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This is just an overview of Koni Yellows.
I decided to upgrade the stock shock absorbers on my TL, because they felt like crap after 48,000 miles.
If someone posted this already, then my bad.
I couldn't find any Koni FSDs which was my first choice, so I had to settle for some Yellows.
***Note: DO NOT REPLACE your shock if you are NOT mechanically inclined. You can kill yourself. Get a mechanic!!***
I do not recommend, nor condone doing this task on your own!!
Now that's out the way.
The shocks will install, with a few minor issues.
Use all the accessories that came with the shocks. Reuse all the dust covers, rubber mounts, and metals mounts.
There are 2 or 4 Rubber Dampers you have to widen. They get really hot, so be careful. Use a vise!!
After a 1000 miles them, they are sooo much better than stock. The car handles, and stops better. I have the shocks adjusted to the firmer side. It bounces too much for me, when its on the softer side.
If you decided to try them you can~!
Very glad you posted this, I have the FSD and with 5K miles on them they are trashed. They rode soft from the get go and only got softer from there. New tires are cupping after the FSDs even though I've gotten 3x alignments, new bushings, etc. Pretty frustrated but glad to see the Yellows on firmer are better. How far firm do you have them turned up? Firmer than factory? How far from max? How many miles were on your factory springs?
Also be aware that a few years ago koni said run them on full soft for 100 miles for break in and then turn up firmness, is that still true? I'm ordering some custom springs soon so I honestly appreciate you posting this! My FSD setup had new top hats and hardware with used springs off a salvage TL with 40K miles so springs weren't the issue. Go over a large speedbump and the front bumper will hit the ground due to their softness, a speedbump on a curve rated for 20MPH is horrid.
As for the firmness; Before I installed the shocks, I turned the adjuster all the way to the softest settings. I made a mark on the plastic adjustment tool, and on the shock shaft to indicate a full turn. I wanted to know how many turns were available before it stopped. *Don’t force it, when it stops* I think it was about 4 and ¼ - ½ turns from softest to firmest. When I installed the shocks, I set them to 1 ½ turns away from the softest, and test drove it before installing the seats. It was sooo smooth over the bumps, but it bounced too much. I didn’t like how the car handled and stopped. I adjusted them to 1 ½ turns from the firmest, and I am happy with that setting. You might want to play with it a little (that’s what she said) to fine tune it to your liking.
Firmer than factory?
At my setting it was not as firm as stock. With stock shocks, I felt every crack on the road in my back. With these, that does not happen. You will notice the bigger cracks in the road, but it will not annoy you. Even with the crappy Michelin stock tires, they rode, handled, and stopped my better.
How far from max?
1 ½ turns from the firmest.
How many miles were on your factory springs?
My springs were 48K+ miles.
Also be aware that a few years ago koni said run them on full soft for 100 miles for break in and then turn up firmness, is that still true?
I didn’t know of any or read any break period for these shocks.
I'm ordering some custom springs soon so I honestly appreciate you posting this! My FSD setup had new top hats and hardware with used springs off a salvage TL with 40K miles so springs weren't the issue. Go over a large speedbump and the front bumper will hit the ground due to their softness, a speedbump on a curve rated for 20MPH is horrid.
No problem. I read a few stories of people FSDs failing way too early. Your springs are still good and have a lot of life in it. I have no problems going over bumps with the stock springs. I hope it goes all well for you. Let me know if you have any more questions.
The FSD shocks for the AWD TLs, the Koni spammed me regarding not using them on the TL version. Basically telling me the weight would make them sloppy and they did not recommend them for the AWD TLS over and over again. I even offered to the beta test it. No idea if people had good results. Personally I think my shocks are on their last leg(s). I have debated about using KYB replacement however I am now seriously think of using the Koni on my car.
The FSD shocks for the AWD TLs, the Koni spammed me regarding not using them on the TL version. Basically telling me the weight would make them sloppy and they did not recommend them for the AWD TLS over and over again. I even offered to the beta test it. No idea if people had good results. Personally I think my shocks are on their last leg(s). I have debated about using KYB replacement however I am now seriously think of using the Koni on my car.
FSD suck, the yellows look to be a better option! I'm waiting on new springs before I put the yellows on and replace the FSD's.
Raphael, have you noticed anything different with these Koni Yellow since you've made this post? I've been considering installing These shocks with a set of H&R springs.
Would love to hear what you have to say about them.
