Help needed on How to adjust koni reds

[Mr240z]

Hey guys just picked up brand new Koni classic reds

    Front  86 1811

    Rear    86 1812

 

      The question for you guys is. How do i get these to work, do i prime them and or just adjust them.

      Pretty sure koni's are still hydraulic oil fulled not gas, so does anyone have instructions on how to adjust

      them cause the instructions you get from koni is pretty vague. Or a web page on how to!!

     

      Comments welcome  (and a big thanks in advance)              pauly

     

 

     

[C.A.R.]

Fully compress the insert, then turn. You should be able to feel the insert 'clicking' through 6 different settings. 6 Being the firmest.

[Mr240z]

Hey Lurch what would you recommand for street use .

Take note that i drive abit hard at times.

Which way is soft and firm ,clockwise and anticlockwise

 

Thanks mate

[Zeddophile]

Fully compress the insert, then turn. You should be able to feel the insert 'clicking' through 6 different settings. 6 Being the firmest.

 

As Lurch said, except I don't think (IIRC) Koni Reds actually 'click', they just turn.  You should feel the two parts of the adjuster engage when you compress the shock and turn though.  Make sure you hold compressing pressure on the shock as you turn to keep the adjuster engaged.

 

Hey Lurch what would you recommand for street use .

Take note that i drive abit hard at times.

Which way is soft and firm ,clockwise and anticlockwis

 

With a Koni Red, even full hard is not THAT hard - I have them full hard in my Alfa, and they are fine for the road.  Looking at the rate the back wheels drop after they leave the ground when its on a hoist, I'd say its still a bit softer than a Koni Yellow set to about 1/3 from soft (this is only eyeballing my car against racecars we set up).  It is quite amusing when you lift a car up on a 2 post hoist and then look at the back wheels slowly lowering themselves down. 

 

As for which way is which, I THINK clockwise is firmer, but the easiest way to check is adjust fully one way, then pull the shock open, adjust fully the other way, and pull shock open again, see which way offers more resistance.  Koni Reds (and yellows I think) only really adjust rebound, or the rate at which the shock extends.  If you want to adjust bump seperately (compression speed), you need the racing inserts which are different again to Reds and Yellows.

 

If you like to drive hard, I'd suggest with Reds set them close to or at maximum.  Maybe start one turn back from full hard and see if you like it.

 

Note to anyone else reading - DON'T do this with yellow Konis - maximum is rock hard.  With those I'd start at about 1/4 and see how it goes.

[Mr240z]

Thanks Zeddophile, Thats just the info i was looking for (what don,t you know about zeds)

    Once i fit the struts and take for test drive do i have to take them out again to re-adjust

    or can you do it with them still in the car.

 

    Once again thanks heaps for your valueable information

 

    p.s the strurt hats do they have 3 different settings

[zedevan]

i'd give toperformance a call (in vermont, vic) as they are the koni distributors for australia and are familiar with zeds - they put mine in for me, but can't remember what settings they said were used

[C.A.R.]

Thanks Zeddophile.

I was pushed with time & couldn't give a full description.

[Mr240z]

Hey Lurch & Zeddphile, I,ve worked out the adjustment thanks

Question about the rebound they dont work like gas shock (push in and the come out quickly)

I push them down and they come out slowly is that right (first time koni user)

 

Thanks guys for taking me seriously  not always the joker

 

p.s also got 2 koni sticker's with the shocks. Where would be the best place (on  the car)

to stick these for the Maximum Performance 

 

                                                                      Pauly 

[C.A.R.]

I push them down and they come out slowly is that right?

Yes.

p.s also got 2 koni sticker's with the shocks. Where would be the best place (on  the car)

to stick these for the Maximum Performance 

Pauly 

Nowhere. Stickers on Zeds look Ghey. Unless they're Zed Club stickers

[Zeddophile]

Question about the rebound they dont work like gas shock (push in and the come out quickly)

I push them down and they come out slowly is that right (first time koni user)

 

Koni Reds aren't straight gas shocks, they are hydraulic/gas shocks (have both oil and gas in them), so they extend slower than gas shocks due to the oil, but still extend on their own due to the gas in them.  From memory, Yellows are oil only, and basically don't extend by themselves at any sort of speed unless you pull them open.

This is what the adjustment has the most effect on - the speed at which the shock will extend.  To get a better feel for how much damping there is grab both ends of the shock and actually pull it open by hand.

