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Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:09 pm
by datu
I know this topic has been over-discussed but I could not find any specific to Konis.
My suspension is apart and I'm upgrading.
I now have:
40mm shortened front casings
T3 top hats
That's it.

I've decided to go with short stroke Konis and just want affirmation on the part numbers that I've researched:-
Front: 8610-1437RACE
Rear: 8041-1186SPORT
Did I get the numbers right?
Will the front inserts work with 40mm shortened casing? How do I determine the thickness of the spacer to use?

I am planning to order front T3 coilovers in 8kg with camber plates. Any recommendations on spring length?
For the rears, Swift 6kg.

if anybody has used this set up before, pros/cons? Thanks in advance.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:11 pm
by Deuce Cam
I'm not sure on the rears, but the front is correct and will work with 40 mm cut. The insert should sit at the very top of the casing. To gauge the spacer thickness you can stack washers at the bottom of the casing, insert the shock, and hand tighten the gland nut. Once you get it right pull out the washers and measure the height, then order a spacer from t3, etc., or just use the washers.

Spring length isn't going to have an affect on your ride height with coilovers. A 7" or 8" spring will be a good match for that setup. IIRC t3 supplies 8" springs for short stroke conversion.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:36 am
by datu

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 8:31 am
by gotzoom?
Exactly what Deuce said on spacers. I had Ground Conrtol cut & weld one the set of struts currently on my car with a 40mm cut. When I installed my 8610's, there was a little bit of slop, so I dropped a couple fender washers down the bottom of the case until I was able to remove the slop. With regard to the rears, I expect the damping rate will be too high, so only the softest 1/8 of the adjustment range will likely be usable. ProParts/Tri Point in SoCal can revalve Koni Sports for not a huge amount of money, so you might want to factor that in to your budget. The shocks should fit and you should have enough threads on the shafts to hold the rear springs captive without introducing preload with stock length TRD springs.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:00 pm
by datu
gotzoom? wrote:Exactly what Deuce said on spacers. I had Ground Conrtol cut & weld one the set of struts currently on my car with a 40mm cut. When I installed my 8610's, there was a little bit of slop, so I dropped a couple fender washers down the bottom of the case until I was able to remove the slop. With regard to the rears, I expect the damping rate will be too high, so only the softest 1/8 of the adjustment range will likely be usable. ProParts/Tri Point in SoCal can revalve Koni Sports for not a huge amount of money, so you might want to factor that in to your budget. The shocks should fit and you should have enough threads on the shafts to hold the rear springs captive without introducing preload with stock length TRD springs.


Have you used 30 series Konis before for the rear? What do you think of the 30-1265SPORT? They are for a Camaro and are cheaper than the 8041-1186. Monotube though not twin tube. I'm pretty much set on the 8610 for the fronts but having a hard time finding a shock for the rear that I think I'd be happy with. I think there's a company here in Ohio that revalves Konis.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:27 pm
by gotzoom?
30 series are made for a spec racing series. They are purposely designed to not be revalved or to be obvious if they have been revalved (they cut the bottom off, revalve and weld it back together.) The damping rate is much too high for our cars. Even at the soft setting, they are too stiff. Another problem with the 30 series is that they come with mounting eyes on the shock shaft and Koni does not offer a stud mount kit for them. You'll need to fab something up for the upper perch. I selded a perch to the shaft and made my own, but it isn't that easy to do. I'm currently running QA1 Promastar single adjustable shocks now and they work quite well. They are also twin-tube design, but they have worked well for me. They are still too stiff, but the softest 3 clicks are useful. I plan to send mine out to have a bleed valve added so that the usable adjustment range will be higher up.

PS: mono tube > twin tube :)

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:45 pm
by asnfro
if you're gonna order the front coilover kit from T3 just ask Gabe what he recommends. I just ordered the front coilovers with Koni's. Seems like his price is reasonable. I got 6kg/mm springs and the Koni sports. I love the way the car feels now. Of course that was coming from cut springs with who knows what shocks.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:07 pm
by datu
Well, just got a smokin deal on the Rears: 8041-1186SPORT from Tire Rack. $216 shipped for the pair. No turning back now!

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:56 pm
by asnfro
Datu, What spring rate do you have on the rear? Let me know how the koni's feel on the rear. I still have tokiko blues in the rear and want to try something better.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:59 am
by datu
asnfro, Don't have springs yet. This is the first piece I bought for a suspension overhaul. I want 5kg but there's not too many options so I might end up with Swift 6kg. You might want to call Tire Rack if the price will hold for a while. When I called shox,com, they said the rears are on special only till Friday, 8/29.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:59 pm
by asnfro
yeah, i saw that tirerack has them for 25% off but only till end of the month. i checked amazon and it seams like the same price as tirerack with discount. so i think i'm gonna wait instead of rushing to buy. after buying the front coilovers i feel like my wallet is a little lighter. haha.

Re: Here we go again - Short stroke Koni questions

Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:28 am
by datu
Got all 4 struts and shocks yesterday. The bottom bushings on the rear shocks(8041-1186SPORT) won't work because they have a metal sleeve with an ID smaller than 5/8" which is what we need for the AE86. So I just had them pressed out. Here's a pic of the bushing/sleeve and my old shock:
Image

You can either press out your old rubber bushing and use that or order these(Energy suspension 9.8141G). $12 shipped on Ebay.
Image

If you change the G in the part number to R, you can get red ones.
For the fronts(8610-1437RACE), I already have 40mm shortened casings. I bought a dozen of these washers (1 3/4" OD with 5/8" hole) from the hardware store for less than $2:

Image

They are about an eighth inch thick and you can use either 5 or 6 of these at the bottom of the strut casing and the strut will be snug inside.