Yes, my car is a 2013 TL-SH-AWD. I used the Koni yellows for the FWD with minor modifications. I used my stock springs that came with my car.
I was going to lower it, but stock is already low. If you want to lower your, checkout TEIN, they have a lot of affordable things for your car.
There is a warranty for our cars burning oil. Do a quick Google search, and check out the warranty.
Hey, I didn't make any other changes at all. Everything bolted right back up. I hope you finished your project without any issues. Sorry for taking so long to reply. I have an Audi that sucking the life out of me. That car is such a pain.
It all depends on what you want most of all. Since you got the 1 inch lowering springs from H&R, I will assume the ride was a bit firmer than stock. But it probably has improved handling. If you get the coil-overs, example Tein, they will ride firmer/stiffer than stock. If you are doing the work yourself, then they will cost around the same price.
So it comes down to what you trying to achieve and the price.
If you want better handling than stock, but you don't mind a firmer ride. Get the coil-overs, and you can adjust it to your liking.
If improved handling and stock (or better) ride quality (because of the lowering springs) is your goal, use the Koni with your H&R springs. You can also adjust the Konis a little to help get a firmer or softer ride.
To adjust the rear shocks I would assume one must take out the seats. Did you also adjust the rears to a stiffer setting?
Yes, you have to remove to seat which is a pain. What I did was test drove the car without the rear seats. Then I adjusted them, until I found a setting I liked and left it there. My rear settings are the same amount of turns as the fronts.
Is there any weirdness with adjusting the shocks? Basically just use the plastic tool and turn clockwise for softer, and counter clock wise for stiffer. It can be done with they shocks on the vehicle? I ordered a set from Heel and Toe, and they came in today. Shop puts them on Tuesday. Mechanic has done numerous Honda's so I assume it is pretty straight forward. I will be using stock springs. Any other advice. Figure on trying your settings. I do a lot of interstate and straight rural roads in Wyoming.
Is there any weirdness with adjusting the shocks?
I have not encountered any weirdness so far. I have been driving my car hard to find faults in the suspension. When I had the stock shocks, the car use to bounce and get unsettled partially in the rear. Mainly, when I hit a bump in the road. With the upgrade, it's much more stable.
Basically just use the plastic tool and turn clockwise for softer, and counter clock wise for stiffer.
Yes, that's pretty much it. Remember, don't force it when it stops turning.
It can be done with they shocks on the vehicle?
I turned the settings all the way to the softest position and installed them. Then adjusted them to find my sweet spot.
I ordered a set from Heel and Toe, and they came in today. Shop puts them on Tuesday. Mechanic has done numerous Honda's so I assume it is pretty straight forward. I will be using stock springs. Any other advice. Figure on trying your settings. I do a lot of interstate and straight rural roads in Wyoming.
If you have good/well paved roads where you live, and not Grand Canyon potholes like where I live. You probably can go with a little firmer settings. Especially if there are nice corners, inclines and declines. I would recommend that you leave your back seat out, and drive a day or two, so you can adjust the rear shocks. The rear seats are a pain to take out and put back.
I hope this helps, and that you enjoy the new feel of your car.
I feel a bit like a rookie but I have done my own struts before (BMW & Honda) and used Koni before. I think I will follow your advice and just put them in and fiddle with them after they are in. I would assume putting the rear seat back in is a pretty quick affair, i.e. less than 15 minutes? Or is that wishful thinking? Thanks for the advice and being the trail blazer.
If you have another person helping, aligning the seats will be easier. And you can do it in 15 mins. I did alone, so I had to wrestle with it, while trying to fit in the back. It took me about 30-35 mins without scratching everything up. No, problem. I hope all goes well for you.
I am about to purchase this set up for my 2009 all-wheel-drive TL... do you remember approximately how stiff you have the yellows adjusted?
If my memory serves me correct there really aren’t any specific clicks or ways to exactly know where your set up you can simply turn all the way hard or all the way soft and then adjust or measure how many complete turns you make in whatever direction..if my memory serves me correct there really aren’t any specific clicks or ways to exactly know where your set up you can simply turn all the way hard or all the way soft and then adjust or measure how many complete turns you make in whatever direction.
so for example did you turn them all the way to completely step as possible setting and then back them off a full turn two full turns , a quarter of a turn, etc??
