Koni FSD shock, strut, damper install

[kwsmithphoto]

Easy. The marketing says they work ok with regular 3 Eibach springs, which are about 10% sitiffer than OEM regular 3 springs, but considerably softer than OEM MS3 springs. To date, Koni has not put their seal of approval with the newer, MS3-specific springs and the FSD's, so I personally would avoid it. They might work OK but with the reduced ride height and firmer rates, I'm not interested - unless they design an FSD for this car that is designed for this setup, but they haven't. And I don't think they will.

Now consider that the OEM MS3 springs are about 30% stiffer but not quite as low as the MZ3 Eibach spring are. I know they're less than an inch, which is less that than the MZ3 ProKit's are. And they're much stiffer. So far, so good.

The main problem with FSD's on an MS3 with MS3-specific ProKit springs is that the chassis is even lower than the MZ3 ProKit's are. Not sure how much. And in true Eibach fashion they aren't very much firmer. But the MS3 bump stops and the MZ3 bump stops are exactly the same which is a very real problem.

Which puts the MS3 chassis into a situation where the car is riding very close to the OEM bumps stops on the MS3 ProKit's. So you have an even lower ride height, slightly stiffer springs, but dampers tuned for the regular 3. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me, even if Koni eventually "approves" the combination.

IMO, suspension travel is your friend, and the C1 platform is designed with that in mind. I personally wouldn't go any lower than the OEM MS3...at least not without quality coil overs up front that allow for more drop but preserve all of the travel. Remember, the rear end is not a strut design, your only option from anybody is a shorter spring and damper.

The rears are different because they aren't struts. But the mass bias and FWD layout makes the front setup more critical. If I were going to go any "sportier" I would seriously consider the Mazdaspeed coil over's, at least for the front, or the AWR/custom Bilstein combo all around.

But for now, I'm not. I'm happy with the FSD and OEM spring setup right now. I've said this before but there are some more aggressively tuned setups for the car that can probably produce better ultimate handling, at least on smooth surfaces. One you can buy from a Mazdaspeed dealer, and another you can buy from AWR. Their are other options too that have been discussed at length.

What I absolutely wouldn't do is pair MS3-specific Eibach ProKit springs with MZ3-specific FSD's.

[thanotosq]

Yeah, i guess that i have just gotten used to the lowered rid height of the BC's that i am running right now. I am buying the FSD's this week....and i guessing that i will just use the OEM springs after all. But, i was a little excited when i saw that on the Koni website, truth be told.

Thanks for the response kwsmithphoto!

[kwsmithphoto]

Well you could try the MZ3 Eibach's if you want it a bit lower, but the MS3 is a bit heavier, so you're gonna wind up with an even softer effective spring rate overall. Lots of people have run them on the stock dampers and like them OK (I wouldn't), but it should give you a smooth but well controlled ride on FSD's, while still being lower for looks, if that's your thing.

I've had other cars that were setup much lower and stiffer. Fun to drive yes, comfortable and practical, not so much. Like FreeFly, I've grown to appreciate a reasonable compromise and I'm pretty much there, for only $23K. If I could afford a more sophisticated car like an S5 or AMG I wouldn't be having this conversation. I'd also have a Range Rover to haul my gear, and a bigger house to park them in, but I'm just not good enough to afford all that.

So my wee little MS3 just has to do everything well for what it cost me. It also has to stay within the warranty to protect my cash flow. My solutions are limited so here I am!

BTW, I went on a long ride yesterday with my wife in her SC430. We're having a bit of a heat wave right now so the roof was stowed. What a comfortable, plush, and refined car that is, but it would bore me to tears to drive it all the time. It's nice to have around when the conditions are right though! And my wife secretly likes my MS3 because, even though it scares her sometimes and jostles her too much, it's faster, louder, and can rip through corners at speeds that challenge her preconceptions about the laws of physics.

Horses for courses, as they say. BTW, is that an Audi in the background? Does it run?

