic is wrong, but it seems like he would have more than that much clearance.

 

My math for comparing the 18" x 8.5" 35mm offset and 18" x 7.5" 55mm offset.

 

The offset 35mm vs 55mm offset mean the wheel is spaced out 20mm more than stock. His wheel is 1" wider, but since the offset is taken from the middle the inner portion of the wheel is inset 0.5" or 12.7mm which reduces the clearance.

 

+20mm - 12.7mm = 7.3 mm more clearance than stock for the rim width. If your wheel set up has 11mm less clearance than stock would it mean his 18" x 8.5" would have 18.3mm or ~3/4" clearance. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

You are correct. I edited my post after verifying everything again with http://www.willtheyfit.com. I was mixing up my memory of the calculations that I made last week.

Edited January 19, 2017 by GTEASER

This is just awesome news!!! It's been a dramatic couple weeks trying to sort this out but with the help of our master (TEASE) we have lift off. Cannot wait to get these in the car. Will post pics of spacing with my winter setup along with 3/8" spacer either requiring longer studs or not. Also placement of ABS wire also. Stay tuned for another episode of Whit's Wed!!

When you get these all installed, with tires, some pics or measurements would be helpful in determining what tire sizes and wheel offsets will work with these struts.

 

On the ABS wire, I have a solution for this which I will roughly draw up and send to you before your install so that you can debug my design and we can make it available for everyone who uses these struts.