Koni Reds for My Rears

Ok boys, got my Koni reds for the rear last weekend and the good news is that they should work fine, the bad news is there are only 3 pairs left. The Koni number is 80-2350 and they are for the 1977-1979 200sx. The shocks are about 1 1/2 inch shorter then the KYB GR2 and the factory Tokico in full extension but it has about the same length in compression. Comparing with a brand new GR2, the Koni "feels" a little "softer" in compression and about the same in extension at setting #2. I paid $30 US for the pair and about $20 to ship to Canada, $10 Cdn for tax and COD change so that's about $70 Canadian; not a bad deal for a pair of reds. If you guys are interested you can contact Don at DCS Consulting:

DCS Consulting
1755 Mission Road
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 756 - 3533 - Phone
(650) 756 - 5533 - Fax
[email removed] - email address

Be sure to tell him Raymond from Canada send you.

What I need to do now is to swap the lower bushing with a longer pin. The 2350 comes with a 32mm long pin and our S12 requires a 60 mm pin. I found the perfect piece at the local hardware store in the plumbing department. What I bought is a 3/8" diameter pipe by 6 inch long with threads on both ends. I think that are called extension pipes but make sure to get the plain steel one and not the galvanized one. The plain steel is smoother and should be easier to press in. If anybody wants to know the pipe is 12.5 mm ID and 17 mm OD.

I play around with the shocks tonight and I managed to press one pin out. I don't think this is the best way of doing because now I have to figure how to press the long pin back into the little hole in the rubber bushing; so don't do what I've just done!

I think the first thing I should do is to soak the bottom part in WD 40 first so the pin will slide out easier. What I thing I should've done is to use the new pin to press the old pin out and use a long bolt to guide the new pin into the bushing. I'll take some pictures and let you guys know how it turns out.

I guess a easier way is just add two 19mm long tube as spacers to center the shock but then this will not be as strong as a single pin.

PS, don't bother asking Don if he has the 280zx fronts because I bought his last one.

is yours an IRS car??

for interest's sake, Koni no longer make Reds for the live axle cars.

The shocks are about 1 1/2 inch shorter then the KYB GR2 and the factory Tokico in full extension but it has about the same length in compression. Comparing with a brand new GR2, the Koni "feels" a little "softer" in compression
Darn' I was looking for ones with a shorter shock body so I could lower my car more with out bottoming them out. I guess I'll have to make a new lower shock mount when I lower it more.

wow, great find!

could you elaborate on the pin issue (hopefully with a pic). and when you say the stroke is the same do you mean the the new shock and the stock shock both bottom out to the same height?

this could be great news for people with lowering springs!

Agreed. A little clarification on the shock specs is needed. So are the shock bodies the same lenght between the stock and the Konis, and it's just the extension that's 1.5" shorter?

Umai: Yes, my car is IRS and Koni no longer make ANY shocks for any 200sx. This is NOS (new old stock) and according to Moroe's chart this should be a bolt on for your solid axel. What you may have to do is to cut the bump stop down an inch since your full compression is about an inch shorter then the IRS. Your pin width is the same 32mm so there is no modification there.

Randy: Yes, the shorter full extension is what I was looking for since I do have lower springs all round. Every time I have the back jacked I would be afraid of the springs popping out. I'll leave the bump stop for now but if I need to I can cut the stop down an inch to get an extra inch on compression (see answer above).

SS: The pin I'm referring to is the metal insert that is pressed into the rubber bushing on the bottom mount. If you look at your bottom mount you'll see that thing sticking out like a tee; the Koni is flush with the bushing. I guess Umai can get the Koni yellow from classicgarage for the IRS and cut the pin down to 32mm to suit the solid axel.

Spooled: I don't have the shocks with me at work but I recall the actual "tube" or body of the Koni to be a little shorter then the KYB. The difference is in the bump stop with Koni having the longer piece.

"Full extension" refers to the longest length the shock will become and "full compression" refers to the shortest length the shock will travel. These measurements are taken from the two mounting point and does not refer to the physical length of the tube or rod. These measurements were taken with the bump stop installed.

The shock tube length matters a lot to me because I only have about 2" of travel on the rear shocks before I hit the bump stop, which I've already cut down, at my current ride height. If I can find a shock with a shorter tube length, it would give me more suspension travel, and less chance of bottoming out.

