Preparation for Koni inserts

[Nvy]

Can I pressure clean the struts after I wire brushed them? Want to remove the dirt so I can paint them.

[shnazzle]

Can I pressure clean the struts after I wire brushed them? Want to remove the dirt so I can paint them.

Can't see why not... You're removing the guts anyway. As long as you thoroughly dry and lubricate the inside before you slide the Konis in.

[Joesson]

Can I pressure clean the struts after I wire brushed them? Want to remove the dirt so I can paint them.

I think I would use a bucket full of soapy water and a brush. Otherwise you will
"clean" everything, including yourself, within quite a range of a pressure washer.

[Nvy]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

[Joesson]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

If they are really that dirty are you sure that they are in good condition underneath that dirt?
Medium / shot/ sand blasting would be the best way of cleaning and preparing for a paint finish.

[Nvy]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

If they are really that dirty are you sure that they are in good condition underneath that dirt?
Medium / shot/ sand blasting would be the best way of cleaning and preparing for a paint finish.

Sand blasting them would cost the same as brand new KYBs. They are charging 50 euros per strut, already asked that They are not that rusty, I threated them with a rust something, it makes the rust look orange and can be painted on top of it

[Joesson]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

If they are really that dirty are you sure that they are in good condition underneath that dirt?
Medium / shot/ sand blasting would be the best way of cleaning and preparing for a paint finish.

Sand blasting them would cost the same as brand new KYBs. They are charging 50 euros per strut, already asked that They are not that rusty, I threated them with a rust something, it makes the rust look orange and can be painted on top of it

Best ain't always cost effective, but that sounds like highway robbery.

[Nvy]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

If they are really that dirty are you sure that they are in good condition underneath that dirt?
Medium / shot/ sand blasting would be the best way of cleaning and preparing for a paint finish.

Sand blasting them would cost the same as brand new KYBs. They are charging 50 euros per strut, already asked that They are not that rusty, I threated them with a rust something, it makes the rust look orange and can be painted on top of it

Best ain't always cost effective, but that sounds like highway robbery.

Before I bought new springs I asked them to sandblast my old ones.They asked for 120 euros for all 4, I just went ahead and bought new Eibach for 135 delivered. Price is just insane.

[Joesson]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

If they are really that dirty are you sure that they are in good condition underneath that dirt?
Medium / shot/ sand blasting would be the best way of cleaning and preparing for a paint finish.

Sand blasting them would cost the same as brand new KYBs. They are charging 50 euros per strut, already asked that They are not that rusty, I threated them with a rust something, it makes the rust look orange and can be painted on top of it

Best ain't always cost effective, but that sounds like highway robbery.

Before I bought new springs I asked them to sandblast my old ones.They asked for 120 euros for all 4, I just went ahead and bought new Eibach for 135 delivered. Price is just insane.

Agreed.

[Gaz mr-s]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

You should buy an angle-grinder & do it yourself.  I bought one for 1st time aged 60.  Useful tool.

[Nvy]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

You should buy an angle-grinder & do it yourself.  I bought one for 1st time aged 60.  Useful tool.

I think its going to be the case with me too as nobody seems to cut shocks in Sofia lol. Called 3 "tuning" places and nobody wants to do it, I will give them many labor hours business but they seems that dont care about my money..

[Gaz mr-s]

I removed most of the rust and will take them to a car wash to remove the dust from them. Then will dry them with a towel and will paint them. After that will take them to a guy to cut them and slide the inserts in.

You should buy an angle-grinder & do it yourself.  I bought one for 1st time aged 60.  Useful tool.

I think its going to be the case with me too as nobody seems to cut shocks in Sofia lol. Called 3 "tuning" places and nobody wants to do it, I will give them many labor hours business but they seems that dont care about my money..

Most of them will not have heard of it before, & will just be used to selling new parts. It's not difficult, just make sure you leave enough strut length to allow the 'nibs' on the Koni to go inside the strut housing.  I first cut near the top to get the KYB cartridge out, then doing the 2nd cut was easier with the cartridge out.

[Nvy]

There are steps that are printed in the box, for mr2 it says 65mm from the crown. Shouldnt be that hard but I dont have the tools or a vise. Will look for some other shops and if nobody want to do it will go ahead and buy the stuff and do it myself.

