Im not sure since i have not done this, but I think you migh have one or more of these mixed up

(just posted stroke cuz im lazy, but all the dimensions match from what I see)
Front:
8611-1257 143mm stroke
8610-1436 143mm stroke

Rear:
8611-1258 158mm stroke
8610-1436 143mm stroke

from
http://www.koniracing.com/8611.cfm

but i dont know what the correct ones would be... theres not actually a 8610 with the exact dimensions of the 8611-1258 either....

i cant seem to find the 8610s for less than 200 each though! if anyone knows where to find them cheaper let me know

8610s are 200 everywhere. 8611's are 300.

Part numbers from Nissan Road Racing

If you want to confirm, PM veilside180sx there.

If another s14 owner has this setup and wants to chime in . . .

Thread saved! Great write up. I'm looking more and more into this setup!

great write up!

It's actually the 1257 and 1436 that I use for the rear S14 as well now.

from that first post, i was hoping they'd still be 200 a set, not each...

looks like im just going with the regular yellows on back rather than the inserts...

hope they can handle 450lb spring rate...

I got a quote from Shox.. the 8610 and 8611 inserts are $200/$300 each...

You're right. Editing the original post.

They came two per box, so I wasn't thinking.

My front spring perch just sits on top of my spring and makes a lot of noise over bumps. Any of you guys know of some way to get rid of this or at least quiet it. Pretty sure Vorschlag camber plates would've got rid of this but I had to go a different route. This is on an e30 btw but I don't think it would matter.

a few more random questions...

i get that the torrington bearing or the vorschlag top hats allow the spring to rotate when you spin the steering wheel, but what about the shaft of the strut?
does the shaft rotate separately from the shock body, or what?


Also, say i catch 5 feet or air in my 240sx (lol) what will happen to the springs? because if the suspension droops too far, they could un-seat, which would be bad. I think the konis have internal bumpstops in regards to droop travel... are you guys running them set up in a way that it keeps the springs on the perches, or what?

is there such a thing as an extra short helper spring? Seeing as how theyre about a half inch when compressed, theyre going to cut into my ride height because I want the perches above the tires for extra wide tires (like McCoys older setup: http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/dat..._spacer_02.jpg)

It might not ever be a problem, but it would be lame if the spring unseated every time you lifted a wheel....

I actually was thinking about this last night. Every time you jack up your car, would the spring be unseated?

well, if you had the GC collar high enough that the spring was touching both the collar and the hat when the shock is fully extended, then it would stay on the perches... but that might mean a higher ride height than you want... this of course depends on the position of the shocks range of travel (like 5 inches) vs the springs range of travel (say 3.5 inches)
It woudnt be a bad thing to have the springs be at nearly its max free length at max droop, atleast not in any way that i can see (if the spring rate was super stiff, i think it could damage the shock though, but maybe not), but that might require some sort of threaded piece to adjust the position of the shock, not just the springs, unless you made the housings the exact right position to begin with.

but yea, if i could just see a pic on one of these setups at max droop (on jacks like you said) then i'd have a better idea of how my setup is going to work out...

With the konis, i've read it takes a good while for the wheel to drop down even when on a lift because of the high rebound damping.

Meaning that the shock will never extend past where the spring can push it while driving.

makes sense... it would depend on the spring rate as well as the rebound.

But i never really see keeper springs on 500lb springs, its usually on stiffer ones, but not always.

I still wonder how far (and fast) they unseat when the car is on jacks though...

Found the post I was looking for.

Would anyone be able to explain why the housings are worth it vs just hacking up factory shocks? it look like perches where GC sits are designed for GC but besides that i'd really like to hear some facts as i am really looking to do this upgrade on my s14.

lower ride height
added travel
more wheel clearance inside
don't have to hack and measure yourself

You can't use 861x series struts with the stock strut housing. Those require a gland nut up top, and I believe are too big of a diameter for the stock housing.

Will those part numbers (Vorshlag, McMaster, Torrington) work if you use Koni yellows? I don't know the diameter of the shaft for Koni yellows.

Yellows have a different diameter. They're also stand-alone in the rear (no housing required).

They don't handle lowness or stiffer rates as well as the 86xx's either.

Convert Yellow + GC to this setup?
 

A while back, I got a set of Koni Yellows and the Ground Control kit with sleeves and 400/300 Eibach ERS springs. It worked ok on my S14 but it made a lot of noise -- mainly squeaks and creaks in the rear -- and I didn't have camber plates for the front so I couldn't get the car aligned properly. I swapped out that setup for a set of Stances with 8/6 springs, and recently I traded the Stances to my brother for Tanabes with 10/8 springs. The Tanabes are too low for me, even at their highest point, and both the Stances and Tanabes are too harsh.

My question is: can I convert the Koni Yellow + GC setup to something similar to what OptionZero did? What parts do I need to do it?

Squeaks and creaks? Never heard anything like that out of any Koni setup I've been around, except maybe the sound of fluid moving in the shocks at low temperatures(entirely normal, and not very loud).

All you need for the droop in the rear is a set of tender springs if you think that's causing noise - it isn't rocket science on putting them in. You need a spacer and a 2.5" ID set of tender springs.

The Koni Yellows that I have are designed for the OEM front housings and OEM springs. They aren't the same as the race inserts. Koni part numbers: Front 8641 1364Sport, rear 8040 1226Sport.

Front shock shaft diameters, measured with a digital caliper: 21.75 mm main shaft, 13.39 mm top. Above the top section is a short taper, and then the threads for the top nut(s).

Rear shock shaft diameters: 11.75 mm main shaft, 9.91 mm top. There is a bead between the body and the top section; it's a few mm wider than the main part of the shock shaft.

Will the Vorshlag spring perches and the Tein mounts fit on these shocks?

mine were very loud creaking and squeaking until i got some miles on them

semi off topic - but not completely


konis are badass - big ups.


I used the agx/gc setup before and if u go low - they unseat and POPBOOIIIIINNYOOIOIOINNNG back into place when u jack it... lol just like old jdm ones :P

konis probably wont do that - and if ur that serious u wont be that low anyhow.

No one replied to my question... Will the Vorshlag spring perches and the Tein mounts fit on OEM-style Koni Yellows?

Is it possible to get everything but the springs from GC?

why wont they fit? read the first page, look at number 8. The diameter of the shaft must fit inside the top bearing piece, either drill it out or replace or it might fit who knows. the link says it fits koni. you just need to know the shaft size.

the upper spring perch will fit as long as the inner diameter of the spring is the same.

yes, call them... might take a few calls, maybe some convincing, they usually resist because they get calls from kids all the time. But times are tough and everyone needs to make sales.

GC is run by a bunch of aholes. Chances are they won't sell you individual pieces, and they will probably give you quite a bit of attitude for your trouble.

Aww McCoy's pics are down!

I'd eventually move up to the 8610 / yellow setup, but right now, I need to spend the money to get the car back on the road instead.

Great write up!