Koni shocks and struts. Info and how to adjust
05-12-2013, 12:04 AM
#102
I haven't even taken the insert out of the carton yet. I noticed what appears to be fluid around the adjustment knob.
Maybe it's just from the assembly?
Maybe it's just from the assembly?
Last edited by r1owner; 05-12-2013 at 12:09 AM.
05-12-2013, 06:19 PM
#104
Wow. For real. The back end is far more in control with the Koni rears and finally feels connected to the road. Also I just did a 700 mile trip and the back end feels much better on long drives. Someday I'll do fronts too. Just not comfortable cutting up my front struts to do this.
07-23-2013, 12:35 AM
#105
I know it's been a while. But I ended up buying riceburners fronts and installing them. The actual process of cutting the old strut and inserting the Koni's is very easy. Just make sure you follow the how to on this site https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/how-...-struts-57977/
The rear takes all of 15 minutes to install (installed at the same time as YYZ V.3 springs).
For the front make sure you use locktite on the bottom allen bolt holding the new strut in the old strut housing. Also make sure the top nut holding the strut onto the top mount is secure (I forgot to torque it on one side and it worked itself loose after 400 miles, once torqued correctly it hasn't given me a problem).
You will need new swaybar endlinks if you're still using stock ones, you'll destroy them trying to get those damn things off, you'll want to make sure you spray the bolts in penetrating oil the night before (if you don't and you're in the rust belt, the bolts aren't coming loose without heat then).
I'm also on a Powell hardcore rear swaybar and the results are amazing, if only I had better tires. Changed some perspectives on the cobalt at autocross even though it's only a base.
The rear takes all of 15 minutes to install (installed at the same time as YYZ V.3 springs).
For the front make sure you use locktite on the bottom allen bolt holding the new strut in the old strut housing. Also make sure the top nut holding the strut onto the top mount is secure (I forgot to torque it on one side and it worked itself loose after 400 miles, once torqued correctly it hasn't given me a problem).
You will need new swaybar endlinks if you're still using stock ones, you'll destroy them trying to get those damn things off, you'll want to make sure you spray the bolts in penetrating oil the night before (if you don't and you're in the rust belt, the bolts aren't coming loose without heat then).
I'm also on a Powell hardcore rear swaybar and the results are amazing, if only I had better tires. Changed some perspectives on the cobalt at autocross even though it's only a base.
08-23-2013, 05:58 AM
#112
Except when I was moving from ks to dallas and my car weighed in about 3500 then it looked lowered about another half inch lol but went back to normal height immediately after removing everything. I embrace the wheel gap 
11-26-2013, 02:10 PM
#116
I'm passing 85k miles on an 09 SS. I am looking into my replacing my struts as routine maintenance, although I have no real indication that they are going bad.
I read that the rears can really benefit from the konis, and are simple to install, versus the fronts which are more difficult to install and benefit less. Would I be fine just purchasing the rears, get some oem FE5 fronts and call it a day with the original springs? I have not run into worn out springs before to be honest but I've also never kept a car passed 75k.
Should springs be included in regular maintenance or should I put that into the if-it-breaks category.
I read that the rears can really benefit from the konis, and are simple to install, versus the fronts which are more difficult to install and benefit less. Would I be fine just purchasing the rears, get some oem FE5 fronts and call it a day with the original springs? I have not run into worn out springs before to be honest but I've also never kept a car passed 75k.
Should springs be included in regular maintenance or should I put that into the if-it-breaks category.
11-27-2013, 02:12 PM
#117
Quite frankly, I'm of the opinion that all 4 stock strut/shocks are undervalved. The car is much more stable with the Konis, especially through side to side transitions. There is a downside, if the car is too stable, it will be slower, but in stock form, the car can be a handful through quick turns, but I doubt most people here will ever experience that.
The Konis are much more predictable, even on lower rate springs like the Pedders, and they are gold with the YYZ.
The Konis are much more predictable, even on lower rate springs like the Pedders, and they are gold with the YYZ.
11-30-2013, 12:32 PM
#119
Quite frankly, I'm of the opinion that all 4 stock strut/shocks are undervalved. The car is much more stable with the Konis, especially through side to side transitions. There is a downside, if the car is too stable, it will be slower, but in stock form, the car can be a handful through quick turns, but I doubt most people here will ever experience that.
The Konis are much more predictable, even on lower rate springs like the Pedders, and they are gold with the YYZ.
The Konis are much more predictable, even on lower rate springs like the Pedders, and they are gold with the YYZ.
12-04-2013, 08:41 PM
#120
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Ok so I just got my koni shocks in the mail today. I'm probably going to install them tomorrow. There acting weird though. I compressed them all the way and turned them both exactly 1 full turn from soft. Then I compressed both of them and 1 rebounds much faster than the other one consistently. I've re-adjusted 3 times now and same thing. I adjusted one more hard and there both exactly the same rebound now....but that one is probably about 1.5 turns from soft. Is that okay?
12-04-2013, 08:51 PM
#121
Quite frankly, I'm of the opinion that all 4 stock strut/shocks are undervalved. The car is much more stable with the Konis, especially through side to side transitions. There is a downside, if the car is too stable, it will be slower, but in stock form, the car can be a handful through quick turns, but I doubt most people here will ever experience that.
The Konis are much more predictable, even on lower rate springs like the Pedders, and they are gold with the YYZ.
The Konis are much more predictable, even on lower rate springs like the Pedders, and they are gold with the YYZ.
The back of the car was always a tick behind the front of the car until John talked me into konis. maybe it was slower with the konis, but it sure felt more stable, and that let me drive with more confidence.
12-04-2013, 09:16 PM
#122
you probably are not adjusting quite right they dont always bottom or extend the same amount its sometimes a slight turn past full hard on the clicks if you understand what i mean; but just free movement off the car means nothing unless they are dead.
12-04-2013, 09:29 PM
#123
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Not really sure what your talking about. Should I just adjust both to 1 full turn from soft and not worry about the fairly significant difference in rebound or should I adjust one of them to 1 full turn and the other one to about 1 and a half which makes them both rebound exactly the same?
12-04-2013, 09:48 PM
#125
you press down to engage the adjuster and turn. as you count the turns, its possible to get to the limit of full hard for example then unwind and go past the full soft click. does that make sense to you. or put another way, as you engage the adjuster there may be some lost motion or you skip over it.
read wangspeeds destructions and start over.
read wangspeeds destructions and start over.