THSCC Forums

I was thinking about getting a set of the double adj. inserts and I was wondering if I could put them in myself. I contacted a couple of places that will install them in my struts, valve them, and put the the springs on for like $3000. That seems kind of high. Koni said the inserts alone were $293 each and that I could get them from a dealer for cheaper.

Anyone installed these yourself? Also, do you have to get the double adj. ones customed valved or will the standard valving they come with work?

thanks
Marcus

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"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Who did you talk to at Koni?

I called whoever GH recommended and asked about shocks for the STi and all I got was "you should wait." They said the singles for the WRX will work but probably aren't ideally valved and they were still working on something for the STi. There were no doubles. This was a few months ago, though.

The $3000 number sounds like a custom "wet kit" number, not a number for inserts. A wet kit is basically new guts in your old body, but unlike an insert they are *rebuilt* in your body. An insert is where you cut your body open, drop in an off-the-shelf shock, and bolt it in place. Big difference, really.

Need more data.


--Donnie

I just sent in a question about inserts to their info email. The person replied that the double adj. inserts on page nine of their motorsports catalog were what they offered. He did not really say which one specifically would work for the STi. They list 3 different sizes. It is the 8611 series insert. He said that they are non-sealed and may require the strut to be modified.

The 3k number was from truechoice in Ohio. They said they would use inserts. Cobb tuning also sells a strut that they build with koni inserts for about 3k. They are supposed to be coming out with one for the STi.

Marcus

_________________
Silver Honda
Green Ford
Blue/White Suzuki
Red Triumph
Grey BMW

"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Try calling Lee at Koni, 859-586-4100 ext 316 He has been very helpfull in the past for lost of people and see what he has to say.

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David Teague
2015 Lexus IS 250c
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http://teaguefamily.us

I've installed/ reinstalled the Koni inserts about 4 times now on my cars. It's pretty easy with the right tools, just dirty & time-consuming. Talk Tom Hoppe into helping you do it at his house.

What's your suspension setup now, btw?

Ryan and I installed Koni inserts on my Z-24. The only thing you need that you may not have is a good pipe cutter. I had one from work (a big one) and after three turns the old strut housing was cut into. That hacksaw method shown in Koni's terrible directions is silly IMO.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

You can't do inserts on the STi Inverted struts.

The only way you get around that is to get 04 WRX struts and use those as donors.

Also anything Cobb is trash.

Having said that, in order of cheapness
1) stock koni inserts in 04 WRX struts $600
2) revalved double koni inserts in 04 WRX struts $1200
3) wet kit, send 04 WRX struts in and they will build you a set $2500-3000

-Tom

Ummm... I know Tom has sponsors & all, so I'll share with you that Billy Brooks is using the Cobb/Koni suspension on his 2.5RS and doing really well in STS. (he also has a slightly unconventional setup that nobody with a "normal" setup can drive right )

If it was me, I'd try out the ground control coilover kit on the stock STi struts, though - I've heard that works really well with springs around 300 lb/in.

Why yes it does!

And has also said "if I had to do it again I wouldn't buy these, but I spend damn close to $2500 on these so I guess I'm stuck using them"

-Tom

I was searching last night and I think I found another option. I really wanted something that was double adj. The insert route seems like too much of a PITA. The other shocks I am looking at ar KW suspension Variant 3. They have a connection to Koni. I think Koni actually supplies the guts for their coilovers.

Tom, why do you dislike Cobb so much?

Kevin, right now I only have a different set of springs on the stock struts.

thanks for the replies
Marcus

_________________
Silver Honda
Green Ford
Blue/White Suzuki
Red Triumph
Grey BMW

"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Do you actually know how to setup a double adjustable shock? There is a reason we're on single adjustable teins, and thats cause you can get in way over your head with a double adjustable.

I also don't like the KW rebound curves.

I dislike Cobb because every car they have put anything on has been slow, the products that they "make" to suck (Accessport for example), they repaint products and call them their "own", and they are way overpriced.

-Tom

IMHO, DAs just give you more of an opportunity to screw things up.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Not sure if Tein RA is available for STi, but they're only around $2100, I think. I bet Dale can tell you...

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm still trying to decide...AS, ESP, or STU prep for my STi. I do already have a huge front bar and a cat back exhaust for it.

Is there much difference in prep level ability between STU and ESP other than the tire thing? I haven't bothered to check the rules at length, obviously. I still lean AS since I do like to drive the car *often* on the street.


--Donnie

STU? Is that class still around? I'm aware of STS and STX. STX limits rim width to 8" and tire width to 245mm, while ESP allows wider rims/tires. You can also remove the cats in ESP, but that would be wrong for a street car.

Also, in ESP you tend to suffer braking problems, talk to yourself during trophy ceremonies, and suffer hair loss. Generally, it's best to avoid us