when building a strut using koni yellows and gcs what else is needed to complete it? Also does gc charge for replacement springs? how does that replacement work you send theres, they send you a replacement resulting in down time? Also what is the distance between the 3 different perchs on a koni? Thanks

 

anyone?

 

?

 

What parts do you have, and what parts do you need?

Be more specific, and I'll help as best I can. Saying your "building a strut" doesn't mean anything (I think you have your terminology mixed up), and your other questions are kinda vague. What are you trying to accomplish?

 

I plan on going this route with my eg and I was wodnering what else is required if I buy the four shocks and 4 gc sleeves. do I need any sort of top mount? Also I was wondering about the springs switchability with ground control that I have heard about.

 

You will only need the upper mounts (shown in my avatar) if you go -2" or lower, and then you really only need them on the front. They add about .75" of shock travel, and come with softer bump stops.

As for "spring switching", basically you would just buy new springs, and switch them in. You cannot send your old ones in for trade. You can, however, buy/sell them used. GC springs hold their value very well because they are made by eibach (one of the best manufacturers in the world), and carry a 1 million mile warranty...

 

There is a specific GC sleeve that you need to order for the Koni yellows. They have a plastic filler sleeve that fills the gap between the threaded GC sleeve and the damper. You can use your stock top hats but its better to buy theirs. No trading in for springs, just buy new ones. The perches are for height adajustments if you use normal springs. Mine by the way has 5, not like I adjust it anyays.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cru Jones &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There is a specific GC sleeve that you need to order for the Koni yellows. They have a plastic filler sleeve that fills the gap between the threaded GC sleeve and the damper. You can use your stock top hats but its better to buy theirs. No trading in for springs, just buy new ones. The perches are for height adajustments if you use normal springs. Mine by the way has 5, not like I adjust it anyays.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can either get the "adapter sleeves" that Gru Jones is talking about, or ask specifically for "baby tubes". The baby tubes are smaller diameter, and fit the koni's perfectly. There is no space to fill in, and they look quite a bit nicer once installed. Here is a picture of my baby tubes that sit directly on the snap rings:

 

When did they start making those? I havent drove a honda for almost 2 years so Im behind on things. Is that new? What damper is that also.

 

I'm pretty sure they've made them for a couple years now. GC used to produce full length sleeves that would cover the entire body of the Koni damper. I guess they cost too much, so it was a hard sell, and they stoped makeing those. The baby tubes are the only way to go IMO. Since I'm lowered 3", my front springs were rubbing the threads OEM style GC sleeves. The "Baby" style sleeve is so small that there is no way the spring could make contact...

As for the shocks, they were brand new Koni sports (yellows) that I stripped of their yellow paint, wire brushed w/ my drill, and clear coated in my garage. They look super nice. To bad all you can see is the rear lower shock mount portion with the car on the ground...

 

so 94eg! ...when purchasing koni spec GC's, do i have to ask for baby sleeves? ...also, is there an extra charge for them?

thanks.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shogun-dc2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so 94eg! ...when purchasing koni spec GC's, do i have to ask for baby sleeves? ...also, is there an extra charge for them?

thanks.</TD></TR></TABLE>

nope, no extra charge for them, and no extra charge for a selected # of common spring rates.

got my "baby tubes" or "koni specific sleeves" (basically let em know you're using them with koni yellows) and 450/550 springs for no extra charge.

GC

p.s.-be patient when calling, they can sometimes miss some calls, but it's just cuz they're busy as hell selling so many kits....

 

Yes you should specify "baby tubes", but I don't know if there is an extra charge if your buying a whole coilover kit (with springs & everything). They did cost extra when I bought them, but thats because I was buying new sleeves & nuts. I already had the OEM shock style kit & I was upgrading to Koni Yellows. I called GC up, and they said I had two choice.

1. Buy new adapter rings (black inner ring that sits on the koni snap ring), and new shorter red sleeves to go with them. Then I could re-use my old gold nuts, springs, spacers, and poly upper mounts.

