Just as an FYI to all: Koni's spring sale is going on right now. This is the best time of year to buy a set of Konis. You can purchase from any of Koni's authorized resellers (tirerack.com, shox.com, redshiftmotorsports.com, etc.) Get 'em while they're hot!
autoanything.com also has them for a killer deal. I just spoke with them and they are an authorized reseller.
Yes, you have to cut the stock strut apart and slide the insert in. It's actually pretty easy to do, especially if you don't have to do it with a hack saw like I did.
I need to look into doing this. I just have to find out how, and if, this will work with stock 05 STI struts.
They don't fit sti struts and it sounds like you can only fit the early wrx struts (with koni inserts) into a pre-05 sti (hub fitment?). Sounds like you're out of luck.
It's possible, I've done them for an 05 STi. Takes a little more effort and some creative parts sourcing though. edit : I used this write-up, the one linked in there, and emailed TiC as a guide: http://www.iwsti.com/forums/gd-susp...nserts-05-sti-struts-project-pics-inside.html
I have looked into it and have not heard the greatest things. I may just end up going with BC Racing coilovers and be done with it. I don't drive the car in the winter.
put the work in on the konis. the valving is infinitely better than those Taiwanese POS. they'll actually ride pretty well, and definitely handle better.
Step 1: Buy Konis Step 2: Buy Ground control kit, inform them they will be paired with konis at time of order Step 3: ??? Step 4: have car that handles better and rides better than any Taiwanese made ****, and is also crazy upgradable from said base point.
Thanks! I'll mull it over and make a decision here shortly. I want this done before I take the car out of storage.
Pretty much, no. The most important part of the coil-over is the shock, hands down. It's also the most complicated. to do it right, factors including vehicle weight, corner loads, and spring rate just to name a few. An OTS koni yellow setup has been paired with the car, that's why you get a long part number for instance 8610-2069. That's a an 8610 body (single adjustable yellow) with a specific length, dimension, and dampening profile to match the average data for that car. they dampen them more aggressively than stock to add the sport aspect, but there's a nice adjuster that will let you figure it out. cheap ass coil-overs have a unifying feature: Adjustable lower mount. while this is found on high end shocks for cool stuff like independent preload and corner weighting functions, it's found on low end shocks for more or less one reason: To make one single shock body compatible with lots of different models of car. Same with the camber plates at the top. It's easier and cheaper to manufacturer a handfull of shocks with an "eh, close enough" dampening profile for a wide range of cars, and adapt that shock to fit on those cars with the use of custom top mounts and lower mounts that all attach to that same strut. This is why cheap ass coil overs bounce like crazy. The brands i'd put on my car are basically Koni, AST, Moton, and JRZ All of those brands, you'll notice don't go into adjustable lower mount territory until you're in the big bucks. This is because each set is basically hand made using a common shock body. Dampening is discussed with the customer before the parts are assembled, and they are then assembled to exact specifications. there is no "off the shelf" for that. The lower end models are all welded lower mounts, which adds strength, and you know damn well that shock was built for that car.
looks like http://www.autoanything.com i just re-ran the shocks for the legacy on there, and they're down to 467.33.. They take an additional 15% off when you put the shocks in the cart
FYI - Koni does not make inserts for the front struts on the STi's. 04-07 STi rear struts are the same fitment as the 04-07 WRX rear struts, so technically you could use the Koni inserts in your rear STi struts. A good option for the STi struts are Feal revalved struts with the Zerk grease fittings (for ease of re-greasing). Or Olihn fixed perch struts, if you can find a set.
DOH! I just read the rest of this thread and saw the IWSTi thread about using Koni's in a STi strut. I stand corrected!
I picked up a set of WRX donor struts for the rears. I just need to buy the inserts and some RCE Yellows and I should be golden. Just looking for the best price.
Nice. I had RCE Yellows with dspecs on my last wagon...I really enjoyed that setup. Good luck on the search, and make sure that you get the version 2 of RCE yellows. There should not be many V1's around out there, but it is something to be aware of. I believe the V1's have one less coil on the front springs than the V2's IIRC.
