Shocks & Struts Mainly

[Mike's89AccordLX]

I was searching for ground control coilovers and found on the ground control website that they sell Tokico fronts for $69 and rears for $64. Koni fronts for $108 and rears for $108 also. Bilstein fronts for $111 and rears for $111. I'm really suprised b/c I was checking out Konis and they were $411 for a set and on this site they'd be $216. And all of these are for our 3GEEZ too. Please Jim tell me that I can get the good Konis for $216 for a set? Are these the same ones as on the www.shox.com site? I wouldn't mind getting Bilsteins since they're more street and race related but I think konis would be fine.

[Mike's89AccordLX]

Here's the ground control link to make it easier to find.

http://www.ground-control.com/

[markmdz89hatch]

Mike, I didn't click on the link, but I'm thinking that those prices are for 1 front and 1 rear, not the pair. But as for the Billstein v. Koni thing, if you're not going to get the struts revalved, then the Koni's are the way to go. Either set can be revalved into a race application, but stock for stock, the Koni's are harded then the Billsteins, and paired up with the GC's, (stock remember) I whole-heartedly reccomend Koni's.

[Mike's89AccordLX]

I think I understand what you're saying and I don't think you're right b/c it only says F $108 and R $108 Oh I guess I see what you mean now. Damit I thought it was a heck of a deal. Maybe someone else can find out also.

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by Mike's89AccordLX
I think I understand what you're saying and I don't think you're right b/c it only says F $108 and R $108 Oh I guess I see what you mean now. Damit I thought it was a heck of a deal. Maybe someone else can find out also.

That would be per strut.

Doesn't shox still sell the koni's for $424 with free shipping?

Don't waste a dime in the Bilsteins unless you pay to have them revalved the same moment you pay to buy them. (lots of people, for other cars, buy the Bilstein H.D.'s and have shox send them back to bilstein to be revalved).

[NeubJ]

Originally posted by Jims 86LXI HB
That would be per strut.

Doesn't shox still sell the koni's for $424 with free shipping?

Don't waste a dime in the Bilsteins unless you pay to have them revalved the same moment you pay to buy them. (lots of people, for other cars, buy the Bilstein H.D.'s and have shox send them back to bilstein to be revalved).

Shox is out of stock on konis

How much is it for them to be revalved and how long does it take?

[Jims 86LXI HB]

I've forgotten exacty Koni want's for their revalve fee. But I did do a post that listed those fee's in the last year. I don't recall asking about turn around times, I would think it would be at least 7 days once they get them from you, maybe longer I dunno. If I remember it took Bilstein 10 days, once they got the struts from me.

I'll go a search right not to try and locate that post.

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Ok, I found the post I was looking for, here's a cut and paste where I say how much it costs.


"On your Koni's. I talked to gordon at Koni and he said that it cost's $100 per strut to revalve plus parts. He said that the parts should not add up to much. He confirmed that you can revalve them based on what spring rates your using. Plus if at the time your having the revalve done you want them to convert them to EXTERNAL adjustment, it would only cost you $25 per strut. And I asked me if a revalve is the same as a rebuild and he said no, extra parts would be involved, but he said it would cost much less since the strut would be torn down anyways. And one more thing that may interest you, for $65 per strut, they can shorten the body and piston. Which I would highly recommend with you running them so low."

[Mike's89AccordLX]

Damn that is reaching in the pocket book :) I think I would want all of that extra stuff done to them also. So it would be about $900 for koni's the way I want them. Damn that's like custom pistons installed ;) Man I have so much performance stuff and I don't know when I will start on the appearance stuff.

[NeubJ]

Since everyplace I have tried are out of konis-(dont want to wait 8 weeks or more for the fronts)
My only resort now is to get revalved blistens--(what do that do when they revalve them?)
300 is the price I have heard to get the two front revalved-
Is that correct?

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by NeubJ
Since everyplace I have tried are out of konis-(dont want to wait 8 weeks or more for the fronts)
My only resort now is to get revalved blistens--(what do that do when they revalve them?)
300 is the price I have heard to get the two front revalved-
Is that correct?

Well, when you just buy the front 2 the price is not as simple as just dividing the price for all 4 in half ($370), I think that's cause the fronts are actually more expensive then the rears. I can't honestly remember what I paid for my fronts alone. Any way's I'll give you more info besides that. I'll locate my notes that I have somewhere to give you some valuable info to tell the tech at Bilstein you'll be talking to. Here's what I do know for sure.

Before I do anything though, tell me again what springs you plan to run with them again, is it the neuspeeds?

You will call and order the front struts from www.shox.com (ask to speak to Darrel) and tell him you want them you want them send directly to Bilstein for revalving. Shox will then charge you $65 per strut as a revalving fee. I'd write down a invoice number or something. Then call Bilstein and ask to speak to a technition by the name of "Jack", they instantly know who that is, don't worry. Tell jack that you have made arrangements to send a pair of struts to him for revalving and that you spoke to a guy that had the same thing done to his 86-89 accord and you want to do the exact same thing. Just let me find my notes where I wrote down the stock values for the struts and the values I had them changed to. You can't do anything till tuesday anyhow, so I've got a couple of days to locate them. Cause one thing that's not going to help me is the fact that I've moved my files into a new desk and not all of the files got moved back into the new desk. But know this, if I can't find them by tuesday, I will pick up the phone and have a new conversation with jack for you and find out what we need to know, jack is a real nice guy to talk to.