I like mine on the stiffer side I’ll play around with the settings I’m probably gonna pay someone to do the installation I guess I could leave the backseat out of the car driving around get it where I want and then go back and have them put the seat back
I turned the adjustment all the way to the softest. I made a white mark on turning part and the threaded part. I counted each time the white marks pass each other as one revolution. Then I used the angles to get the other measurements. 90 degrees = 1/4 turn, 180 degrees = 1/2 turn. Turing it until I reached the firmest, it was 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 turns for me. If I am remember correctly, my settings is 1 1/2 to 2 turns away from the firmness. That's the best way, tweak it until you like it.
So I’m having the shocks installed today and the installer called me and was complaining that because he had to enlarge certain metal brackets the job was much harder...I don’t know if you found the installation to be difficult but he made it sound like it wasn’t a straightforward plug and play and he had to customize eight different components by drillinf them out..
Is your installer trying to get more money out of you?
Originally Posted by 23109VC
So I’m having the shocks installed today and the installer called me and was complaining that because he had to enlarge certain metal brackets the job was much harder...I don’t know if you found the installation to be difficult but he made it sound like it wasn’t a straightforward plug and play and he had to customize eight different components by drillinf them out..
How was your car to install? Hard?
I installed my shocks in my yard. I had no special tools besides a Hole Enlarger. I used a jack, spring clamps, gloves, socket set, white out for marking, and some other basic tool.
The fronts took longer because I started there first. I had to do all the tweaking up front, and rears were plug and play. The rear shocks took about 15-20 mins each to put on. Why is your installer making it so complicated? My Audi front suspension took me twice as much time as to do all of the Acura.
I hope your installer is not making excuses to charge you more money, and not messing up your car. They have way more tools, and should have done that in a few hours.
did you install OEM springs with the konis or did you use lowering springs? I just got my car back from the installer and my car is WAY higher than it used to be. When I dropped of my car it had the PERFECT ride height - no fender gap. you could maybe get your pinky in there but it looked lowered.. not slammed, my wheels did not tuck up under the wheels.. it was just nice no fender gap.
when I get my car today it is like a 4X4.. I have like a 3 finger gap.. several inches of gap... I had my 18 year old with me when I picked up the car and he noticed it and said ' what did they do to your car it looks horrible"> the ride is better and the car feels like it handles much better - but wow did the ride heigh get ruined.
i'm wondering if they could have installed it incorrectly? the shop told me it would "settle" but that it would happen byh the tiem I drove home. I drove it around for 20 minutes... I parked it, I opened the doors and literally jumped up and down in the door jambs to get the car rocking / up and down/ etc.. no luck. the ride height is way way way higher than before... so much it got me wanting to pullthe stuff out.. I paid aobut $300 for the install...and now i'm wondering if they screwed it up.
is there anything about the install you can think of that would affect how high the car rides? did your ride height change at all from before install to after? I thought the spring is what impacts the ride height, not the shock... so I don't know why my car is so messed up. I wonder if htye could have put springs in upside down, wrong wehels, etc...
Hey, I used the stock upper spring perch, and the lower spring perch that came with the shock absorber.
what is the spring perch? is this a part that came with the shocks or is it a part they would resue on my car? if they did this wrong would it possibly make the car ride higher ? is this easy to fix or would they have to pull it all out / apart to fix???
what is the spring perch? is this a part that came with the shocks or is it a part they would resue on my car? if they did this wrong would it possibly make the car ride higher ? is this easy to fix or would they have to pull it all out / apart to fix???
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I used my stock springs on my conversion. I will take a picture of wheel spacing between the fender and tire in morning. If you are good with your hands you can take one out in 15-30 mins. If the spring is not seated properly it will raise the ride height. I will post pictures of my set and post them for you.
awesome. from reading other threads about the koni yellows it sounds like there may be multiple settings as how where the spring sits?? I didn't do the install so I am in the dark on this as I didn't see it - but did you notice that there may have been a way for you to adjust where the spring sites in realtion to the shock body - such that it might raise or lower the height of the car?? maybe if you send me a pic in the AM it will make sense?