[thanotosq]

Yeah, i think that i am going to just use the OEM springs and the FSD's. After all the horrible dampers are why i replace the suspension after 5K miles in the first place. Its not really about the look to me as much as it is the feel of the car with the lower center of gravity....and i'm sure that i will catch some flack for that from someone, but that is my opinion...

....and yes that is an S4...but it isnt mine unfortunetly. It just so happens that it was parked like that the day that i took the pics of the wheels on my car. It belongs to a neighbor who had 2! Bastard..... but i dont envy him trying to mod those. Audi/VW are a pain, imo, to mod...

[kwsmithphoto]

Audi/VW are a pain, imo, to mod...

They're a pain to OWN! My wife had a 98 A4 when I met her a couple years ago with only 65K on the clock. Once the warranty ran out she rang up more than $10,000 in dealer repairs! The last straw, after replacing the cracked front control arms, was when the heater stopped working and the engine wasn't warming up. I suspected a stuck thermostat and took it to the shop. They confirmed my diagnosis.

Sounds simple enough, it's only a what, a $25 part? Yes, but wait, there's more! It cost $450 in labor to install, I shit you not. Audi mounts it directly to the front of the block. To reach it you have to remove the front bumper, radiator support and radiator, timing belt cover, and a multitude of other parts. Then while it was in the shop, the shop owner called. The timing belt tensioner had a bad bearing and was shredding the timing belt. Also, the water pump was leaking. Awesome, there goes another $350. Now she drives a Lexus. The friend she -gave- the Audi to just spent another $1000 fixing some more stuff.

Another friend of mine has a 2006 S4. 6 months after the warranty expired it started overheating. The dealer wanted $250 just to diagnose the problem so I sent him to "my" guy. Who handed him a brand new radiator cap and said "try this over the weekend - if it works, just drop by on Monday and pay me for it." It worked. He just bought a new Boxter S and the Audi is for sale.

The worst was my friend with 99 A4 Quattro. He got rid of it after 2 years. The warranty was still good, he just got sick of tow trucks, missing work, and rental cars. Now he drives a Camry that's never given him a stitch of trouble.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the OEM spring and FSD combo as much as I do. It really is a sweet setup for a daily driver.

[thanotosq]

Yeah, i have had a few friends with R32's, A4's, and countless other ones.... needless to say, i would never buy an audi/vw....unless it was given to me! You should put in a good word for me with your friend....

[MadOzodi]

I'm anxiously waiting for my FSD's to be delivered. Riding in thanotosq's BC equipped car on the softest setting convinced me I'm going the route that's right for me.

[FreeFlyFreak]

Originally Posted by MadOzodi I'm anxiously waiting for my FSD's to be delivered. Riding in thanotosq's BC equipped car on the softest setting convinced me I'm going the route that's right for me.

Just so others can know, can you expand on that.....
You mean the BC's on softest setting were......

[MadOzodi]

Originally Posted by FreeFlyFreak Just so others can know, can you expand on that..... You mean the BC's on softest setting were......

Sure thing...I only know what thanotosq told me. While I was in the passenger seat, he was trying to drive over bumps and such. He told me that he usually ran the BC's at 15 in the front and 13 in the back, or vice versa. What I was experiencing during the ride was the fronts and rears set at zero and the highest ride height. I will say the ride was still better than my Mustang on H&R Supersports and shitty tokico premiums, but the noises were familiar. I remember telling him his car was a lot more "raw" than mine, obviously.

If I tracked my car, I'd want a set of BC's for sure. But a long trip home on the highway today had me thinking a lot about how different the ride would be with the FSDs.

[thanotosq]

Originally Posted by MadOzodi Sure thing...I only know what thanotosq told me. While I was in the passenger seat, he was trying to drive over bumps and such. He told me that he usually ran the BC's at 15 in the front and 13 in the back, or vice versa. What I was experiencing during the ride was the fronts and rears set at zero and the highest ride height. I will say the ride was still better than my Mustang on H&R Supersports and shitty tokico premiums, but the noises were familiar. I remember telling him his car was a lot more "raw" than mine, obviously. If I tracked my car, I'd want a set of BC's for sure. But a long trip home on the highway today had me thinking a lot about how different the ride would be with the FSDs.

