Noob question regarding Konis

olegd88 · 11th August 2012, 08:23

Hey guys,

So I was finally about to get my rear koni yellows and dinan springs installed, however neither I nor the mechanic could figure out how to properly adjust the rear shocks. Ive read that they must be 1.25 turns from full soft, however I am not sure what "full soft" is.

How do you guys adjust them properly? I tried locking them into a vise (being careful not to damage the thread), then compressing them by hand and trying to turn them. I feel something on the bottom, and I think the firmness is changing, however I am not sure at which end (soft or firm) it is.

From my understanding, I have to pay turn it all the way to soft, until it cannot be turned anymore and then turn it 1.25 turns.

Any input is really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

olegd88 · 12th August 2012, 04:01

Anyone??

josiahg52 · 12th August 2012, 04:41

The problem with going from the SOFT adjustment is that you don't know how many turns "out" full SOFT actually is and then if you go adjusting from that point the shocks may not be at equal adjustment points. It may not be enough to matter, but I went from full HARD.

To adjust from full HARD:
- Depress the shaft all of the way in.
- While holding the shaft in, turn it clockwise until you feel the stop; continue holding the shaft in.
- Turn back the shaft the desired number of turns.

To adjust from full SOFT:
- Depress the shaft all of the way in.
- While holding the shaft in, turn it COUNTER-clockwise until you feel the stop; continue holding the shaft in.
- Turn back the shaft the desired number of turns.
- Release the shaft.

Again, I don't recommend adjustment from full SOFT.

CSBM5 · 12th August 2012, 04:42

It's been too many years since I've adjusted the rears, but see this link from Koni to see if it helps. Yes, Dinan recommends 1.25 turns off full soft, so that part is correct. I think for the Dinan springs and valving it is about perfect. It won't feel underdamped, especially at slow speeds. Dinan spring rates are well under the GC rates.

josiahg52 · 12th August 2012, 04:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSBM5

It's been too many years since I've adjusted the rears, but see this link from Koni to see if it helps. Yes, Dinan recommends 1.25 turns off full soft, so that part is correct. I think for the Dinan springs and valving it is about perfect. It won't feel underdamped, especially at slow speeds. Dinan spring rates are well under the GC rates.

Good point: it does depend on the type of spring and the spring rate that the OP is using. I didn't think of that.

olegd88 · 12th August 2012, 23:58

Thanks for the input guys. I did try the above earlier, however for some reason I could not find the stop for full soft. I think I found the spot for full hard, because at that setting the shock just wouldnt open back up for a while.

Also, when you say clockwise, counterclockwise, which way are you looking at the shock.. is it right side up (the way it is mounted in the car), or upside down, the way most people adjust them in a vise?

Am I correct to assume that there will be a stop at the Full soft point as well as the full hard point? Perhaps I am not pressing it down all the way, since it is pretty hard to keep it down while turning.

Seems like something so simple, but yet very frustrating for me right now.

CSBM5 · 13th August 2012, 00:43

From what I recall (and this is a bit foggy), it is as-installed looking down from above -- use that orientation for clockwise/counterclockwise. Clockwise = firmer, counter = softer. Yes, there are hard stops at full hard and full soft, and they should be about 2.5 turns apart from each other. You will have to ensure that once you engage the adjuster that you keep downward pressure on the shaft while turning to your desired adjustment. Hopefully you can verify the direction vs rebound stiffness by sampling it at full soft vs full hard locations by hand.

josiahg52 · 13th August 2012, 01:54

Adjust the shock as looking down on the shock as installed on the vehicle. The soft "stop" is very, well, soft. You can easily blow right by it. IIRC, it is just distorted threads. My left shock was a little over three turns from hard to soft and the right was a little over 3.25 turns which is why I did not adjust from the full soft adjustment.

olegd88 · 13th August 2012, 03:44

I am sure I will realize how simple it all is once I figure it out, however.. that just confused me more.

What do you mean that I can blow past it? Is it not a defined stop where it can no longer turn anymore?

josiahg52 · 13th August 2012, 07:28

Yes, if you apply to much torque you can go past the full-soft stop. It is not a solid stop like the full-hard stop is.

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