Koni Sport Front Inserts in KYB GR-2's?

[KA240SX808]

Well a little briefing on my little situation here, I'm a student in AZ, but from HI (Hawaii) where my car is. I went back recently for X-Mas/New Years and I went to install my Koni/Tanabe GF210 Spring/Strut Combo. Well it turned out that the GR2's seemed to be a little too tight a squeeze unless I didnt do something that was required w/ the GR2's or something special. All in all, when I was done, the Koni still sat a good 3/4" - 1" from the bottom of the housing which then left me bottoming out if I hit a bump too fast. I tried to cancel that out by Making the strut stiffer but that didnt do much.

My question is, did I do something wrong or missing somethign that was suppose to be done to the GR2's? Or is it known that the GR-2's are too small for the Koni Inserts?
BTW if it makes any Diff this was done on an S14...

[Duffman]

So it was 1 in from the bottom, I'm assuming it was never bolted to the strut body. You drove it like that?

[KA240SX808]

No, I used a longer bolt, drove it home and left it like that...

[veilside180sx]

I try to only use the Nissan OEM dampers to slip the OTS Koni's into. Even those can vary quite a bit depending which year/month/etc that they came off of. I just mic them, and most work...but some don't.

[KA240SX808]

Yeah I kinda jumped in head first with this one, and all went well till about the strut going down half way and it got a little tight but I figured it was because those little tabs the Koni's have at the bottom to give it a nice snug fit I guess and it just never made it to the bottom. I plan to pick up some OEM blown struts when I get back and fixing that...

[veilside180sx]

Yeah I kinda jumped in head first with this one, and all went well till about the strut going down half way and it got a little tight but I figured it was because those little tabs the Koni's have at the bottom to give it a nice snug fit I guess and it just never made it to the bottom. I plan to pick up some OEM blown struts when I get back and fixing that...

Good call. The OTS Koni is somewhat longish (13") already, so to not have it sit all the way down...is a pretty big downfall.

[KA240SX808]

Yeah, it bottoms out on the littlest bumps when going even 25
I really need new housings, my next challenge is getting the inserts out lol, I was thinking some careful cuting w/ a Dremel? Cut straight up the middle of the housing?

[veilside180sx]

Did you JB weld them into the housing, or just use the retaining bolt?

[Def]

If you just have them a bit "stuck," then just hold the Koni's lightly in a vise and bang the crap out of the spindle flange and it should come off.

[KA240SX808]

Did you JB weld them into the housing, or just use the retaining bolt?

Just the bolt

If you just have them a bit "stuck," then just hold the Koni's lightly in a vise and bang the crap out of the spindle flange and it should come off.

Lets just say it wont come out

[veilside180sx]

Install a longer bolt in the bottom of the strut. Put a 2x4 over the bolt and smack it with a small sledge. It'll come out.

[KA240SX808]

Hmm, sounds like a plan

[Def]

The important thing to do is to hold the piece that you're not wailing on. It should come out pretty easily.

Don't use a wussy 16 oz claw hammer, use something like a 5 lb mini-sledge which is the right tool for the job.

[KA240SX808]

^Yeah, I've done the clamp the part your wailing a few times, I think I got it down now

[floodo1]

ergh this sucks. So far I havent been able to find any info about GR-2's as housing for Yellows. I was hoping it would work fine so I wouldnt have to get some oem pieces if i decide to be cheap and get yellows

GR2's are so horrible it makes me want to cry btw. I mean they might as well be stock, then again they are stupid cheap....wish d00d that I bought the car from hadn't put them on