This guide will walk you through building your own Koni coilovers for
about 500 dollars. Koni struts have a smaller body diameter so they
will accept standard " large body" coil over sleeves.
Starting
with a new Koni sport adjustable shock, cut a slice in the
lower spring seat. Cut it on the side that has the small hole in it. I
used a chop saw, but a hack saw (etc) will work also. Cut right up to
the little hole.
Using a
small disc grinder, grind a shallow grove around the seat just under
the weld. Don't go too deep or you will score the actual strut body!
You are not trying to cut all the way through the seat!
Now using
a small sharp chisel connect the grove to the small hole in
the spring seat. Don't chisel straight into the strut, you don't want
to
dent the body! Chisel in a downward direction.
Hammer up
and down (gently but firmly) on one edge of the seat until your grove
starts to crack. Continue hammering around the seat until it
is loose.
Using a
pair of channel locks or vice grips etc., twist and deform the
loose seat enough to open up the hole so it will slide up and off.
Using
your angle grinder, grind the weld down to a height that is just
small enough to let the coilover sleeve slide over it. Now spray paint
over the raw metal to prevent rust.
Test fit
the sleeve on the strut. The sleeve should sit on top of the sway link
bracket.
Now to
make the upper spring seat and to modify the stock upper spring seat.
Using 1/4" thick 6061 alum plate cut out a 3.5" disk and a 2.5" disk.
Hold the
stock with plyers while using to drill to avoid injury.
Next
drill out the centers the same size as the shock shaft
size. Slide
the two discs over the shaft and clamp them together, remove them and
drill two holes. Pop rivet the two pieces together. Then slide
everything back onto the
shock for another test fit.
Now take
the stock upper perch and trim it down to about 3.5" diam.
When
cleaned up it should look like this.
Screw the
new lower spring seat down the sleeve. They have a set
screw with a plastic tip on it for locking the seat in place.
Using a
razor take your stock strut bump stop and cut it in half, saving the
top part.
Then
slide the modified bump stop on the shaft,
then the
spring and
upper seat,
then the
modified stock upper seat and the rest of the
stock hardware.
Congratulations.
For about 500 dollars you have just built yourself a set of Koni
coilovers.
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