Dude, i didnt even take you through some roads that i have to drive every day to go to the gym... it sounds like my car is going to fall to pieces... I was actually thinking on Sunday that i should have taken you down that way so that you fully understood why i'm making the switch.

Agreed about the tracking; however, I might have considered the MS coilovers a little more if that were the case in the beginning. If i tracked the car at all, i would want the BC's. When on South FL roads i had them turned half way up and loved every minute of scaring the shit out of my girlfriend (and anyone else in the car). When we, MadOzodi, switch to FSD's i'll post side by side picks of the look of the car and a comparative explanation of my experience so that everyone gets a better picture.

[kwsmithphoto]

Originally Posted by thanotosq Yeah, i have had a few friends with R32's, A4's, and countless other ones.... needless to say, i would never buy an audi/vw....unless it was given to me! You should put in a good word for me with your friend....

LOL. My wife's friend wanted to buy the car because it was well maintained and had low miles. I told her the Axiom of Automotive Truth: NEVER sell a car to your best friend! Ever!

It actually needed a bit more work when when my wife gave it to her, just a few minor things, which her friend gladly paid for. Then bitched about it anyway because I'd been in caring for it for about a year at that point, so of course anything that was wrong was entirely my fault.

There's a reason she's my wife's friend and not mine. That is just one of them. She took the reigns, ignored everything I said, and had some work done where she lives. Then on a drive down south in I5 several months later, it broke down. This, of course, was my fault too.

Free car in good condition, in her possession for months, but she was pissed at me anyway. OK, I said, be pissed, I really don't give a shit, it's your problem now. You got a free car, deal with it. This did not go over well. I also said some other things I don't regret at all. The "C" word even got mentioned, but it was well earned.

Anyway, the point is that I would never even GIVE a used Audi to anybody, especially a female, and especially my wife's best friend. That's how bad those cars are. German engineering, ha ha. When the entire front of the car was removed to replace the thermostat, the tech said "Ya, these cars are kind of over-engineered." I nearly pissed my pants while laughing at the irony of that statement! This was also unappreciated, for some reason.

BTW, the shop used to work on VW's too. The owner told me that he had to drop VW repairs because they had too much work just dealing with broken Audi's. You can actually see where the "VW" sign he used to have was removed. Last time I was there the owner was dealing with a first year A8. Beautiful, expensive car that needed a new transmission at 70,000 miles. $17.000 job. Value of car with a busted tranny? About $17,000. The shop owner bought the car and keeps it in the back as a parts donor for other A8 owners who made the same mistake (they bought one). I drove by there the other day and that A8 was pretty well parted out already. Jack stands and a tarp over it, just like a 75 Camaro in a trailer park.

BTW, a friend of mine just leased an S5 for 3 years. I asked him why he didn't buy it. Response? "I love the car but it ain't gonna last much more than that!" It needed some warrantly work to finish building it, but I gotta admit that it's a bad ass, beautiful car.

[CoastSpeed]

To bring this thread back up (and make my first post on this forum)...I have a set of Koni FSDs arriving this week for my 08 MS3. I plan on doing the install myself this weekend. I have two questions:

1. Have you had your car re-aligned immediately after this install? My thought is that if I could get the front top mount bolts back to their original location I could get away with not paying for another re-alignment. However, I don't want to save $100 by skimping on an alignment and then destroying two $200 front tires...

2. Could anyone provide some more details on the washers needed for the rear install? 1/2" inside diameter? Stainless steel? Anything else? I will be without transportation once I start the install so I want to get everything ahead of time!

