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Wish I had seen this before I installed my Koni's. I can't adjust the shocks unless I pull them now due to that dust cover being on there so tight.
They be stuck in the full soft setting, which is still better than the Boge, but ya know.
Full soft with stock springs? I've seen people post that you should be one click away from full soft if you are using the Eibach springs so when I put mine together over the weekend I went full soft with the stock springs. I was hoping this was correct. What is your opinion of them set this way? I haven't finished buttoning everything up yet so I haven't been able to drive it.
I put on a set of springs that came on some sport shocks, so yea, 3 dot stock springs. I want it a bit firmer so I tried to use the adjustment tool and set them to the medium setting. The tool won't go down far enough due to the dust book hanging up on the shock and the tool.
I'll re-pull them and hone that thing and the collar out so I can adjust them easier. I think you will be fine on yours.
Just an after thought...Perhaps one of the stepper drill bits (trade name Vari-bit) would work best...that is what I use on pre-drilled openings, works especially well on plastic parts....
Someone just PM'ed me about this thread, so the issue still happens. For reference, the bit I used was one like this - worked surprisingly well, as it self-centred and left a flat surface by the metal insert.
MrMerlin has posted about this issue as well. He used what looked like a countersink bit to drill the plastic. He had some pics about this as well. Maybe he will chime in.
NOTE after installing many sets of different shocks these are my suggestions.
Really save yourself the hassle of poorly fitting parts that dont work great,
step up and buy the Bilstiens.
The new style Bilstiens with the black plastic caps are not as stiff as the older style metal caps were,
so they ride much better for most everyday street use, they come with new adjuster collar nuts and lower perches.
They work great on the S4 and GTS machines with stock springs, as well as the earlier cars
Bilstiens are clearly better than the Boges. in hi speed driving. More composed and well planted.
The Boges offer a nice Cadillac ride, can you say floaty, so they are good for roads with lots of potholes
NOTE the Koni requires that you reuse your lower Boge threaded rings and adjusted collars, and lower perches
They also Offer the poorly fitting lower collar ring mounting surface that have to be JB welded into the shock,
and then hope that they stay glued so the shocks can be adjusted.
then machining the dust caps so they will fit the shock pistons, then finding the correct piston nuts.
These are a huge time waster both for the install then the ride height adjustment.
NOTE buy a Ohlins shock adjustment tool for any of these shocks
I agree Stan the Bilsteins are definitely easier fitment - they come with the parts to fit (at least the later suspension style - I haven't owned an earlier one). They were also a factory option. My 87 S4 has Bilsteins, which I used to replace the Boge's.
I prefer the ride on my '89 S4 however, which has Koni's and the 928 International Eibach springs. Both cars are manual, no sunroof, with G28/12, so very similar.
Of course, the springs are also different on the 2 cars (stock vs eibachs), so its not an apples to apples comparison.
I agree Stan the Bilsteins are definitely easier fitment - they come with the parts to fit (at least the later suspension style - I haven't owned an earlier one). They were also a factory option. My 87 S4 has Bilsteins, which I used to replace the Boge's.
I prefer the ride on my '89 S4 however, which has Koni's and the 928 International Eibach springs. Both cars are manual, no sunroof, with G28/12, so very similar.
Of course, the springs are also different on the 2 cars (stock vs eibachs), so its not an apples to apples comparison.
Individual shocks are valved for very specific spring rates. Change the spring rate and the shock rate is guaranteed to need to be changed.
Progressive springs (like on 928s) pose a particular problem. Since the spring rate is constantly changing....and the shocks are not changing...any shock is probably perfect, in a very narrow window of the spring rate.
Everywhere else, the shock valving is a compromise.
Stock replacement Boge shocks are valved fairly soft, so that they work over a broad range, which works great with the progressive springs on a 928.
Bilsteins, a bit more aggressive and built to complement a narrower range of the springs, work well with stock springs also.
On an early car, I'm not sure that a better shock can be found than a Bilstein, modified to be able to get the car to the proper ride height.
I find Eibachs and Bilsteins to be a particularly poor combination...
Koni shocks, which are adjustable are a fantastic idea, for tuning the suspension.
Unfortunately, the complex method of adjusting the later model Koni shocks is awful...and they rarely get touched, after installation.
The older, externally adjustable shocks, were fantastic.
BTW....At one time, there was a place to send your internally adjustable Koni shocks off to be made externally adjustable. If this place still exists....and can do that work, I'd send any Koni shock off to have this modification, before installing.
BTW, Sterling sent me a message that Performance Shock, Inc., at Sonoma raceway can convert internally adjustable Konis to externally adjustable....and rebuild the shocks.
I've got a set of externally adjustable Konis that were in Van's car, in the fire, that need to be redone.
I'll send them up.
02-18-2013, 10:04 AM
