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    Koni Strut Quality Issues?

    I am posting this to see if anyone has had any issues recently with newer production strut purchases from koni.

    I have a s54 swapped e30 that sees both street and track use. Im using the GC coilover conversion parts. I had VW carrado front inserts (non GC valved ones) and after an impact with a curb a while ago, consequently bending a strut, I replaced both front struts with the same Koni (non GC valved) Carrado inserts. The two new front insert struts blew after 1-2 thousand miles and only one track day. I then purchased two 8610 race inserts and after proper installation and ten miles of driving, the upper strut gland blew apart causing the entire strut to disassemble itself.

    So in summary, I am curious if anyone has had any issues with more recent production Koni products?
    Ian Simon

    #2
    mine are a couple years old now but I haven't had any issues. Shouldn't they be under warranty?

    I also had custom valved Bilsteins blow apart after a couple months, so it could just be bad luck..
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    Bimmerlabs

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      #3
      Thats just it, the "old" set i had ( the one i bent), that set was great, no issues. I had those for a few years and no complaints. The newer sets are what Im having trouble with. The two problematic sets Ive bought were produced with in the last year and a half.

      The two carrado sets (non GC valved) werent warrantyable due to them being installed on a car/application other than what they were intended for. (Trust me, i would have warrantied them anyway, but I race with a few of the guys from Koni in Hebron KY and they know the car and know the application isnt correct) Hence why i went with the 8610 Race shocks this time because these are spec'd for my application.
      Ian Simon

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        #4
        yeah I'm pretty sure I have the same shocks. actually I guess mine are like 3-4 years old now, I haven't driven it a lot but they're still like new.


        I know one guy got a set that looked all dinged up right out of the box, he sent them back for a different set. Maybe they have different factories or something - mine were perfect.
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          #5
          Well, if your dampers aren't valved to handle the springs they are trying to control, you have the wrong part for the job. It makes sense that the blew up. Either too much spring rate to control, or not enough spring rate and not enough compression damping will kill a set of dampers real quick. If you are bottoming the suspension out over every little bump in the road due to a lack of spring rate, of course they are going to fail. Just like trying to control the rebound of springs too high for the damping rates.

          I've run Konis on my Datsun for 15 years. I did have one fail internally, and I don't know why. The other 3 have been flawless, and the one that was broken was replaced with a really old one that was still good.

          Will
          '59 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Giulietta Sprint
          '69 Alfa Romeo 105.51 1750 GTV (R.I.P)
          '69 Datsun 2000 roadster Vintage race car
          '88 BMW M3

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            #6
            I don't think you're going to kill Koni race inserts with stiffer springs - they're already valved for higher rates, that's the whole point. Unless he has insane spring rates they should be fine for an E30.

            I do have one question - did you run them on full soft for a little while to break them in?
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              #7
              Originally posted by nando View Post
              I don't think you're going to kill Koni race inserts with stiffer springs - they're already valved for higher rates, that's the whole point. Unless he has insane spring rates they should be fine for an E30.

              I do have one question - did you run them on full soft for a little while to break them in?
              My TC Klein Revalved Koni sports are right at their limits with Turner J stock springs (640/1080). I have them set full hard an the car is still a little bouncy for my taste.

              Will
              '59 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Giulietta Sprint
              '69 Alfa Romeo 105.51 1750 GTV (R.I.P)
              '69 Datsun 2000 roadster Vintage race car
              '88 BMW M3

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                #8
                Lee, the head of Koni North America sale and the guys in R and D in hebron spec'd these out for me. I was no where near the top of the shocks limits. I was no where near hyper extending the shock or bottoming out the valving. My front spring rates are 440 lbs. And I did start them on full soft. The shock literally blew pulling the car off of the lift in my shop. It was a factory assembly error. Ill post a photo shortly.

                Im only asking these questions to see if anyone else has had similar issues or if I am some unlucky individual to receive two sets of prematurely failing shocks. If others are having similar troubles, it may just mean that I venture elsewhere for different brand shocks. I am getting tired of swapping shock inserts.
                Ian Simon

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                  #9


                  The crimps from Koni from the lower shock body to the upper gland separated
                  Ian Simon

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                    #10
                    I don't see how it can separate like that when installed as the gland nut would keep it all clamped together. Shortened housings? are you using a spacer?
                    My M20 Frankenbuild(s)
                    4 Sale - Fully Built TurnKey Megasquirt Plug and Play EMS

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                      #11
                      yeah, could it be the housings were just a tad too long?
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                        #12
                        I have some old ones that lasted forever but they were not gas charged. Koni's reputation has not been great the last couple of years. The quality has been hit and miss and their warranty is not the same anymore. Bilstein on the other hand still has a lifetime warranty to the original owner.

                        I sent my last set to Tru-Choice in Ohio about a decade ago, They were good the last time I drove the car. They are in my M3.
                        https://www.facebook.com/BentOverRacing

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                          #13
                          I do have shortened housings. It was installed correctly. I only discovered that the housing came apart when i disassembled my suspension to investigate the noise. The noise was coming from internal components in the valving that came apart as well. I dont yet have photos of that.
                          Ian Simon

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                            #14
                            Here is me putting my foot in my mouth. I checked last night and the dimensions for the upper part of the 8610 race strut are different than the VW Carrado struts. So when i tightened down the strut tube gland nut (assuming it was just like the carrado) it compressed on the outer housing of the shock and not the shock gland to shock body. Thats what I what i get for only checking shock length comparisons.

                            R3V idiot right here

                            PSA if you buy 8610 race shocks, check the dimensions on the top of your strut in relation to the BMW strut tube gland nut
                            Ian Simon

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                              #15
                              Don't you have to use a specific gland nut with the race inserts? Or am i imagining things?
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