Some friends and I are going to install sportlines and koni yellows on my 96 accord. I was wondering if anyone out there with experience on this setup can give me some tips?

Thanks

 

Ah, so you won't need to explode the stock spring/shocks, huh?
Hopefully you won't need a spring compressor to get the sportlines on the konis. If you don't, the whole job should be bolt-off bolt-on and take you both an afternoon. Just need ratchet, sockets, wrenches, elbow grease.

 

ok i f*cked up the first time. when i installed my neuspeed sports and koni yellows, i left all the shocks in the middle perch and when i wsa done, the rear was lower than the front and it looked ghetto. then last weekend, i took apart everything and put the rear on the higher perch (to raise the rear) and the drops excellent. i love my car now.


so if i were you, i would raise the rear one perch level before you install it. but honestly, i dont know how the konis will work with YOUR kind of springs.

just my $.02

 

I just put sportlines on with stock shocks and no compressor was needed, so I don't think you would with konis. Overall, the install is not bad, especially since your just swapping the whole shock/spring setup out. Also, I recommend using air tools (borrow them if you have to), it will shorten your time greatly

Let us know how the ride is, I'm getting koni's soon....

 

Get a spring compressor if you can, it'd be easier on you that way. What fun it was for me to try to call up everyone tryign to get a ride to autozone before they closed so I could get my car done before the next morning.

Make sure you install all the bushings and washers exactly as you took them off. I tore my polyurethane strut mount bushings in the front because I didnt realize I forgot a washer.

Make sure the bushings are facing the correct direction, having them in the wrong direction caused the annoying "clunk" because they weren't doing their job.

I needed a friend's help for the rear. I could not get the lower strut bolt on w/o someone heavy stepping on the rear rotor to lower the suspension arm. I needed at least 150lb person to get it lowered enough... and even then I had to hammer it in intially before i could use a ratchet on it. The front was easy.

 

Yeah, the front is much easier than the rear.

Make sure you have a 24mm socket for this bolt, we had to go pick one up
Also, like he said, it can be a pain to take out. Make sure there are proper supports under the car before someone stands on it, I've heard of cars falling over while people were trying to do this Once unscrewed, you may have to hammer/chisel it out while someone standings/bounces on the brake assembly. Also make sure the holes for this bolt line up perfectly when putting the new shock/spring assembly in or it won't fit.

 

what was the 24mm socket for? I only used a 19 (for wheel lugs), 17 (for strut bolt), 14 (for upper strut mount), and 10/12 (forgot which, but for the brake line brackets). I used an adjustable wrench for the strut nut w/ an allen wrench (dunno size).

oh yea... USE JACKSTANDS. Do NOT support the car on a jack while doing this...


[Modified by TypeSH, 6:20 AM 5/22/2002]

 

How do you change the perch setting on the Koni's? Do you just pop the metal retainer out somehow? Looks like it is on there pretty tight.

 

It was for the spring compressor, disregard that if you don't need one.



[Modified by p0pe, 10:24 AM 5/22/2002]

 

theres basically three lines on the shock itself, from the factory the metal ring is on the middle, but you can take it off with this special needle nose plier tool and prop onto another perch. i had to this to my rear shocks inorder to raise the rear, and it looks much better now.

 

do everything that everyone else has posted and make sure you put springs rated for back in back, and one rated for front in front. I almost forgot this step when I did my susp.