2. Buy new "baby tubes" and "baby nuts". Then I would just re-use my old springs & poly upper mounts.

I choose option 2, but it cost a bit extra since the baby nuts cost more each than the black adapter rings. Give GC a call and ask how much the baby tubes are in whole coil-over kit. Just call before 4pm pacific time because they close early (530) 677-8600...

***edit*** Looks like Bad Monkey's got the info you need. Thanks...

 

awesome. thanks both of you!

 

is the purpose of the filler sleeve to expand the diamter of the koni shock to meet with the gc sleeve while the baby tubes are just gc sleeves with a smaller inner diamter? Also in your picture above 94eg! it looks like there is nothing supporting the base of the gc sleeve. Is that just be cause the car is jacked up? Is that black ring (is it a snap ring?) what the gc sleeve is supposed to rest on?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">is the purpose of the filler sleeve to expand the diamter of the koni shock to meet with the gc sleeve while the baby tubes are just gc sleeves with a smaller inner diamter?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yup.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Also in your picture above 94eg! it looks like there is nothing supporting the base of the gc sleeve. Is that just be cause the car is jacked up? Is that black ring (is it a snap ring?) what the gc sleeve is supposed to rest on?</TD></TR></TABLE>

the circlip on the koni fits perfectly in the "groove" if you will made by the "black ring" at the bottom of the sleeve. it's why generically sized snap rings on sleeves sometimes fail with koni yellows because of their imprecise fit and the fact that the sleeve tube is too wide.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">is the purpose of the filler sleeve to expand the diamter of the koni shock to meet with the gc sleeve while the baby tubes are just gc sleeves with a smaller inner diamter? Also in your picture above 94eg! it looks like there is nothing supporting the base of the gc sleeve. Is that just be cause the car is jacked up? Is that black ring (is it a snap ring?) what the gc sleeve is supposed to rest on?</TD></TR></TABLE>

In my picture above, the baby tube is sitting directly on the snap ring. There is a groove cut into the bottom of the tube, so that once it's placed on the shock body, the sleeve covers the snap ring & prevents it from ever expanding and coming out of the slot in the shock body (that would be really bad ).

In the picture below, you can see the multiple grooves cut into the shock body. The snap ring is clearly visable in the upper groove. This is what the sleeves are supposed to sit on. If you have GC adapter tubes (not the baby tubes), there is a black metal adapter ring that sits on/covers the snap ring, and then the threaded sleeve sits on the black adapter...

Pic was stolen from the "Koni Shock Install" thread (Thanks .RJ )

 

ahhhhhhh, it all makes sense now. Are these different groves what people refer to when talking about koni adjustble perches?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ahhhhhhh, it all makes sense now. Are these different groves what people refer to when talking about koni adjustble perches?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yup...

 

^

from neutral (middle - stock) to either top or bottom is 3/4"

 

I plan on using off the shelf konis, but I would like firmer springs. I am tring to eliminate body roll. What do you guys suggest for a stock ek hatch? I was thinking maybe 12k in the front 10k in the rear for ground controls? This will also be a daily driver, tracked occasionally.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I plan on using off the shelf konis, but I would like firmer springs. I am tring to eliminate body roll. What do you guys suggest for a stock ek hatch? I was thinking maybe 12k in the front 10k in the rear for ground controls? This will also be a daily driver, tracked occasionally.</TD></TR></TABLE>

12kg/10kg is alot of spring for an EK daily driver, but you might have more tolerance than i do and might be able to hang.

12kg is also more spring than i'd use with an OTS koni yellow, since it probably can't dampen that kind of rate the way it ought to.

if you can deal with it, i think 8kg F/10kg R would be good with the right F and R swaybar setups. That should give you plenty of roll resistance when you're on track. Whether you can live with it on the street is up to you.

 

why go with the rear springs higher than the fronts on the street?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why go with the rear springs higher than the fronts on the street?</TD></TR></TABLE>

you shouldnt.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why go with the rear springs higher than the fronts on the street?</TD></TR></TABLE>

a street car, no.

a double duty car that you drive responsibly on the street, ok.

track car, definitely.

it's less comfortable, and will be easier to do boneheaded things with--but if you're driving like a normal person, within the confines of reasonable street driving, i don't think it's going to make it any more or less dangerous than the reverse.