Jaap968

This weekend I installed rear koni yellow shocks. Apart from removing the lower bolts it was a straightforward job. I set the shocks at half stiff and they really don't feel to stiff to me. I think the ride is even more comfortable. A solid feel but better over the speedbumps in my area. The old ones were not soft at all when removed. I think they were probably more difficult to compress and made a squeaky sound (I had been wondering where that came from when going over bumps). Maybe they seized up instead of getting sloppy. The only thing I noticed is that the top half of the shock does not overlap the bottom half as the old ones did. When looking at the shock from the rear I can just see the steel rod and plastic (split) ring between the two halves. Is this normal or will they settle down after some more miles? (I will measure the ride height and compare to the old shocks)

Jaap

Skip

The new shocks should not really give you a "stiff" ride... rather a more controlled ride. In your example, you illustrated the reason why your shocks needed to be replaced - the harsh bumpy feeling you get from going over a speed bump is the lack of damping being performed by the shock... rather than being a control of the spring jounce, it is simply along for the ride. The primary role of the shock is to keep the tire in contact with the road (rebound stroke)... the secondary role is to perform a controlled counter-reaction to the compression of the spring (compression stroke).

The ability to test the usefulness of shocks by hand is a bit subjective... the forces acting on the shocks are much greater and faster than any human could possibly perform. The fact that they were hard to compress further illustrates the need for replacement... sounds like the slippery had slipped out.

The Koni Sports are twin-tube hydraulic shocks that really shouldn't raise ride height... still, the suspension may settle a small amount. It is sometimes possible to see the rod within the sheath with the car at rest... nothing to worry about, it is not a sealed unit. Did you have a full tank of gas?

Good Luck!

Jaap968

Thanks Skip,

By my comment about the car not feeling to stiff I mean I am very happy with the way they make the car feel. I was looking for that new car feel (or a bit stiffer) and that is exactly what I got. I don't think the ride height has increased but I will compare new measurements with the ones I took with old shocks. My only concern from seeing the rod is that it will be exposed to the elements (sand/salt) and that it may reduce the life of the shocks. (when I checked there was nobody in the car and a quarter tank of gas)

Jaap