Thanks all!
-Matt

[FreeFlyFreak]

Originally Posted by CoastSpeed To bring this thread back up (and make my first post on this forum)...I have a set of Koni FSDs arriving this week for my 08 MS3. I plan on doing the install myself this weekend. I have two questions: 1. Have you had your car re-aligned immediately after this install? My thought is that if I could get the front top mount bolts back to their original location I could get away with not paying for another re-alignment. However, I don't want to save $100 by skimping on an alignment and then destroying two $200 front tires... 2. Could anyone provide some more details on the washers needed for the rear install? 1/2" inside diameter? Stainless steel? Anything else? I will be without transportation once I start the install so I want to get everything ahead of time! Thanks all! -Matt

I just marked the bolts and reinstalled in the same position. I did not get an alignment and have noticed no unusual tire wear, (other than some chunking that happened at the track).

I tried a stainless steel washer, the one I bought wouldnt fit so I just clamped down the mount to fit the strut.
Someone else did get one to fit.... or made it fit, I probably could have made mine fit but decided against forcing it.

[Ploppity Drown]

Originally Posted by CoastSpeed 1. Have you had your car re-aligned immediately after this install?

I didn't get an alignment either, I just marked the original top mount bolt locations and tried to match 'em up on the reassembly. Haven't noticed any strange tire wear, either.

Originally Posted by CoastSpeed 2. Could anyone provide some more details on the washers needed for the rear install? 1/2" inside diameter? Stainless steel? Anything else?

I picked mine up from Lowe's. They were stainless, yes. I think they were labeled fender washers. I don't recall the exact dimensions. I'll measure them up tonight. I had a few leftover, only needed one per shock.

[kwsmithphoto]

Ya, same with me, just marked the mounting bolts and no problems. In a perfect world one should at least have it checked, but I doubt anything moves out of spec if you do the job right.

There's a recent, related thread here:

http://www.mazdaspeedforum.org/forum/foru...pressions.html

thanotosq installed the rears with a 1/2" fender washer. I'm assuming that's the inside diameter but you can PM to ask him your self.

Enjoy the ride!

[CoastSpeed]

Thanks for the replies! I will skip the alignment for now, and will look into fender washers this week. I'll post up on my install after the holiday weekend!

[MadOzodi]

Originally Posted by kwsmithphoto ..thanotosq installed the rears with a 1/2" fender washer. I'm assuming that's the inside diameter but you can PM to ask him your self. Enjoy the ride!

bah, that we me, LOL. he didn't even know why the hell I had them in the first place. his should ship tomorrow and I just ordered some new bumpstops today. Everything seems to have settled nicely.

Oh, if you have ramps, I'd suggest torquing everything under load, which is kinda hard to do with jackstands if you only have one jack.

[Ploppity Drown]

Originally Posted by CoastSpeed Thanks for the replies! I will skip the alignment for now, and will look into fender washers this week. I'll post up on my install after the holiday weekend!

The washers I used had these measurements:

1/2" ID
1 1/8" OD
< 1/16" thick (3/64" maybe?)

I found them in the nuts and bolts (aka hardware) section of Lowe's. You should be able to find them at any hardware store, though.

[kwsmithphoto]

Sorry MadOzdi, I thought your friend did the job for you.

Hey Ploppity, what do you think of them now that you've had them for a while?

[boosted3]

this is what i orderd goignon next week,there adjustable also..Koni Sport Shock

[kwsmithphoto]

Those aren't FSD's, they're Koni yellow's. Very different animals.

[boosted3]

whats the diff in both sets.is one for comfort and the other for stiffness

[Denztoi]

at what mileage is your ms3 that the shocks are wasted?

[kwsmithphoto]

Completely different valving technology and lack of user adjustment are the main differences.

I've explained the FSD tech a few times on this board already, maybe even in this thread (too lazy to check), but they are definitely high performance dampers that also happen to offer reasonably good ride comfort on these cars with OEM springs.

