Got my KONI "D"!!!! but...

[MBATF]

by just LOOKING at the instruction is already got me confused... all teh pictures.... so can some one plz give astep by step more clear instructions???? Thanks!

[CKlasse]

if you take off your wheels and look at the actual suspension, the instruction will make more sense ;)

[Three Point 6]

My Koni sports are in the mail & I will be putting them on the back this coming week! Cant wait to stop rolling like a yaht around corners. I'm setting mine for 3rd click full stiff.

[MBATF]

Originally posted by Three Point 6
My Koni sports are in the mail & I will be putting them on the back this coming week! Cant wait to stop rolling like a yaht around corners. I'm setting mine for 3rd click full stiff. I heard if u do the fulkl stiff will be too much..not sure..

[MBATF]

OMG..nm i think i was just too tired.. it swas such a simple things to done!! geez!!!!!!:D

[Brabus]

I got mine but I ain't even open them yet :p

[kameraguy]

Hot DOG, just got em too :)

David, so are you replacing your cup kit?!

Did you swap them already, and if so, do you feel a difference?

[Denlasoul]

Mine came on Sat, but I wasnt there to receive them :( Should be coming in today!

[nokia8860]

Originally posted by kameraguy
Hot DOG, just got em too :)


Wanna swap them on the 16th?

[kameraguy]

Originally posted by nokia8860
Wanna swap them on the 16th?

Sure, that sounds cool!!! But I dunno Joey, these instructions are like anything but...more obscure pictures (to me anyway) than actual instructions... I don't even know if I have everything because they show some items on the diagrams which didn't come with my shocks...so I hope the parts are already on my car, or they don't apply to us :/ Unless swapping shocks isn't rocket science and pictures are all you need :p

[MBATF]

DUDE, swap teh front shocks last nite and took for a test drive, i already can tell teh defferntces, Its much fermmer & soli,. but yea, extremly smooth rid, and today i wil be installing teh rears!

I have set at #1 MID all teh way around


And yes u have to take off parts from ur OEM shocks(if u still have tehm or else from teh shocks u have on ur car)

#1-you need to use a plyer to pull off teh metal sleeve(about 1 1/2 inch long on top of teh old shock)

#2- remove the dust cover

#3 after u remove teh dust cover u will see teh bump stop

#4 put them on to teh koni in teh same order as you took them off

rmeemebr do not mix up teh bump stop, cuz he front and rear are defferent size, only teh sleeves and dust covers are all teh same

[MBATF]

oh yeah and its a bioch to adjust teh shocks once its on teh car....
cuz you will have to take off tehshock to adjust them...

[Three Point 6]

I installed mine on the rear 3 days ago. Took me 2 hours. Tools needed, 17mm for the lugs and shocks, 10mm for the A-arm covers, & some small tools. Kinda a beatch installing the dust covers & actually my AMG Bilsteins were still in great shape(hard to compress) Well, yes it rides ALOT smoother over regular roads & corners ALOT flatter! Better than stock, but not by a whole lot. I am happy I got them. Cant wait to have the fronts on.

The stock Bilsteins have AMG engraved in the shock body and are very nice, but yes they are a compromise for comforts sake. No regrets on these Koni's!!! They are set to full stiff & they really aren't as stiff as I thought they would be on a previous car I owned & not as stiff as the ones on my buddies IS300. I guess KONI thought Benz owners still want a soft ride quality - still, no complaint here! The car handles AND rides better than stock! I was just expecting a real harsh, bouny, ricy ride quality & was pleasently surprised by a more supple ride(IMO)

Here are some pics.....
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/p9b775ee4d7fa5fad0bc7512cf66a24cd/fb775a34.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/pb0cc7dacd71596790718e6945d1a99a2/fb775a31.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/p611d1f17642d8384e769327deb0ba13f/fb775a2c.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/p075a9a1f212eb2a6aa3fc75e04ce6b4f/fb775a3a.jpg

[MBATF]

Have anyone set the C280 on full max???? i have on the mid..and kinda wanna to try the MAX..hellla workss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nokia8860]

Originally posted by MBATF
Have anyone set the C280 on full max???? i have on the mid..and kinda wanna to try the MAX..hellla workss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dood re read threepoints post.

