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Old 07-04-2004, 01:13 AM   #1
dogWagon
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Member#: 61558
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago-NorCal-Raleigh NC
Vehicle:
04 wrx wgn silver

Unhappy koni insert install

So i decided to install the inserts this weekend. 04wrx wagon, I had installed tein h-tech springs a month ago.

Everything was going ok until I broke the threaded part of the inserts off

Now the car is sitting in the garage un-driveable. I have to wait until I can get a new insert shipped to me. damn.....

I was putting the tophat on and was using a electric impact wrench to put the nut on, I had done this on the other 3 with no issues. Then snap, took another hour to get the nut off. I had to drill through the top of the koni piston to get it off. Totally trashed it.

I hate it when this happens. This will cost me a good 150.00 to get a new one, plus the shipping and the wagon is dead untill I get it. Of course its the holiday weekend and the tirerack and koni is closed.

live in learn, if anyone was thinking of doing this dont let this scare you, it went pretty easy. I just wish I could run over to autozone and get a replace part, not that easy. Most places dont carry koni inserts.
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Old 07-06-2004, 05:16 PM   #2
cooleyjb
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what tophats did you use to put the rears in with???

konis don't fit 04 without some fiddling
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Old 07-06-2004, 07:51 PM   #3
DrBiggly
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02 WRX
Acute Stickeritis

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Sorry to hear about it; I've certainly had mishaps in install days of my own.
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Old 07-06-2004, 11:20 PM   #4
dogWagon
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Location: Chicago-NorCal-Raleigh NC
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04 wrx wgn silver

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stock tophats
Quote:
Originally posted by cooleyjb
what tophats did you use to put the rears in with???

konis don't fit 04 without some fiddling
I used the stock top hats, there is a lot posted on this board regarding the rear issues. The top of the insert piston and the top hat fit fine, the issue is the length of the threads. The inserts do not have enough threads to get a tight fit. I used two hardened washers as spacers.

That was what some others had done before.
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Old 07-07-2004, 12:44 PM   #5
subysouth
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Location: Ocean Springs, MS
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2007 Outback XT
Grey 5-speed (sold)

Default Re: koni insert install

Quote:
Originally posted by dogWagon
Everything was going ok until I broke the threaded part of the inserts off

I was putting the tophat on and was using a electric impact wrench to put the nut on, I had done this on the other 3 with no issues. Then snap, took another hour to get the nut off. I had to drill through the top of the koni piston to get it off. Totally trashed it.
Sorry to hear you had some bad luck, but your description is kinda confusing me. You were putting the top nut on the strut shaft correct? And it broke. Wouldnt that mean the nut would have come off with some the threaded tip stuck in the nut? Why would you have to drill the piston to get the nut off? You mean drill through the threaded piece stuck in the nut?

ss
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Old 07-07-2004, 11:07 PM   #6
dogWagon
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04 wrx wgn silver

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Quote:
Originally posted by subysouth
Sorry to hear you had some bad luck, but your description is kinda confusing me. You were putting the top nut on the strut shaft correct? And it broke. Wouldnt that mean the nut would have come off with some the threaded tip stuck in the nut? Why would you have to drill the piston to get the nut off? You mean drill through the threaded piece stuck in the nut?

ss
The threaded part brok off in the nut, the nut and the very top of the insert were still attached to the piston. I could not back the nut off, it just turned the whole piece around, the tit adjuster on the top was attached through the hollow threaded tip. The nut didnt separate from the the rest of the shock. In the end I got the top inch of the piston top.

anyway it was kinda nuts, I finished the install today.

Of course in the directions it says not to use an impact wrench. I need to keep off the smokey smoke...
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Old 07-08-2004, 01:09 AM   #7
subysouth
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Location: Ocean Springs, MS
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2007 Outback XT
Grey 5-speed (sold)

Default

Quote:
Originally posted by dogWagon
The threaded part brok off in the nut, the nut and the very top of the insert were still attached to the piston. I could not back the nut off, it just turned the whole piece around, the tit adjuster on the top was attached through the hollow threaded tip. The nut didnt separate from the the rest of the shock. In the end I got the top inch of the piston top.

anyway it was kinda nuts, I finished the install today.

Of course in the directions it says not to use an impact wrench. I need to keep off the smokey smoke...
Got it, I'm glad you got it sorted. Maybe the tip is weaker because of the adjuster?

ss
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Old 09-13-2004, 01:44 AM   #8
whtlegacy
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DRZ400SM

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sorry to bring this thread back, but how are you supposed to secure the top to the strut without using an impact wrench?
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Old 09-13-2004, 03:16 AM   #9
Patrick Olsen
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1997 Legacy 2.5GT
1996 Impreza coupe

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I think every strut manufacturer in the world tells you not to use an impact wrench to tighten down the top mounts, but everybody does it anyway. I did it with my old DMS Golds (repeatedly, since they sucked and had to come off the car 3 times), and I've done it with stock struts and my Koni inserts. Never had a problem.

My guess is that dogWagon got that last one cross-threaded and that's why it broke, but I dunno. I still don't understand his description of what happened, so my hypothesis could be completely wrong.

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan
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Old 10-06-2004, 08:40 AM   #10
gotsol
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White

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Quote:
Originally Posted by dogWagon
stock tophats

I used the stock top hats, there is a lot posted on this board regarding the rear issues. The top of the insert piston and the top hat fit fine, the issue is the length of the threads. The inserts do not have enough threads to get a tight fit. I used two hardened washers as spacers.

That was what some others had done before.
Can you give me some more details about this?

I am about to put 04 sti springs and top hats on my 02 wrx with Koni inserts, thanks
Patrick
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