How-To: Install Koni's and H&R's. [Pictorial]

[S2central.net]

I can dig out the part numbers on those tools if interested, but you can fabricate them yourself if required... I can post later on more details of that also.

I've never heard of bleeding dampers before though - thats a bit curious but hey... Nice write up here and pictures kalle - good stuff !

I'm thinking Konis for me this year - probably on stock springs though - backroad tarmac is bumpy here in Ireland and its easy to ground the car... Would need suitable rally spec sump guard if I lowered it...

[Bram]

Nice write up, just in time before I mount my Koni with H&R springs!

The bleeding is always needed with oil damped suspension. I learned it from my days racing mountainbikes with front and rear susspension.

[S2central.net]

Mmmmmm - there was me thinking all modern these dampers (factory, KOni and whomever) were gas filled... Confused.com......

[k.alle]

Nah, Koni's for the S2 Coupe is the oil version for sure Paul

And regarding the shock nut tool, it can be fabricated very easily.
My mate did one, basically a tube with a big nut to fit in the hex cutout in the shock/strut nut.
And on the other end of the tube just add a another nut or similar to grip with a spanner or what ever

[Skull]

what about the tool for the bilsteins (b6)?

[k.alle]

Should be the same tool?

The strut/shock tool is specific to the strut, not the make of the shock absorber...

[Max M4X WW]

How do you fit rear struts to an Avant FWD?

Thanks

[gripper]

NIce right up,
I use neat antifreeze, not oil in the strut. Helps with cooling/corrosion.

+1

Great write up, wish this had been around 2 months ago when I did mine

[gripper]

Doh ! That would have made it over 2 years ago

[John B]

10. Adjust the rebound on the Koni shock with a 6mm allen key, to your preferred setting. I used 1.25 up front and 1.5 on the back.
[IMG]http://www.s2forum.com/forum/attachment.php?

Just checking.......is that +1.25/+1.5 for the front/rear i.e. clockwise from full-soft?

There are 2.5 turns from full-soft to full-hard, so your settings as I read them are 50% for the front and 60% in terms of hardness.

Am I reading this right?

I just ask because in other posts the turns are referred to in negative terms i.e. described from full-hard. See http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthr...t=45205&page=2

I'm running 1/2 turn from fully stiff on the rear and 1 turn from fully stiff on the front. nice and firm but not too harsh, i like a decent ride too and very happy with the setup

[montyrs2]

I'm contemplating stripping the shocks to powder coat the struts. Mine already has koni's and h&r's. Are the konis self contained units that drop into the strut bodies?

Surely if you have to add oil there should be a specific amount to allow the damper to work properly?

[quattrostyle]

I'm contemplating stripping the shocks to powder coat the struts. Mine already has koni's and h&r's. Are the konis self contained units that drop into the strut bodies?

Yup they are.

Surely if you have to add oil there should be a specific amount to allow the damper to work properly?

It's there to fill the area between the shock body and inside of the strut.

I never know one needed to bleed shocks though and it's still not clear to me what the white plastic washer does on top of the strut nut...

[montyrs2]

Excellent, as always thanks for the help.

Does anyone have the took to remove the cap available to borrow? Sending the subframes etc away for powder coating later this week and would like to send the strut bodies away too.

Cheers

[montyrs2]

So another question for the forum.

I've stripped a shock, apart from the top mount coming apart when I took the strut out all looks ok. Except the lack of bump stop and cover on the drivers side.

But here is the main question. My shock goes down ok but won't come back up on its own, is that normal for the koni's? Pretty sure previous gas shocks i've worked with come back up.

Going to go get a bolt and some tube to make a tool to get cap off then i'll be getting them powder coated too.

Thanks in advance.

[John B]

The Koni 86-2086SPD2 front and 86-2433Sport rear for the coupe (3B or ABY) are oil-damped twin-tube shocks AFAIK. When you compress them to adjust them they will not return to fully extended as a gas damper will. I have a cap removal tool. PM me if you wish to borrow it.