[Denlasoul]

Three point:

What was your previous setup and how would you compare the two rides (old setup vs. new setup)?

Thansk

[Three Point 6]

Danlasoul,

Stock car has # 3pads front, #4 pads rear & AMG Bilsteins

Now, I still run the stock pads w/ H&R springs. Fronts are cut 1/2 coil. rears arent cut.

I still have the Bilsteins up front(no more ca$h!)

You will notice a difference backing out of the Garage first. The rear comes off the lip of the garage floor w/ more of a 'thud' feel than when the fronts roll out . The front of the car still has a 'loose' bounce to it. My buddies IS300 has the same Konis & his are hella-stiff compared to mine! Well after talking to him he stated that his got alot stiffer w/time! I believe it b/c I have had mine for 5 days now & they are getting stiffer. You can tell by pushing on the fender/bumper test. I guess it has to do w/heat/fluid/seals/gas in the shocks???

Most importantly, you know your car is stiff when the CD changer starts to skip like mine is now!!

08/13/03....update
Ok, the shocks dont seem like they are going to get any stiffer. The fender can be pushed down & you will see it return still. I was expecting the car to stiffen up in the rear to the point of 'no movement' but it never has. Just lettin you guys know that Konis dont get too stiff. Late

[Denlasoul]

Thanks for the reply. I will probably set mine to "2" and wait till they settle in before thinking about stepping up to 3.

[kameraguy]

I know i'm bringing up an old thread...

But Nokia and I finally hooked up to swap my shocks over the weekend, BUT....

1) we couldn't get the stock dust shields off the Bilsteins for re-use...

2) where are the bushings for the Koni mount where it meets the suspension arm?

I just re-read this thread and see MTBAF had to use pliers to somehow remove the metal sleeve which holds the dust cover on the OEM shocks....so i'll keep that in mind...

But how did you guys get around the bushing issue? Did your shocks come with them? I know mine did not.

Did you guys install the shocks without the bushings?

I can tell you this much....DO NOT try to remove the bushings from the OEM Bilstein shocks by either:

1) prying off each side with a screw driver....it's ONE PIECE! LOL!
2) tapping out the center metal shaft where the bolt goes through the one piece bushing in the efforts of taking it off....it's not only IMPOSSIBLE to replace without a vice and grease, but the bushings can't be used anyway as the inner diameter of the hole is different. Once you realize this and also realize you'll be stranded unless you can put that shock back on your car, just don't do this!

Nokia can concur on this i'm sure :p

[J Irwan]

dude.


you don't need plier to remove the metal sleeve (with integrated dust boot).

you just have to use chi :D:D:D (inner power) and use your hand :p

btw I replied to your email ;)

I was able to use everything that comes with the stock AMG-bilstein shock except I have to cut down the bumpstop and that's it. :)

Do you have any luck so far..?



Regardz,

[Tump43]

Sounds great. I need to get new shocks for my C43. Could you tell me what the model number of these Koni adjustables is and where you got them?

Will they work with my lowered C better than the AMG Bilstein shocks?

I'm hoping to get better handling without as much harsness as the O.E. shocks, would you recomend these as opposed to Bilstein Sports.

Thanks,

[kameraguy]

Thanks for all your help J. Joey and I will try this again soon and let you know.

I still can't imagine using the shocks without rubber bushings on the swingarm side....it looks like a bushing is supposed to go there.....

[J Irwan]

Originally posted by kameraguy
Thanks for all your help J. Joey and I will try this again soon and let you know.

