ACR Koni Shock Manual Supplement

[serafins]

Does anyone have the owners manual supplement they could post for the 99-2000.5 ACR that came with the Koni shocks?

I need to adjust my ride height as the front of my car is sitting higher than the rear.

 

[BoondocSaint]

The adjustment is pretty straight forward. There is a locking collar on the bottom that you need to back off, then rotate the next higher collar to adjust ride height as needed. Process is the same as many other coilovers.

 

[serafins]

The adjustment is pretty straight forward. There is a locking collar on the bottom that you need to back off, then rotate the next higher collar to adjust ride height as needed. Process is the same as many other coilovers.

Thanks. Do you have ride height specs? My car is way off from the previous owner

 

[BoondocSaint]

Unfortunately I don't, I adjusted mine somewhere between esthetically pleasing and functional. Too low and every speedbump or driveway becomes a federal production to attempt. Remember that adjusting your ride height can effect other components like steering. Advisable to check alignment afterwards.

 

[GTS Dean]

As you lower the ride height, negative camber will increase (tires lean in at the top). I always adjust my shocks to 0-0 on bump-rebound when making ride height adjustments, then jounce the suspension to find the neutral position. Don't go crazy on adjustments - 3 turns should be noticeable. When done, reset your dampers.

 

[serafins]

As you lower the ride height, negative camber will increase (tires lean in at the top). I always adjust my shocks to 0-0 on bump-rebound when making ride height adjustments, then jounce the suspension to find the neutral position. Don't go crazy on adjustments - 3 turns should be noticeable. When done, reset your dampers.

Thanks. I found some info from a TSB that specifies setting up the coil spring height as a starting point. Then I found an old post stating to drop the front .75 inches and the rear .5 inches and what to set the Konis at. I’m going to give these settings a try.

i talked to the previous owner and he had just had it aligned before I bought it and they messed with the shock settings to adjust camber. No wonder it rides like crap and the back end sits lower than the front.

 

[serafins]

I’ll post everything I found here for future reference when I get home. It’s on my home computer

 

[Bob Woodhouse]

Gents, to get you back to a reasonable ride height you should be between 4 and 5 inches in the front for street driving and an additional 1/2 to 3/4 inch for the rear. Lots of different approaches out there so this is why I am leaving you so much wiggle room. Some people balance oversteer/understeer by shifting weight from one axle to the other, some people track their car, some don't. Street ride is always better on the higher side.

Now how to measure: From the Frame to the ground at the axle line for each end. You can place the car on a 4 post hoist and bounce it a few times to remove friction, then place a level or straight edge across the ramps and measure to the bottom edge from the points on the frame we just discussed, and again, be on the axle centerline, if not your reading will be off.

 

[GTS Dean]

Thank you Bob. That's exactly how I set my ride heights.

4-5 inches is a good range. You want roughly 1/2" rake in the chassis front-rear.

 

[serafins]

Well I got the ride height adjusted to my liking but it looks like I will be sending the shocks out to be rebuilt as the adjustment rings are frozen. the bump/rebound rings are stuck solid on every shock but one, and that one just spins and spins without stopping so it’s obviously broken. There goes the $2k I was going to put towards tires!

 

[GTS Dean]

The Koni 2812's are great shocks. They are properly valved and sprung for the application. Before you remove the shocks, give the adjusters a couple shots of penetrating oil and a little time to free up. Dust and grit gets into the works and can cause issues.

Pulling the wheels off, using compressed air on the adjusters and spring perches should be part of your annual maintenance ritual. Rotate the adjusters a few sweeps to keep them exercised and keep a little log book in your console of damper settings and ride heights.

 

[serafins]

The Koni 2812's are great shocks. They are properly valved and sprung for the application. Before you remove the shocks, give the adjusters a couple shots of penetrating oil and a little time to free up. Dust and grit gets into the works and can cause issues.

Pulling the wheels off, using compressed air on the adjusters and spring perches should be part of your annual maintenance ritual. Rotate the adjusters a few sweeps to keep them exercised and keep a little log book in your console of damper settings and ride heights.

Will do from now on. Unfortunately one still needs to be rebuilt as the ring just spins around and never hits the stop, so I might as well get them all done. Don’t want one new rebuilt shock and three 25 year old ones, seems like a recipe for imbalance.

 

[BoondocSaint]

Here is the contact info from when I had my 2812's rebuilt. Performance Shocks Inc. 1-800-965-5664.
Assuming that nothing has changed in the last 2 1/2 years, they were the company doing Koni's stateside rebuilds. I had no issues with them.

They will do an inspection of parts , and ensure none of the shock tubes have scoring or damage. When I received my shocks back, it was accompanied by a diagnostic printout from their testing. Looked like a dyno sheet for shocks lol.