Stupid Newb Front Koni SA questions

[browntown]

So I bought these things in a group buy like four years ago and I'm ready to install the koni yellows. The instructions suck and the parts bag is mystifying.

- Do I put oil in the strut tube like the original boge's or put the inserts in dry?

- My strut inserts didn't come with collar nuts, so I got one's from the dealer. Do I need to weld up a two pin wrench to tighten them, or to hell with it and use a monkey wrench?

- Seems like they should have a boot of some kind to protect the shaft like the bilsteins do. Are there special Koni boots, or a oem part #, or just go to NAPA and ask for boots?

Every now and then I get the compulsion to work on this thing, problem is the big time gaps in between where I forget all the details I've already researched.

You're welcome to call me an idiot to my face at the picnic this year.

[Hellabad]

So I bought these things in a group buy like four years ago and I'm ready to install the koni yellows. The instructions suck and the parts bag is mystifying.

The instructions are Euro Pictures, which are not translatable to English, But you actually can figure out what they are talking about if you spend time looking at it. The triangle with the exclamation mark in it means "be careful"

- Do I put oil in the strut tube like the original boge's or put the inserts in dry?

If you live in the PNW, and it is a street car, then use oil. I actually use ATF because it is red, and easily available, and when it leaks out a little bit, you won't freak out because you have a blown strut. (which will leak goldish oil instead of red.)

If you have a race car, then there are facts (pro and con) on both sides of the oil in strut argument.

- My strut inserts didn't come with collar nuts, so I got one's from the dealer. Do I need to weld up a two pin wrench to tighten them, or to hell with it and use a monkey wrench?

Use really good Channelocks of you must, you will never find that pin wrench. When you install the struts and use the stock upper nuts (gland nuts) there is usually a metal colored ring in the Euro Hardware Pak, that goes on top of the Koni and under the top gland nut.

- Seems like they should have a boot of some kind to protect the shaft like the bilsteins do. Are there special Koni boots, or a oem part #, or just go to NAPA and ask for boots?

Use the stock boot from BMW, which is around the bumpstop.

Every now and then I get the compulsion to work on this thing, problem is the big time gaps in between where I forget all the details I've already researched.

Bookmark this page, and stay away from drugs.

You're welcome to call me an idiot to my face at the picnic this year.

Just show up with Konis on the car. You will only be called an idiot if you forget to preadjust them before you install them.

Jay from Ground Control

[browntown]

front strut stack

Jay, thanks for the help. Forgive the competitor plate in the photo (although that is a GC weld on m3 swaybar mount).

Does this look like everything in order?

From Bottom to top:

Strut body
ATF fluid
Strut
Collar Nut (the thing that screws into strut body)
Lower rubber spring pad
Spring
Upper rubber spring pad
Factory bumpstop with plastic dust shield hanging off the bottom?? Not sure I got the right parts here

spring perch
camber plate
flat washer
lockwasher
top nut







Also, I found these things on the bottom of my suspension box, and I'm pretty sure most of it came with the konis, but I don't know where they go. Any help?
edit: I now realize the black metal spacer doohickeys below go on top of the strut body, under the collar nut -- right?

[browntown]

Well I'll just assume those white plastic washers aren't important and go with the stack outlined above.

[Wh33lhop]

Sorry I can't be of much help, but I do assume that the oil in the housings with Konis is just to dissipate heat from the insert to the strut body, amirite?

Those plastic washer things do have a purpose, but I don't remember what it was. I've ran several sets of Konis without using them with no real ill effect, for what it's worth.

[E30-M3]

how much ATF do you use?

[DRTSRFR]

The white nylon split washers are bumpstop vents. In certain situations the bumpstop, when bottoming, can actually suck oil from the damper and ruin the wiper seal.

[browntown]

how much ATF do you use?

Bentley says 20-25ml of oil, Koni instructions *seem* to indicate 50ml of antifreeze.

Either way we're talking about one to three tablespoons.

50 ml = 3.38 US tablespoons

[browntown]

The white nylon split washers are bumpstop vents. In certain situations the bumpstop, when bottoming, can actually suck oil from the damper and ruin the wiper seal.

OK -- I'll throw it on top of the collar nut then, under the bumpstop. thanks

[browntown]

So I figured I'd just throw it together. Here are some pics of how I think it's supposed to go together. If I f*cked up, please tell me now.

ATF, 50ml is too much, two tablespoons is plenty.
Grey spacer collar on top of koni strut
Collar nut screwed down as tight as possible with monkey wrench. Does not screw down all the way, I assume thats OK.
White plastic washer on top of collar nut.
Bump stop, with plastic shield hanging from the bottom?
Rubber spring pad, Spring, Top spring pad, vorshlag perch, camber plate, lock washer, top nut.

[browntown]

more pics.\

[browntown]

final stack

[TrentW]

Back from the dead thread...

Trying to confirm that it's normal for gland nut not to tighten all the way into the housing.

Been on perma-hold with Koni and gave up.

edit: I later saw on one of the diagrams from instructions that 1-4mm between top of strut "nut" and strut housing is okay.

[Northern]

Back from the dead thread...

Trying to confirm that it's normal for gland nut not to tighten all the way into the housing.

Been on perma-hold with Koni and gave up.

Can you help?

Mine were the same as that picture. I can't see them making the insert short enough that you could possibly run out of threads. I think they're there as a buffer for manufacturing tolerances between housing/insert/spacer/gland nut.

Bentley says 20-25ml of oil, Koni instructions *seem* to indicate 50ml of antifreeze.

Either way we're talking about one to three tablespoons.

50 ml = 3.38 US tablespoons

The liquid is to some extent for both heat transfer out of the shock, and for corrosion prevention. Many manufactures use antifreeze instead of oil, but E30's use oil.

I feel like the only important point is to not mix the two.

[kidneylover]

final stack
[ATTACH]26590[/ATTACH]

So we need that metal collar over the top of the strut and bump stop?