I still can't imagine using the shocks without rubber bushings on the swingarm side....it looks like a bushing is supposed to go there.....



kam,

you don't need to supply additional bushing that's what I am trying to say.

if you look closely.

at the bottom at the shock the rubber bushing is painted then it has the metal sleeve on it's center for the bolt to slide through ;)

you could try to peel the paint on the rubber part.. ;)
the paint on the rubber part will eventually cracked as you drive the car

If you look closely there is a black part (that is the rubber and the pain has flaken off exposing the bushing)

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RADiAnwSJ00h7qeC7tjtvZxtwqYb6qkaBCfp5pmPmbE!S87OF FsKc522lpVa5DQ9n6Qz2N*Z5FMwQoyN7H!8YiOwBsuu4Ody57v iP26C1hc/107-0799_IMG.JPG


and here is another better shot of my front shock and its rubber bushing ;)

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RAAAAHcSAEywXmcFXKWDZt0s6rQraBoPu8j5!0X8fO34GH1oH HEll*y*DkJBWHovN2v3gMR1*0HZI31gi5NNu3P09lbVkPW0cSL yvaH10xY/108-0829_IMG.JPG


And don't worry it's normal (for the paint on the rubber part to peel off :D ).


Regardz,

[Brabus]

Interesting... Good thing your car went first Chris... then my car should be a breeze! haha j/k :p

[Eurosport]

omg DLS got shocks?
i'm calling CNN as we speak :D

[jnolte]

Originally posted by Eurosport
omg DLS got shocks?
i'm calling CNN as we speak :D

I dont think he got them installed yet......:(

[Denlasoul]

Originally posted by J Irwan
I was able to use everything that comes with the stock AMG-bilstein shock except I have to cut down the bumpstop and that's it. :)

J- why did you cut down your bumpstop?

Also, is their an easier way to remove the shock once it is unbolted? I think I'm doing it the hard way by compressing the shock by hand to get it out. **flex** :)

[J Irwan]

Originally posted by Denlasoul
J- why did you cut down your bumpstop?

Also, is their an easier way to remove the shock once it is unbolted? I think I'm doing it the hard way by compressing the shock by hand to get it out. **flex** :)




D,

I cut my bump stop so that the shock will have more room for travel before hitting the bump stop.

Since the car is lowered (has shorter spring that stock), the bump stop also need to be adjusted accordingly..


As far replacing/swapping the shock for the front, all you need is to undo

1: The sway bar outer brackets. (see E)
2: Undo the bottom horizontal bolt to the control arms (see bottom of B)
3: Undo the mounting nutts on top of the shocl (see top of B).
(This is accessible from the engine hood).


For the rear shock, it should be more straight forward as the procedure of swapping the shock should be the same as you were replacing the rear springs :)
1: Undo the sway bar link to the lower control arms (some people claims they do not need to do this, but I always disconnect this).
2. Undo the bottom horizontal bolt of the shock.
3. Jack the rear control arm underneath the "pivot point.
4. Undo the pivot bolt of the rear lower control arm on #3.
5. Lowered your jack slowly as the spring is in the compressed condition.
6. you should be able to take the rear shock off after undo the top upper mount (2 13mm locking nuts) ;) -- accessible from the trunk.

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SwCpBKAXqJtfz5kYscXcztqIQXwKDIaqIfWF8ZSIdp3GjX3EM 2qTQcFSN7TkkhBsdcXw!ImQJ8QrNaMIBFZOXpGQbKFRiVlNnS0 awExk6DcuO2hlZNv47Q/front-suspension.jpg



Regardz,

[KWiK]

J,
You sure go through a lot of work just to change shocks. There is no need to remove any bolts but the shock bolts...

[J Irwan]

Originally posted by KWiK
J,
You sure go through a lot of work just to change shocks. There is no need to remove any bolts but the shock bolts...


Kevin,

if you re-read my post
for the front is pretty easy just to remove the shock..

Basically the intention of disconnecting the sway-bar bracket is to make sure that the front lower control arm can go out of the way (lower) as far as possible so that the shock can be slide out ;)



the other 2 step is pretty self-explanatory and obvious (top mounting nuts 2 13mm sel-locking nut stacked together & the bottom horizontal bolts) :)


Regardz,