AGX are toast. Need Koni's

[Var]

It's been about 25K miles on my KYB AGX and the rears are getting really bouncy. I noticed a big change in their behavior over a period of 2 weeks. The rebound is too bouncy. The first 8 or 9 thousand miles i was running Eibach pro-kits with whatever rates they have. Then i switched over to Ground Controls. I ran 6.7K up front and 4.5K in the rear for about 10K miles. Then i got stiffer rear springs (up to 5.5K) This is when the car really started to have nice turn in and good neutral feeling. Anyways..now they are getting gay on me so i have decided to switch over to some Koni's since i've been hearing and reading that rebound adjustability is more crucial than bump. This way the inside shocks prevent body roll with strong rebound while the outsides can better cushion the car and hold traction cause they arent using their bump valving to hold the car level. So who has good deals on Koni yellows? i need them modified for GC springs.

[pruto]

mmm, your AGX died on you because your springs were too stiff. Running sport springs on stock shocks destroy the shocks, same concept. I don't think AGX were meant for 5,6,7k springs or lowering past 2 inches. If you want them to last, you'll have to revalve them for that kind of abuse or find some really stiff shocks (JDM good stuff).

Seriously tho, if you want stiff springs, just get coilovers, a basic set of tein HEs shouldn't cost you much more than your GCs+any kind of shocks. With real coilovers, the shocks are valved to match the spring rate, it should last you longer and give a better feel.

[Var]

i already know why my shocks went bad. Agx are not re-buildable therefore not re-valvable. I already have the ground controls so i've already spent the extra money on the coils, i just need better shocks. Koni's can handle up to 11K springs off the shelf and the stroke isnt affected by the ride height. I've done a bit of research on it. I have HA's on my other car which is only for drifting. This one is for mountain racing/daily driving. Maybe I'll end up putting the HA's on this car and buying some Zeals for the drift car some day..but maybe not. I also need to know if the Koni Yellows made for the s13 are externally adjustable or not. That is a big deciding factor.

[HaLo]

Got the same problem with AGX... mine lasted around 10k miles on 7.5 / 6.9 kgmm springs (Ground control)

Now I am running D2 coilovers... Great difference.

[brianglawson]

KYB AGX isnt suppose to be used with springs that lower the car more than an inch and a half, Read the box...haha, groundcontrols you can slam like what, 3 inches?

[kazuo]

http://www.optauto.com/webstore/product_information.asp?number=K-86411364&variation=&aitem=1&mitem=11&back=yes&dept=1505

Rears cost about the same doo.

I'll check LP cost for you. :P

[pruto]

well, IIRC, front konis are like the AGX, there is a dial on the shock body. However, rear konis are a bitch. They are shock inserts, so a) you need to cut your old struts and insert these as replacement and b) not externally adjustable. You need to take them off and the adjustment is a twist action on the shock body itself, from what i've heard. So it'll take maybe 30 minutes to adjust your rear shocks. Not THAT big of a deal but definately not as easy as most adjustable shocks.

Other people are welcome to correct me if i'm wrong. This is why i didn't buy koni yellows when i went for the shock/spring thing 2 years ago. (I had GABs)

[Var]

http://www.optauto.com/webstore/product_information.asp?number=K-86411364&variation=&aitem=1&mitem=11&back=yes&dept=1505

Rears cost about the same doo.

I'll check LP cost for you. :P


best deal i found so far is 565 shipped for all 4

koni makes different types of shocks for every car..some are and some arent adjustable externally. it's model specific. i'll check with koni or ground control.

[GotDriftS14]

MrMigs had konis in the rear. it sucked because to adjust them, you had to lift up the car, remove the strut, take out the spring, fully compress the strut piston, then turn it and re-install it. needless to say, we didnt too all that much experimentation with shock settins in the rear. the fronts were easy though, just use the Koni knob on the top of the strut piston to tighten it up.

[AKADriver]

I talked to someone at Koni about the rear shock application for the 240SX.

The reason for the weird adjustment procedure is even weirder than you think. It's not because they're inserts - it's because an adjuster at the top of the shock rod would be partially obscured by the interior. I'm not joking.

Koni is a Dutch company, so the way they design these things depends on the whims of the European market. Europeans don't want to run with parts of the interior missing or pull any of it to adjust things... so they can make the rear shock cheaper if they make it only internally adjustable.

However, Koni USA, as part of standard rebuilding/revalving procedures, can convert a 240SX rear shock to externally adjustable by a knob at the top for something like $15.

If Konis were more popular here for the 240SX, they could make them all that way from the factory. They'd cost $15 more, but they'd be a lot more useful. Koni USA already does this with other applications like the Ford Focus (internally adjustable for Europe, externally adjustable for USA).

Konis are awesome dampers.

[HaLo]

Konis are the best damper you can get. AGX are not even close to what Koni's offer in stiffness. :)

[hurleyboi514]

Koni's are designed to take 4-500 lb springs off the shelf, they are damn good dampers. and the fact that they can be rebuilt for different valving, adjustments, and so on is great if your a budget racer...

as for the rear shock adjustment, thats kind of a bitch. as for that top mount adjustablity for $15, where did you find that at? i was told about 150 to that...

[Var]

It's probably 15 bucks extra WHILE the shock is dissasembled for rebuilding. Since it's already open they just add the adjuster, otherwise they probably would charge the labor for a rebuild.

[hurleyboi514]

yah, could be...

[yudalicious]

westboroughpimp you mentioned that lowering more on KONIs is ok since it doesn't affect shock travel... can you explain this more?

[Var]

My friend spoke to the Koni tech(the guy that actually rebuilds/revalves the shocks)

Some shocks dont work effeciently in certain ranges. So even though you may not be bottoming out, and your shocks arent blown, if you lower your car past their range, they dont work right. The optimal drop for AGX is 1.5 inches. On a Koni shock, every point in the stroke of the shock acts the same reguardless of the ride height..so as long as you arent bottoming out, your shocks will work properly.

There are people with GC or other sleeved coil kits that use AGX. They had the car slammed up to 3 inches(on a honda i think/still not bottoming out though), then they raised it up by 2 inches and commented that the difference was like night and day in how the shocks performed. So i think my car not only has so much untapped potential because i was using crappy shocks, but i was even out of the optimal range of the crappy shocks. Now i'm out of the range of the crappy shocks with worn out crappy shocks and crappy tires ..and my car still handles? i cant wait for Koni's and Toyo Ra-1's.

[old_s13]

blah blah blah..



ill still smoke all of you.

[Var]

right right. when your car is finally running and you're way behind me, you can high beam me with your super crazy HID light and make me crash

[citizen]

i think old s13 is itching for a TOUGE BATTLLLEEEEE!

[HaLo]

Konis are great, but I got my D2 Coilovers for the same price. If they blow, I will go with konis.

[hurleyboi514]

westboroughpimp, whats next to the Ferrari in you pic? ive always wondered....

[Var]

it's a motogp yamaha bike