I can't say how they compare to Koni Sports (aka Koni yellows) but the basic idea is that they offer a performance improvement without toasting DD ride quality. IOW, they're "tuned" to do both. Basically, it's a variable circuit design that responds in a variable way to input damper shaft velocity, or frequency, as Koni puts it. It's sort of like a working man's version of the more sophisticated, electronically variable dampers found in some other cars. That said, the premise, if not the exact application, is good enough for the Lambroghini Gallardo and McClaren F1 cars, so it's not a "touring" design by any means.

That said, they seem to do different things to different cars. Some people think they're too soft, and there have been reports of early wear. But all I really know is that they work well for me on my car for 99% of the situations I find myself in. They're particularly well suited for driving on poor surfaces; that's not to say they're soft for a Mazda, they aren't, but they can be when you need them to be. They adjust themselves on the fly depending on what the mechanical valving perceives to be the right amount of damping for the inputs it receives from both the road, and the driver.

Essentially, what Koni tried to do is offer an aftermarket solution for those of us who want a responsive car with good body control without smashing over everything on the road. With the Koni Sports, you have to adjust the damping to suit your taste. But you'll only get one mode: whatever you set them to. Reasonably comfortable, somewhere in between, or way over damped for the stock springs.

I had the original Neon ACR from the 90's that came with preset Koni Sports set to full stun. Same basic design as the current Koni Sports, without adjustments. Dodge, back when they were on a roll, decided to keep the standard Neon Sport spring rates and have Koni supply them with a damper setup that set the best lap times. And it worked. The cars could really hustle on a twisty road with a tire swap (all-seasons came with every car back then), but the ride quality was absolutely miserable for street driving, even with plenty of travel and pretty soft springs.

The main problem I had with them was on choppy roads so common here where they didn't respond quickly enough to maintain good traction.

So...what Koni tried to do with the FSD is to provide comparable handling without the other problems. Results have been variable, like I said, but IMO they just work well in my part of the world on my particular car and driving style.

FSD's aren't for everyone though. Search this forum, the stock springs with Koni Sports have been run by lots of people, with mostly good reports. They aren't bad, they're just a bit difficult to get right. Copy other setups then go from there to get what you want.

Just don't forget one simple thing: springs control the chassis, dampers control the springs. It's a bit more complicated than that, but starting with that basic premise is the best way to go on any car with adjustable dampers.

[CoastSpeed]

Update: I just got off the phone with Ken at Protege Garage. Koni is having some kind of production issues with the FSDs and they will not be shipping any until August 15. So it seems my suspension project will be put on hold until at least the end of the summer!

[kwsmithphoto]

That's because Ken doesn't stock them. Go to shox.com to get the part number, then call their 800 number to check stock and get a better price.

[boosted3]

I cant wait to get mine on im heading to the dragon deals gap in 2 weeks.Im on cobb springs

[Shu_Hayate09]

nice

[rochy81]

Great post!! Hopefully I'll be doing this soon too. My stock struts are terrible. I already have to replace my 2nd strut and the dealership is charging 350 for part and labor. Rather buy a good set of struts and not have to worry about the rest of my struts blowing out.

Hey though, can you list the tools, sizes and etc that you used to do this install? Also you said i can take the strut and have an autostore swap the springs? How do i keep the spring from popping off the strut until i get it to the autostore? sorry, not super familiar with suspension installs.

Thanks!!

[FreeFlyFreak]

Originally Posted by rochy81 Great post!! Hopefully I'll be doing this soon too. My stock struts are terrible. I already have to replace my 2nd strut and the dealership is charging 350 for part and labor. Rather buy a good set of struts and not have to worry about the rest of my struts blowing out. Hey though, can you list the tools, sizes and etc that you used to do this install? Also you said i can take the strut and have an autostore swap the springs? How do i keep the spring from popping off the strut until i get it to the autostore? sorry, not super familiar with suspension installs. Thanks!!

The strut and springs in the front come off as one piece with a "jesus nut" holding it all together. That is why to release the strut you undo the three smaller nuts but leave the larger center nut installed.