[goldyaccord]

Jim,

I too will be interested in what you find out. :)

I'm thinking that if bilstein is cheaper to revalve all fours to match up with whatever spring rate I plan to use, I then would want to order them instead of Koni's. Problem is, I think I'd want to use Koni's due to the fact they can shorten the body and rod.

If bilstien is able to do that for a overall better price than Koni then.. you know where i'd go. :)

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by goldyaccord
Jim,

I too will be interested in what you find out. :)

I'm thinking that if bilstein is cheaper to revalve all fours to match up with whatever spring rate I plan to use, I then would want to order them instead of Koni's. Problem is, I think I'd want to use Koni's due to the fact they can shorten the body and rod.

If bilstien is able to do that for a overall better price than Koni then.. you know where i'd go. :)

I know a trick to get 1/2" to 1" shorter front bodies for next to ZERO! cost, but you have to be willing to do some work. Now the catch is this. Let's say you like you car lower 2.5" lower on coilovers. Well what I'm talking about, if you didn't touch the adjustment on the front springs would drop the front lowering to 3" to 3.5". But to get the effective shorter front strut bodies, you would actually raise the front coilover back up to compinsate for the 1/2" or 1" front drop that my mod would give you theirby staying at a 2.5" drop, doing so increase's your front strut rod travel 1/2" to 1".

You can do one of 2 things, each mod give's you 1/2" extra front drop over normal.

1. Grind down the top of the front pinch forks 1/2" lower. Your struts rest on the top of the pinch forks. By grinding them down to the top of the pinch fork bolt, you still have plenty of mental to help things like normal, buy you gain 1/2" more lowering in the front or 1/2" more travel if you compinsate by adjusting your coilovers back up.

2. Remove or grind off the cast on brakes hangers and stop that are part of every front 3g strut. Your struts naturally get fatter just past these parts, that will become your new stop or where the strut rests it's weight inside the pinch fork. Net gain, 1/2"
BTW!, you can easily fab new brake hangers by going to honda and purchasing 92-95 civic front brake hanger collers. On that car the brake hangers are a seperate part. You'd want to cut it and squeez it down to snug onto your struts and have a shop spot wheld(ms) it into place.

PS, I will add that I felt that the revalved Bilsteins did give me a sense that their was more thought behind how they were designed. It was like their was more science behind the valving performance or something. It gave me a extra sense that I'd really spent my money well, not a easy thing to come by sometimes. I'm just saying that I have reason to believe that revalved Bilsteins might feel better than revalved Koni's that's all. Just a hunch, I could be wrong.

[goldyaccord]

Thanks Jim.

I'll get a hold of you in Pm when I prepare to buy my suspension.

I know what your talking about as for your *hunch* on Bilstein about the througheness of the work.

When I had my car, I had gone through a phase of thinking to shorten the rod buy cutting off the top by 1-2 inches and then either make new threads for the nut or just cut off a section below it and reweld the top thread back on. However, I nave not found out if this could be done easly by a fab shop.

Do you think that could work? :D

Another Idea was to raise the Top perch. where the nut and washers screw onto the rod.

[mykwikcoupe]

Jim, If I had sprint springs, which I do. And I was going to get konis installed. Would I need to have them revalved, shorted, or anything else. Ypu helped me out with the last suspension upgrade and I can out corner my friends corrado with neuspeed. What are me best options. I have a DC Sport front sway bar going on it and if Justin makes any more rears. Please let me know and man is ever great having a GURU at your dispence. Thanks Mike

[goldyaccord]

Originally posted by mykwikcoupe
Jim, If I had sprint springs, which I do. And I was going to get konis installed. Would I need to have them revalved, shorted, or anything else. Ypu helped me out with the last suspension upgrade and I can out corner my friends corrado with neuspeed. What are me best options. I have a DC Sport front sway bar going on it and if Justin makes any more rears. Please let me know and man is ever great having a GURU at your dispence. Thanks Mike

You will be fine with Koni's. However, It wouldn't hurt to revalve to better match the springs. Look at the last post Jim made in this thread referring to modifying the struts for next to ZERO money.

Josh

Btw, the front rate for your Sprints are 66% over stock. the rears are 192%. They are quite close to Ground control rates.

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by mykwikcoupe
Jim, If I had sprint springs, which I do. And I was going to get konis installed. Would I need to have them revalved, shorted, or anything else. Ypu helped me out with the last suspension upgrade and I can out corner my friends corrado with neuspeed. What are me best options. I have a DC Sport front sway bar going on it and if Justin makes any more rears. Please let me know and man is ever great having a GURU at your dispence. Thanks Mike

The Koni's should be able to get the job done. However at that drop height and with that spring stiffness, from talking with koni owners running a simular setups, I seams that the konis are real close to their design limits. So, if you have the extra $200 to spend on the revalved Bilsteins you would get a $200 benefit where you knew you spent the extra money well. Another way to say it is this, running the koni's, I'm sure you'll like them. If you then were to switch to the revalved Bilsteins you'd be even happier. You just have to decide if you yourself feel you can pop for the extra $200.

BTW, we did have (and their might be another member here right now, I dunno) a member in the past that was running sprints with Koni's. That member did make a comment that he liked the setup.

[mykwikcoupe]

So I should call shox.com and ask for Darrell. Tell him I want bilstiens and to have them revalved for sprint springs? Will he know what the rates are and set them up correctly. I am rebiulding a B20Aturbo setup, will this weight difference make a difference? And I am looking at around $600. It may take me a month for that. So Ill let you know when I have them done. Since you said itlll be better, the cost doesnt matter too much. Thanks mike