Koni Yellow Struts - How To Guide

Toms-SC

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Koni Yellow Struts - How To Guide

By: Toms-SC

Foreword:
The following is a guide on how to install your Koni Yellow Strut inserts. Note this guide is just for the inserts, not the over all suspension installation. There will be an suspension and brake overhaul guide published shortly by me so stay tuned.

Step 1:
Verify you have the proper kit. The labels should be at the bottom of the box. I got my kit through http://www.spinningwheels-sc.com/

FRONT 8641 1209SPORT
REAR 8041 1202SPORT

Step 2:
Open the smaller of the two boxes, they will be the strut inserts. Take the crappy Koni universal installation guide and throw away. Double check you have all the parts.

Your inserts should look like this: (stock to koni)
Overall.jpg


The hardware:
KoniKit.jpg


Step 3:
You need to drill a hole to release the fluid and gas contained in the strut. You can do this by drilling a hole in the housing. We drilled just along where the stock housing is welded together on the top of the strut assembly. Note how small the hole is, there is no reason for a huge hole. Where you drill it is up to you but we decided to tap a small one in the portion of the stock housing that will be cut away. Koni suggests drilling at the bottom of the strut housing but do not include a plug or anything to seal the hole.

The hole:
DrillHole2.jpg


The drilling:
DrillHole.jpg

Throw the strut into a bench vice and use a rag while your drilling as the gas and fluid will come pissing out.

Step 4:
Let it drain. You can assist in the draining by compressing the strut. It should piss out a full glass of fluid.
Drain.jpg


Step 5:
You now have to make a cut to get rid of the old 'inners' of the strut. We selected to cut right where the strut housing was welded. You can find this simply by looking at the top of the housing and where the textured portion stops. My housings even had a little 'rust ring' making the job easier. I understand this does not follow Konis install guide, see below why we cut where we did. Start the cut by using a hack saw.

The cut line:
Ignoring the flash the line is right under the textured part and under the 'rust ring'. You can see the exposed silver under the black paint where we started our cut.
DrillHole2.jpg


We used a sawzall to make the cut faster to do. I would suggest wearing rough clothing because you'll get some left over fluid and gas spraying up on you.
Cutting.jpg


Step 6:
Remove the guts of the housing and spray the inside with brake clean. De burr the inside and outside of the assembly of where the cut was made. You'll be slipping a rubber boot over this and you do not want it to rip on a sharp edge.

DeBurr.jpg


Step 7:
This really is not a step but reasoning as to why we did not follow the Koni instruction manual. They suggest cutting it a little higher but the upper portion of our strut assembly is basically 100% solid steal/aluminum. Good luck. :rolleyes:

Plug.jpg


This is the portion that was cut off. Notice the little ring? That is the guide ring where the welders plunk the cap onto the housing and weld. This ring being attached to the removed portion indicates a perfect cut.

This is what the housing looks like stripped down and naked:
EmptyShell.jpg


Step 8:
Time to drill the bottom hole. This is where the screw will fasten the housing to the Koni insert.

Start by tapping a guide with a center punch. You are going to want to make this as dead center as possible.
CentrePunch.jpg


Start stepping up the drill bit size until you have 31/64 hole. This is the perfect fit for the screw. If the hole is too big you'll have to much room for the insert to move around, even with the bolt in it.
ScrewHole.jpg


Step 9:
Insert the Koni insert into the housing. You'll note that the top of the Koni insert has little bumps, this will provide a pressure fit into the housing.

Step 10:
Insert the bolt and washers in the following order:
Housing/Toothed Washer/Crush Washer/Screw
We used some Blue Loc-Tite on the screw. The screw is to be torqued to 63 FT/Pounds.

ScrewOrder.jpg


Step 11:
Put the rubber dust boot over top of the strut housing and the koni insert. Use a zip tie or two to hold it in place. Note that technically there should be no Yellow visible from the Koni insert but due to us making a longer cut into the housing then recommended the dust boot is not long enough. We did not use the white washers which go into the rubber dust cover.

DustCap.jpg

The bolts are used later during your suspension install.

You are now done the Koni Yellow insert install.
 
Last edited:
This really is not a step but reasoning as to why we did not follow the Koni instruction manual. They suggest cutting it a little higher but the upper portion of our strut assembly is basically 100% solid steal/aluminum. Good luck. :rolleyes:


I gotta ask, why would it be so difficult. Aluminum is easy to cut. Was there something about steel being hardened or high silicate content?
 
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