[Iain]

Theres a video online of how to do them, fairly straight forward

https://youtu.be/PXSnNZt3NiI

[Joesson]

There are steps that are printed in the box, for mr2 it says 65mm from the crown. Shouldnt be that hard but I dont have the tools or a vise. Will look for some other shops and if nobody want to do it will go ahead and buy the stuff and do it myself.

As you have the motivation to do things for yourself buying tools as you need them to do a job is a good way of collecting a toolset.
Rather than a vise which would need a bench you could consider a WorkMate or similar folding bench/ vise.
A small hand grinder, mains or battery determined by your circumstances, mains are cheaper, with thin cutting discs. I suggest a small grinder as more useful around the car and the large ones are heavy to use.
Compared to hourly work rates tools are cheap!

[Beachbum957]

I have done a number of Koni installs and just used a hacksaw to cut the housing, using the measurements with the insert instructions.  If in doubt, don't cut as far down.  You can always make a second cut, but adding to a too short housing ......  Then the cut was cleaned up with a flat file.  Try to make the cut square, but if isn't off much, it won't matter.

The hardest part is probably drilling the hole for the lower bolt in the center of the housing.  If you miss a bit, just make a slightly larger whole.  I also had a couple inserts when the weld around the bottom of the cartridge had a slight high spot that needed to be filled off to fit smoothly in the housing. 

If all done correctly, it may take a slight amount of force to push the insert completely into the housing.  Make sure the insert is fully bottomed before installing the bolt. The threads on the bottom of the insert aren't that deep, so using the bolt to pull in the insert is not a great idea.  I learned the hard way on the first one I installed!

[Nvy]

I have done a number of Koni installs and just used a hacksaw to cut the housing, using the measurements with the insert instructions.  If in doubt, don't cut as far down.  You can always make a second cut, but adding to a too short housing ......  Then the cut was cleaned up with a flat file.  Try to make the cut square, but if isn't off much, it won't matter.

The hardest part is probably drilling the hole for the lower bolt in the center of the housing.  If you miss a bit, just make a slightly larger whole.  I also had a couple inserts when the weld around the bottom of the cartridge had a slight high spot that needed to be filled off to fit smoothly in the housing. 

If all done correctly, it may take a slight amount of force to push the insert completely into the housing.  Make sure the insert is fully bottomed before installing the bolt. The threads on the bottom of the insert aren't that deep, so using the bolt to pull in the insert is not a great idea.  I learned the hard way on the first one I installed!

I did some measurements today and 65mm is almost down to the crown that the spring sits on. Maybe about a cm left. Is that how it is supposed to be?

[Gaz mr-s]

You cannot view this attachment.

For extra reassurance lay an insert with the bottom of the insert aligned.  Make sure the insert 'nibs' will align inside the strut housing.

[Nvy]

You cannot view this attachment.

For extra reassurance lay an insert with the bottom of the insert aligned.  Make sure the insert 'nibs' will align inside the strut housing.

Did your fronts had a smaller upper part? It starts couple of cm above the spring seat.

[Gaz mr-s]

If you are meaning is the length of the front housing above the spring seat different front & rear, yes, think they were.  Laying them alongside each other should tell you....

[Nvy]

So the instructions are a bit wrong I think I will take lots of pics and will write how to for dummies after that. Fronts has to be cut way down than the rears but the instructions say 65mm on both.

[Gaz mr-s]

So the instructions are a bit wrong I think I will take lots of pics and will write how to for dummies after that. Fronts has to be cut way down than the rears but the instructions say 65mm on both.

Yes, I'd forgotten about that. Since most Dutch speak English well & the size of the company, the wee sheets are a joke.

[Beachbum957]

The Koni instructions are not correct or rather partially correct.  65mm is correct for the front as that is right at the point the housing flares out to the larger diameter.  The boot for the shock body on the front will bottom on the spring mount. 

But the rear should be cut just below the "cap" on the strut or about 30 mm.  I just verified with an old strut and a worn out rear Koni insert I have.

[Nvy]

The Koni instructions are not correct or rather partially correct.  65mm is correct for the front as that is right at the point the housing flares out to the larger diameter.  The boot for the shock body on the front will bottom on the spring mount. 

But the rear should be cut just below the "cap" on the strut or about 30 mm.  I just verified with an old strut and a worn out rear Koni insert I have.

So I cut one of the rears but it seems that the insert doesnt want to go all the way in. It stops at about 45-46mm away from the nibs. Should I force it with a rubber mallet or?

[Gaz mr-s]

I had one that was tight. I lubed it & worked it & persuaded it in.