Spooled, sounds like you have the Z31 shocks in the back because they are 1" longer in full compression. I think the tube length more or less dictates the travels and it is the combination of the tube, the rod and the bump stop that make up the extension and compressed length. You can have a shorter tube but if the rod is longer the suspension still bottom out if you know what I mean. What you really need is shock with a shorter "full compression" so it will not bottom out yet still give you about an inch or two shorter in extension. Now that you mention it I originally bought a set of Konis for a 74 Corolla wagon from Don but they are about 5 inch (yes 5 inches!) shorter then the S12 in full extension. I think the travel is about the same (6 to 7 inches?) but I'll get you the measurements when I get home. One thing I notice about Konis is that their shocks are about 1 inch shorter then the stock. I think they even mentioned that in their literature.

You're right, I do have the Z31 rear shocks. I always forget they're 1" longer. The Corolla wagon shock might be too short, but it might be worth looking into. I have Koni's up front and absolutely love them.

The dimensions in inches are listed in this order: tube length: compressed: extend.

Koni 2305 (S11?) 10 5/8: 16 1/8: 24 1/4
Koni 1977 (Corolla wagon) 9 1/8: 10 3/8: 16 3/4
Stock Tokico (S12 IRS) 13: 18 1/2: 22 3/4
KYB GR2 (S12 IRS) 13: 16 3/4: 23

The bump stop for the Koni is 2 3/4" long vs. 1 1/2 for the stock and KYB. The Corolla has no bump stop. I'll double check the Koni's extended length later but I may be wrong in the first post since the measurements were taken with my eye balls.

Spooled, your stock shock specs may be different form my CA18 since you have a VG' but as you can see the Koni 2305 is more then 2 inch shorter then stock in compression.

live axle s12s have no bump stop.

i've flicked through many a suspension catalogue at work and no-one lists any thing as far as rear shocks are concerned for the s12. live axle or IRS.

on the other hand, most suspension specialists should be able to modify shocks from another vehicle to suit.

huh? the extended length (overall length) of the konis are longer than the stock shocks? i thought you said they were an 1.5" shorter overall? i wanted a shorter length shock because my lowering springs can come free if you raise the car...

I must have wrote it down wrong. I remeasured it and it is 21 1/4 inch full extension. LOOks like my eye balls are working fine after all. SS, you better E-mail Don before those Konis sold out. He had 10 pairs when I bought them 5 weeks ago and he is now down to 3 pairs last weekend.

Umai: I think one of the main reason why you can't find any listing for rear shocks is because our car are too old, not to mention that Nissan didn't sell that many S12 in Ausi in the first place. It all has to do with the law of supply and demand; if no one needs it, why do you want to produce more? Once the inventory is gone it's gone and this is the reason why I have a spare set of KYB GR2s in my inventory. You can still find listing for the front strut because the S12 uses the same unit as the 280ZX and some other Nissan car I can't recall at this moment. I know this because I did a part number look-up at the Gabriel site two years ago but now they have updated that program and only gives me results for North America applications.

Thanks for that info Bossman. That is extremely helpful!

yeah, thanks! i'll try out a set. if they're good it looks like i'll be selling my tokico blues...

edit: are the gr-2's rare too? i had no problems sourcing one but happened to find the out of production tokicos instead...

I think GR2s and Monroes are the most commonly available but my part source here in Vancouver doesn't have many left in stock. I wanted to get the KG (KYB adjustable) but the "wearhouse" will have to order from KYB directly and that might take 1/2 a year. When they order in bulk they get a bigger discount and also save on shipping. This is one of the reason why some retailers doesn't want to make special orders.

Success! I got one pin in tonight. I'll do the other shock another way, ones that does not require any special toos.

hey, i didnt know you could use a 280ZX strut brace!!

i tried to fit a s13 one but it was too wide.

is it that big a deal to press in a new pin? can't you just grease her up and press it in?

It's harder then you think SS especially when the rubber bushing is still "new". When I first pressed just the pin out the actual diameter of the hole in the rubber is about 8 mm (the OD of the pin is 17 mm); not to mention that it is next to impossible to grease the existing pin in the first place to aid the exiting. I used a harmonic pulley (well, actually a heavy duty hub pulley) so I didn't really used any special tool to do the job, but then how many people have one of these in their tool box? My original plan is to use a 2x4, a car jack and the weight of a car but I prefer the comfort of a heated room then working outside in the cold (yes I know, it's about 9 deg. Celsius here in Vancouver but 18 and no wind is better). I'll do the car jack trick this weekend and see how it turns out.

luckily i have access to an arbour press. i ordered a set so i'll see how they work out.

I know what you mean SS, I used to work in a fab shop and all it took is a 6 pack or a case of beer to have my "individual projects" done.