I called the installer and he said he's done suspension for 20 years and there is now way to adjust the height on the shocks and they only go in ONE way. I don't know what to think or who to believe. I can't keep my car like this it looks so bad. evne if I Have to pull them out and sell them uysed and just get new coilovers… omg what a nightmare.
so I think I figured out what happened.. I think he used the wrong perch for the spring. on the shock body there are TWO grooves and a little ring slides into it - which then supports the lower spring seat. If you move that little ring to the LOWER groove, the entire spring assembly moves DOWN. it essentially gives you the ability to raise or lower the car by about an inch... which is close to how jacked up my car is. I can't se the fronts , but I assume the same issue is up there.
so can he move that perch to the lower setting WITHOUT unintstalling the whole thing??? or is he gonna have ot take the whole thing apart??
so I think I figured out what happened.. I think he used the wrong perch for the spring. on the shock body there are TWO grooves and a little ring slides into it - which then supports the lower spring seat. If you move that little ring to the LOWER groove, the entire spring assembly moves DOWN. it essentially gives you the ability to raise or lower the car by about an inch... which is close to how jacked up my car is. I can't se the fronts , but I assume the same issue is up there.
so can he move that perch to the lower setting WITHOUT unintstalling the whole thing??? or is he gonna have ot take the whole thing apart??
Yeah, I believe he should've used the top ones. Even with lowering springs, you still use the top ones.
so I think I figured out what happened.. I think he used the wrong perch for the spring. on the shock body there are TWO grooves and a little ring slides into it - which then supports the lower spring seat. If you move that little ring to the LOWER groove, the entire spring assembly moves DOWN. it essentially gives you the ability to raise or lower the car by about an inch... which is close to how jacked up my car is. I can't se the fronts , but I assume the same issue is up there.
so can he move that perch to the lower setting WITHOUT unintstalling the whole thing??? or is he gonna have ot take the whole thing apart??
Here are some pictures of my setup. You will still have to remove it from the car though to work on it, but you don't to take apart the struct. Ride height Front Suspension Front Suspension This is the rear struct This is the rear struct This is the rear struct
Thank you for the photos that helps a lot although in looking at your pictures I think you are installed the same way my system is installed there appear to be two grooves in the shock body - It looks like you have the option to have the shock and spring oriented a little higher or a little lower by moving the clip or ring to the higher or lower groove which will cause the entire spring assembly to ride higher or lower if you take a look at the photographs you can see that just underneath where the shock is rusting there is another little horizontal groove in the shock body
I uploaded a photo of yours and Joe an arrow on it take a look at with a red arrow is pointing that looks like a small slot Cut into the body of the shock I believe you could’ve used that one which is lower closer to the ground which would’ve caused the entire spring assembly to be lower and closer to the ground and will drop the overall ride height of your carCut into the body of the shock I believe you could’ve used that one which is lower closer to the ground which would’ve caused the entire spring assembly to be lower and closer to the ground and will drop the overall ride height of your car
Thank you for the photos that helps a lot although in looking at your pictures I think you are installed the same way my system is installed there appear to be two grooves in the shock body - It looks like you have the option to have the shock and spring oriented a little higher or a little lower by moving the clip or ring to the higher or lower groove which will cause the entire spring assembly to ride higher or lower if you take a look at the photographs you can see that just underneath where the shock is rusting there is another little horizontal groove in the shock body
I uploaded a photo of yours and Joe an arrow on it take a look at with a red arrow is pointing that looks like a small slot Cut into the body of the shock I believe you could’ve used that one which is lower closer to the ground which would’ve caused the entire spring assembly to be lower and closer to the ground and will drop the overall ride height of your carCut into the body of the shock I believe you could’ve used that one which is lower closer to the ground which would’ve caused the entire spring assembly to be lower and closer to the ground and will drop the overall ride height of your car
Thank you for the information. Reading my notes and measurements for stock tires and rims, my set up is actually 1/4" lower to the ground. In the future, or after a next 50,000 miles, I will use the bottom clip setting on the shock. It probably has to do with the width of the rims being 1.5" wider. BUT, a huge thank you for showing/ bring this to my attention. Ohh hell, I might just change shock and spring height when, I am bored. Thanks again.
Well today I found out what the problem was the mystery is solved and my car is riding low and looking good.
another big thanks to Marcus at HeelToe.
I actually stuck around the installers shop today when he was taking things apart to try and figure out what was wrong I took pictures and text them to Marcus who instantly responded back and said the mechanics who installed my system put the lower spring perches in upside down!!!I actually stuck around the installers shop today when he was taking things apart to try and figure out what was wrong I took pictures and texted them to Marcus who instantly responded back and said the mechanics who installed my system put the lower spring perches in upside down!!!
Once the installer removed the shocks and flipped the lower spring perches around the correct way the ride height the problem was solved
Marcus at Heel Toe hooked me up again and was able to identify the problem remotely !! Thanks Marcus!
07-08-2019, 10:16 AM
Is your installer trying to get more money out of you?
I learned something new today!
