Koni Shock Install

[.RJ]

A write up with some pics here, in case you guys have not done this before.

Difficulty: On a scale of 1-5, I give this project a 2

Time: 2-4 hrs, depending on how fast you work, if you have an impact or lift, how drunk you are and if your name is channing (in that case its 2-4 days).

First, you pick up some busted ass used Konis. Then you call up CRX Lee (<-- link there) and ask him to rebuild and revalve them stiffer. He'll send you some pimpy boxes like this



Now put the car on stands and take your spinnerz off



Assemble your tools



And we'll start with the front suspension first. Remove the 12mm bolts holding the brake line to the shock





Remove the brake line from the shock



Then remove the 14mm pinch bolt at the top of the shock fork



Now remove the bolt holding the shock fork to the lower control arm. Secure the bolt with a 17mm wrench, and remove the 17mm nut



Use a BFH and a drift to tap the bolt out of the LCA



Drop the shock fork off of the shock



Remove the 14mm nuts on the shock tower, the shock will drop once they are removed (hold onto the shock body as you do this)



Remove shock assembly towards front of the car



That was easy, now onto the rear......

Disconnect the swaybar endlink from the LCA, 14mm bolt



Remove the lower shock bolt, 14mm



Remove the upper shock bolts, also 14mm



The shock will then drop



Remove the 14mm bolt holding the upper control arm to the trailing arm. This gives the suspension enough droop to get the shock assembly out



Remove shock assembly towards rear of the car



Ok, everything's out lets take them apart

Get your spring compressors and compress the spring



Using a 14mm wrench and a 5mm hex/allen key, remove the upper shock mount bolt, and the upper mount



Take the spring off



Label your springs if you are re-using them



If not, and are just replacing springs on the stock shocks then you would just reassmble now in the reverse order of dissasembly. Spring compressor is usually not required with lowering springs.

Using a prybar and BFH or other suitable device, pound the brake line bracket off of the stock shock. Give it solid hits and work around the bracket until it slides off



Separate the rubber bushings from the metal collar in the upper shock mount



Replace the stock metal collar with the one supplied by Koni



One ITR's the shock shaft is too large for the stock upper mount (stock is 10mm, Koni is 12mm). They're metal on top and bottom, so I took them to a machine shop where they bored out the holes on a drill press so that the shock shaft will fit through. I do not think this is a problem for civic and other integra mounts, they are supposedly 12mm.

Warning: Ghetto-Fab Ahead

The bumpstops didnt fit over the Koni shock shaft either. So I introduced them to Mike's dremel.



Line up the brake line bracket with the divot on the shock as shown, and pound the bracket in place. I used a piece of steel tubing I had sitting around and light taps with the BFH until its all the way on.



Install the circlip on the shock body



Then the ring for the spring seat



Now the spring seat



Dust cover, bumpstop and washer



Compress the spring, put the upper hat, washer, and pair of 20mm nuts on the shock shaft.



Take the spring compressors off, and installation is the reverse of dissasembly. On the front, make sure the divot on the shock is lined up with the pinch bolt on the lower shock fork. The lower fork will not slide all the way on and the bolt will not thread freely in if they are not lined up. In the rear, jack up the lower control arm to get the upper control arm back onto the trailing arm once the shock is in.

Torque specs for ITR on reassembly:

Front

Upper Hat 36 ft-lbs
Pinch Bolt 32 ft-lbs
Lower fork 47 ft-lbs
Brake Line Brackets 16 ft-lbs

Rear

Upper Hat 36 ft-lbs
Lower Shock Mount 40 ft-lbs
Swaybar Endlink 29 ft-lbs
UCA 40 ft-lbs

[Mike]

Damn I wanted to smoke that shit!

[ScottyB]

good deal RJ, you are teh mang

[Maengelito]

good deal RJ, you are teh mang

no no, i am the maeng

[Dave]

excellent write-up RJ. Anybody doing a shock install on a Teg should have no problems now.

[Chris]

yeah nice write up, this should help out in the future.

[Maengelito]

excellent write-up RJ. Anybody doing a shock install on a Teg should have no problems now.

thank god i have anti-sieze on the bolts at the bottom of my rear shocks. although the R's setup is different in the rear, those with LS/GSR's will undoubtedly face much frustration and say "fuck" a lot if you have yet to pull those bolts out.

[.RJ]

Mine were pretty rusty and did not come out all that easily. Some time with the impact and leverage and a pile of rust dust on the floor and they came out though.

[Kaan]

you are still doing it on my car... this doesnt get you out of it :roll:

[.RJ]

Now you want them installed?

I kept telling you all last year that you needed them

[JackoliciousLegs]

nice writeup

[.RJ]

bump!

I'm going to miss that car.....

[Mike]

stickified

[.RJ]

Mikey is my hero!!!!

:hug:

[ScottyB]

heh, thanks Mikey. wish i'd have read this in detail sooner!

[ViPER1313]

Bling!



I can't wait 8)

[ScottyB]

do i see "Special D" on that box? sounds kinky!