i currently have GC coilover sleeves on my stock struts (bad idea... i know) and the struts are blown. i know its not smart but the previous owner did this setup. anyways, i'm looking for some struts that will provide good dampening and rebound for the GC spring rates and also be able to fit the coilovers on these new shocks. GC makes different sleeve kits for different brands of struts right? i was told by an HT sponsor that these sleeves will fit on a koni strut but i've read they won't in other sources. so my question is... will my GC coilover sleeves that are currently on my stock struts fit over a pair of aftermarket struts (koni, tokico, etc)? thanks in advance

 

Your GCs will work with any mainstream aftermarket shock (Tokico, KYB, etc) EXCEPT for Koni.

If you want to use them with Koni Sport shocks, you will need to get a set of Koni specific coilover sleeves from Ground Control (I believe Koni might have them too). Basically, the Koni circlip design on the shock body will allow a sleeve with a machined lip to sit right on top of the snap ring. You will still be able to use the same springs, but you should invest in Koni sleeves if you choose to go with them.

and this is what the lip that sits on the snap ring looks like (courtesy of Patrickgsr94's write up found at https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=917766:

 

I was in the same boat as you. I found that GC actually has 2 different soloutions for your situation. 1st is the baby tube (shown above) that sits directly on the circlip. It costs a little more because you need to purchase new nuts to match (gold adjuster part). The second option is to get their adapter tubes. In this case you are just buying new threaded sleeves (of the original diameter) that sit on new black adapter rings (that are made to fit the koni circlip). Its a little more cost effective since your not buying new nuts, but adds more parts & doesn't look as nice. One other advantage of the baby tubes is that their smaller outter diameter keeps the springs from ever rubbing up against the threades on the tubes. I had that problem with OEM shocks & regular GC coilovers...

 

thanks for the quick and helpful explanation!!! i have another question now. what shocks do you think would work well with the high spring rates of the GC coilovers? tokico illuminas? KYB AGX? those are the only two of those manufacturers that i can think of would have aggressive enough valving and are also affordable. thanks again!

 

Well the consensus seems to be that the Koni Sport is the best low dollar sport shock you can buy. Unfortunatly its the most expensive "low dollar" shock too. You can find sets for around $500 shipped in the sponsor section on H-T. They can easilly handle spring rates as high as 550lb/in, and no other shock manufacturer can touch their quality level in the customer service department. CRX Lee is Koni North America's local H-T rep, and he's always on the lookout for threads that ask about his products. He's answered EVERY single question I've had about my shocks, and their lifetime warranty is great piece of mind. Just make sure you use the proper coilovers or else it's void. Other companies have restrictions on how low you can go, but Koni does not. If your going 2+" lowered, you may want to invest in some GC extended top hats for the front too. Ride quality will thank you

I would save up & get the Koni Sports, and purchase the baby tubes to match. Then sell the old coilover sleeves on H-T or eBay. Oh wait, I already did...

PS: Don't throw away your old shocks, cause your koni's use the front brake line brackets off of them...