I neglected to list all the tools, but I have a very small 3 draw tool kit with literally had just a set of metric wrenches, a set of metric sockets, an adjustable wrench, some allen keys that fit on a small ratchet and I have a torque wrench.
I went ahead and listed all the tools I could remember in the write up, but I may have skipped a few.
The only unusual tool I didnt have that I needed was the deep offset. And that was only needed for putting the "jesus nut" back on after swapping the springs.
If you can find a local parts store that will do that part for you you wouldnt need it.

[rochy81]

Icic. How many hours did this take you to?
how would you rate the difficulty on this?

I'm an engineer and i've done some car work before but never suspension.

[FreeFlyFreak]

It took me all day.
But that is because I ran into a few problems, broke a tool, needed a tool I didnt have, needed a C clamp, and so had to run to the store on my bike 3 times, plus fought with the right strut to get the new one back in because the paint was so thick it wouldnt fit in the knuckle.
In reality it shouldnt have taken so long.
Minus running to the store to buy stuff, and minus the time spent fighting and then scraping off paint to get the right strut into the knuckle. I would say it should have taken me about 5hrs tops for a first time.
I am guessing if I was to do it again, it would take me 3-3 1/2 hrs.
That is the reason for the write up, it should not have taken me all day, I was hoping to save some others the problems I had. Forewarned is fore armed.

[zfreebird]

My rear shocks went out with about 40K on them and replaced them with Koni Yellow Sports and have them set right in the middle between stiff and soft. They feel great except for having to use a washer to fill up space in the holder on the back left. Was creating a thumping noise. Still weird the car was made that way.

[Ploppity Drown]

Originally Posted by kwsmithphoto Hey Ploppity, what do you think of them now that you've had them for a while?

I have kind of a love/hate relationship with the FSD's.

From the beginning they made the car feel underdamped to me, and never gave me the rebound damping I was hoping for. Basically the chassis is very active, too much so for my taste. I feel like I'm bouncing all over the place. Especially at low speeds--putting along an unevenly paved road, say--the bumps are translated from the driver's side to the passenger's side and back again, rather than being damped out in that initial rebound phase. And over time, they've only gotten worse--no surprise, if a shock feels underdamped to begin with, it'll only get worse as it wears.

However, in terms of handling, I'd have to say the car grips the road a hell of a lot better. Almost immediately after my first test drive, I noticed the chassis was more predictable. I became more comfortable carrying higher speeds on freeway on-ramps and on the freeway (sadly the only places I've been able to do performance testing). I kind of drive like an asshole now with all the grip I know I have in reserve. Even on some slower speed turns with uneven pavement the car has more grip than I'd expect given how "lively" the chassis is in a straight line. I would say absolutely the tires are now the limiting factor in terms of grip. (I think FFF said something similar after his early testing.)

There are still a few places where I wish for more rebound damping. If there's a big rise/drop in the middle of a turn I get a little nervous because I'll get launched and lose contact with the road surface momentarily.

I've never done a test drive on a Speed3 with the Koni Yellows, but I've always wondered what they're like. The grass is always greener, you know? It's hard to tell if the "FSD Technology" really amounts to anything in this application. And additional, adjustable rebound damping would be a plus. That and I wonder if the Yellows provide more damping (and thus a more controlled ride) at slower speeds.

So yeah, I wouldn't necessarily recommend them over the Yellows. At least not until I've had a chance to compare them directly. But as an upgrade from stock, they definitely deliver on the promise of better handling. Better ride? Not for me, but that's subjective.

[kwsmithphoto]

Sounds about right, IMO. They are a bit under-damped in both rebound and compression because they were tuned by Koni USA for the regular Mazda3.

Still, they're better than what came on the car, i think we can all agree on that!

I also think that the rear suspension just wants to leap and bound for no particular reason. I've noticed that on rented MZ3's, and a Volvo C30 I test drove before choosing the MS3.

Taming that is the hard part. I personally think they work very well up front, but aren't aggressive enough for the rear end shenanigans (wow, I spelled that right). I wish it had a bit more low speed rebound, and perhaps a bit more compression damping. But the FSD's helped quite a bit.

