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Let's talk about the Koni Yellows/Sport install. . .

snobrdrdan

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
So I've installed a few of these now, but found it odd that not ONE single person has mentioned how they won't fit right out of the box.

First off...the fit is super tight in the spindle. We had to leave the strut spreader bit in, put a wheel on, and lower the car on the ground for it to fully seat. That was after lots of lube and even cleaning the inside of the spindle with a scotch brite too (for no rust).

Second....with the tab on the strut in the way, it makes it almost impossible to open the strut up with the strut spreader bit. You have to wedge the bit into the bottom and at the risk of stripping out the spindle...since there is less "meat" there.

Third....if you have the strut fully seated against the lip on the bottom of the spindle, the tab then blocks the strut bolt from going thru. (the hole on the tab doesn't line up with the hole in the spindle)

I've cut some of the tab off and this solves the problem (also on the Koni coilovers)....but how has no one else mentioned this and/or ran into it?

Pic of what needs to be cut off:
Untitled by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

/rant
 
V

v.b

Ready to race!
I know exactly what you're talking about. I've installed and uninstalled mine a few times and cursed profusely - all 3 of your points are valid. I haven't installed any other aftermarket shocks so I had no idea these are particularly frustrating. I never had to lower the car with the wheel on to get them to seat though, just beating the spindle with a rubber mallet worked for me.
 
snobrdrdan

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
v.b said:
I know exactly what you're talking about. I've installed and uninstalled mine a few times and cursed profusely - all 3 of your points are valid. I haven't installed any other aftermarket shocks so I had no idea these are particularly frustrating. I never had to lower the car with the wheel on to get them to seat though, just beating the spindle with a rubber mallet worked for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks...now I feel better

kern417 said:
what's the part number on yours? this doesn't sound typical in any way.
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Wasn't my car....it was BjxGTI's and he had the right dampers.

Like I said....removing that lower part of the tab makes the install waaaay easier.
Same thing with the Koni coilovers...which I've 4 sets of.

Before:
IMG_5470 by Dan W, on Flickr

After:
IMG_5471 by Dan W, on Flickr





Koni STr.T's dont have this same tab btw, and drop right in....like OEM ones:
IMG_6254 by snobrdrdan, on Flickr



If anyone has had someone else install these for you, and they didn't modify it, I would almost guarantee that the strut isn't fully seated into the bottom of the spindle....because the bolt won't go thru (due to the tab blocking it) if it is seated all the way.


Removing the bottom part doesn't hurt anything though. I just didn't understand why no one has ever mentioned it. It's specific to these Konis too
 
sticksabuser

sticksabuser

Ready to race!
What about the FSDs?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
snobrdrdan

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
sticksabuser said:
What about the FSDs?
Click to expand...

Haven't ever installed those, personally.

Looks like the same thing though:
 
A

aw6141

Go Kart Champion
I'll have to double check mine then, but I've had my konis on since 2012, if it didn't fully sit in the spindle I would be sitting higher wouldn't I?
 
RacingManiac

RacingManiac

Drag Race Newbie
They didn't go in too easily on the MK7 neither, but the MK7 version doesn't have that tab anymore, its just a small piece of sheet metal where the OEM one is, and is actually smaller than the OE tab.
 
V

v.b

Ready to race!
aw614 said:
I'll have to double check mine then, but I've had my konis on since 2012, if it didn't fully sit in the spindle I would be sitting higher wouldn't I?
Click to expand...

We're talking about 1-2mm of a difference here at most.
 
snobrdrdan

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
kern417 said:
what is the tab (supposed to be) for?

edit: this diy from 2009 shows the tab too but i can't tell if he modified it or not. his oem strut has a tab at the bottom too that i never noticed on mine. either way he got it to work.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4330188

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Just to tell you where it's supposed to go, in-between the crack/split in the spindle.
That's why I don't remove the whole thing, just the lower part where the spreader bit goes

None of the other struts use a full tab like the Konis.
Like I said....removing it just makes life a little easier, putting the strut spreader bit in a better location on the spindle to open it up

You can put it at the bottom (like in the pic), but because there isn't much metal there (as opposed to higher up)...it's a little trickier

I'm not saying it can't be done, btw, with the tab. It's just a lot easier without it
 
K

kern417

Go Kart Champion
oh i get it, like i said i didn't notice that tab even on my oem struts. but it works either way like was stated before you might get an extra 1-2mm lower which isn't anything to really worry about imo.
 
snobrdrdan

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
kern417 said:
oh i get it, like i said i didn't notice that tab even on my oem struts. but it works either way like was stated before you might get an extra 1-2mm lower which isn't anything to really worry about imo.
Click to expand...

Having an easier install though = priceless ;)
 
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