zbeeblebrox

ok so im replacing my shocks on my 87 944 NA, whats killing me is that tire rack is saying i can get kyb gr2 cartridge inserts. i didnt think that was possible? i would like just some OE replacements, and it would be great not to have to get the whole strut assembly. so what is tire rack trying to sell? and would it just be better to get the koni front inserts?(would be no problem to do the work) and at that point should i get the matching rears? keep in mind im on an engineering students budget. and jsut remember im not smart yet.

schwank

An 87 will not have replaceable inserts from the factory, it will have 1 piece struts. If you can do the conversion as detailed in the paragon tech article, then the best bet is to just buy the inserts for the front and do the conversion. Personally I'd rather have the koni's than the KYB's.

An you probably can get away with just the fronts but I think you'd probably be better off doing all four corners...

potent951turbo

You can get the entire strut assemblies from vertex auto, they are about $150 each. They are just stock units but they are complete and don't require any modifications, just put your springs and mounts etc. on and your done.

75ohm

If you want to upgrade, convert! It's not a bad process -- I've done it and it's worth the dividends.

FRporscheman

Convert? It wasn't really a conversion, more like removing the guts of the old strut, and inserting the new insert. Are early struts different than late ones?

The biggest improvement comes from new front shocks, so if you leave the rears alone it should be OK. Just remember you have a bouncier rear than front, when you drive aggressively.

If you're on a budget, don't get Konis. Because if you buy all 4, you'll be broke, and if you buy 2, it will be too unbalanced. I've heard the KYBs are decent if not a bit too stiff, while the OEMs are nice and smooth.

PeteL

Up to 86, the struts were rebuildable. Unlike the later struts, there is a threaded collar at the top which once removed, the insert can be pulled out of the strut, a new one slid in, and the collar replaced.
On the later struts, they are sealed units. In order to just replace the cartridge you have to remove the sealed cap, pull out the old insert, then you need to drill a hole at the bottom of the strut assembly, which at least for Koni inserts will let you bolt the new cartridge to the assembly. You also need to cut a bit of the top of the strut assembly down as part of the conversion.
I was happy that I had the early struts.

tifosiman

Like Pete said, 87 and later 944's and 86 and later 951's require the hacksaw koni method. It isn't hard, just remember to measure twice and cut once. Its a nice idea to clean up the old strut bodies once you have cut them and maybe even put a fresh coat of paint on them before you bolt in the new "insert" and re-install. Should be a leisurely 2 day job if you are cleaning them up, one day to remove, cut, clean, and paint. Then let dry overnite, and assemble and install the next day. Of course even if you are good an alignment is in order once all of that is done.

Which leads me to my next point. While you have it all apart, inspect the caster blocks and replace at this time if the rubber is torn out or dead. Also take a look at the upper strut bearings. One last thing, the bolts that hold the struts to the spindle should be replaced with new ones at this time as well. All of this stuff is available from www.paragon-products.com.

75ohm

Semantics. Removing/Converting... okay.

tifosiman

To me it is a conversion. You are taking something that is a sealed mechanism, cutting it apart, modifying it, and insterting a removable strut cartidge in it. yep, definetly a conversion.

Tom R.

I think tire rack is wrong.