But I do think the "FSD technology" is very helpful, especially on choppy roads. The chassis might move around a bit more than you like, but the tires still stay planted on rough surfaces. You noted they were faster in street type conditions, which is all you can really ask for with a road-orientated damper, which these are.

Anyway, they aren't a perfect solution for an MS3, both FreeFly and me noted that at some point. But they're way better than what the car came with for sure!

Personally, I'm waiting for Fat City Motorsports to finish testing their custom Bilstein re-valve that matches the OEM springs. A member here is testing for them and says the rears aren't quite right yet, last time I heard. Which lends credence to my theory that the rear suspension is really difficult to tune. That said, whatever they come up with is worth looking at.

Koni Yellows, btw, well, a lot of people don't like them with OEM or other springs on the back either, adjustable rebound notwithstanding. I'm actually looking for the Mazdaspeed adjustable damper that comes with their coilover kit - it's the only fully adjustable damper for this car on the market. It's tuned for higher spring rates, but everybody says the dampers have a very wide range of adustment. Sadly, the dampers themselves - the rear end is not a coilover design - aren't sold separately.

But they source them from KW, so once I have the duckets, I'll ask them about selling me just the rear dampers (Mazda said no). And I'm also waiting to see what FCM comes up with, assuming they continue development and don't give up since they're pretty busy with their Miata business.

Meanwhile, I've gotten a tremendous improvement from adding a Tri-Point rear sway bar. It settles the car in corners and provides a lot more corner exit grip than you can get from the stock setup. Your world is freeway onramps, and there's a good one near my house where I'm pulling the car through a 180 degree entrance and can easily hit the merge lane at 100 mph. Not the sort of thing that the CHP likes, but between the RSB, The FSD's, and Star Spec tires, it can be done and has been. Meanwhile, it's still quite comfortable on surface streets and a pleasure to drive anywhere.

[ALIEN3T]

KWSMITHPHOTO.

SO THE CAR HOLDING UP GOOD. I was lazy and just went the SPring route, (free). lol

[FreeFlyFreak]

Just as an update I was checking my bump stops today to see how they were holding up.
Short answer, they werent. My bumpstops are now 1/3 shorter.
You can read about it here:
Koni FSDs installed on stock springs + impressions

[surfwagon]

Thanks for the how-to write-up. I just finished a little while ago. I swear that I could do the entire install in about two hours now. Even with the how-to there's a bit of a learning curve. I had one hell of a time getting the front passenger shock seated in the boot. The screw + washer trick only got it in half way. I sat for an hour and a half trying to get that the shock seated all the way. Finally I put the wheel back on and lowered the car back to the ground and WHAM, the shock fully seated itself. After that the front driver's side went very fast and I did the rears together in about 30 minutes. Air tools help sooooo much for this install. With an impact wrench you don't need to mess with allen wrenches or pliers to keep things from spinnings. Thanks again for the how-to. BTW, my car sits just a bit higher than before. Probably about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. I was able to take the car for a spin on my normal canyon loop and the difference was very clear.....

[kwsmithphoto]

The car should settle down over the next few days. Mine took about a week to get level again. Lot more settled on bumpy roads now, isn't it?

[FreeFlyFreak]

Originally Posted by surfwagon Thanks for the how-to write-up. BTW, my car sits just a bit higher than before. Probably about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. I was able to take the car for a spin on my normal canyon loop and the difference was very clear.....

You are welcome.
Most of that lift will settle.
After about 1 week my car was only 5mm higher in the front, and was actually a little lower than stock in the back.
I havent checked it since then.

Did you do anything with the bump stops or did you just leave them stock.

Originally Posted by surfwagon I had one hell of a time getting the front passenger shock seated in the boot. The screw + washer trick only got it in half way. I sat for an hour and a half trying to get that the shock seated all the way.

Sounds very very familiar. Same side too.