 

Thanks Zeddophile, Thats just the info i was looking for (what don,t you know about zeds)

     Once i fit the struts and take for test drive do i have to take them out again to re-adjust

     or can you do it with them still in the car.

 

Unfortunately, yes you have to pull them out to adjust.  Worst thing about having struts - the fact that you have to pull the spring off every bloody time you want to get at a shock.  Thats why I'd suggest starting a bit back from maximum - better to end up on the soft side in damping rather than the hard side, especially if you don't have time to pull them back out and readjust.  Glad my Alfetta doesn't have struts, can do shock adjustment on car by undoing the bottom of the shock!

 

As for what I don't know about zeds?  Lots of things, and getting to be more every day since I had to dispose of mine.  Koni Red/Yellows, however, I have adjusted a lot of 

 

p.s also got 2 koni sticker's with the shocks. Where would be the best place (on  the car)

to stick these for the Maximum Performance

 

On the front brake discs, for 2 reasons:

1.  You go faster when you can't stop.

2.  It'll look like you drive fast and brake hard when they catch on fire!

[Mr240z]

Thanks heaps professor Zeddophile for usefull info  I,ll follow your's and Lurch's recommendations

and tell you guys how i go.

 

p.s Very interesting sticker placement instructions (I,ll give it a go)

[Toecutter]

i'd give toperformance a call (in vermont, vic) as they are the koni distributors for australia and are familiar with zeds - they put mine in for me, but can't remember what settings they said were used

 

Evan, I did'nt know you had Koni's installed. The yellows? What part numbers and how much they sting you? Adjustable from in the car on the strutt top?

 

Sulio

[zedevan]

just koni red's - so have to be removed to be adjusted. the car felt really well balanced with them on the settings they're on - so i think for now i'll just put the front strut tops in the rear to lower it that extra little bit and leave it for if i'm ever rolling in money lol - then go coilovers. Although i probably should of just gotten them to begin with.

[Mr240z]

Thanks for all the comments boys. RDO today so the koni's went in .

    And WOW what a different they make considering the fronts where stuffed

    oil leaking out of them, lift them up and down with not much force at all (kyb gas)

 

So to all the guys thinking of an upgrade, I recommand Koni red  (street use in my case)

 

    Once again thanks Auszcar and all there members for the info.

 

                                                Pauly

 

 

[Union76]

Old post sorry to dig up - just confirming clockwise to harden on the red konis.

[Roberto]

correct

[peter t]

Hey Lurch & Zeddphile, I,ve worked out the adjustment thanks

Question about the rebound they dont work like gas shock (push in and the come out quickly)

I push them down and they come out slowly is that right (first time koni user)

 

Thanks guys for taking me seriously  not always the joker

 

p.s also got 2 koni sticker's with the shocks. Where would be the best place (on  the car)

to stick these for the Maximum Performance 

 

                                                                      Pauly 

Just about to fit NEW King springs and Koni reds out of parts car. After reading this I have found that when I fully compress shocks, that is where they stay. Does that mean they are stuffed or out of gas. Have figured out the adjustment from soft to hard but not sure why they stay all the way in when what I have read here they should slowly extend out. Help.

[Ben]

correct.

I was running mine full-soft (anti clock), but with the potential for my new wheel/tyre combo to rub in the rear, I've wound them up to full hard (clock, about 2 turns).

[Riceburner]

Don't the reds only adjust rebound, where as yellows adjust both bump and rebound equally?

[Roberto]

Hey Peter T, they are not necessarily stuffed. Years ago when I put them in my car, they did the same thing.

[Zedman240®]

Gareth, the yellows can only be adjusted for bump like the red's; reds have to be removed to be adjusted whereas the yellows are externally adjustable.

[Cozza]

Hi guys, here's something I found whilst perusing the Koni website, hope it helps.

http://www.koni-na.com/adjustment.cfm

 

Cheers

Mick

 

[peter t]

Thanks Mick, the shocks are a different type to McPherson strut type that fit Z's. I checked out the Konie site and have it all sorted now. Just have to go for a drive to get the feel of it then start on the front. Have set them on soft with lowered King springs so should give a good ride and not be like a go kart.

Peter

[peter t]

The Konie reds I have for the front don't have the flat bit on the threads to hold in the strut tops to tighten up the nylox nuts. HTF do you tighten up the nuts. Not game to get the angle grinder to them ATM without some help from all you people that that may know better. :-\

[Roberto]

Do you have the screw cap? give us a pic.