J__

hi guys!

ima try to save money so ima try to attempt on installing a set of Koni Yellow's myself on my w202..

the guy quoted me $900 CAD to do my shocks... eh... i can order konis from wheel supply or shox.com for $390US and install myself
save $300 CAD

but problem is i dunno how....

can anyone help me and give me the process and preferably pictures??
TIA!!

DougandhisC280

I knew I should've taken pictures when I put on my shocks!!! First of all, you're spending too much on shocks. www.bimmerzone.com has Bilstein Sports, a better shock in my opinion, for $80.12 a piece. The installation is quite easy. There is only one bolt and two locking nuts to take off to remove the shock. The tricky part is removing the nuts on the passenger side front because the computers get in the way. You will need a deep socket ratchet tool, (17mm???) and a small wrench of the same size to hold the bottom nut while turning the top. You can see where the bolt is on the bottom of the shock. Jack up the car to the point where there is no stress on the bottom bolt. This will make it easy enough to remove with your own fingers. (after you've loosened the bolt) After you remove the bolt at the bottom and the two nuts at the top, just remove the shock. To put the new shock in, it's easier to have someone else turning the steering wheel so you can manuver it in. To tighten the nuts on the top, you will notice there is a notch at the top of the shock. Hold on to this with a crescent wrench so you can tighten them. A new shock will probably come with just one lock nut. Put the bolt back in the bottom of the shock and you're done!

J__

wow! thnx doug! u make it sound easy! i'll definately attempt it.

but are konis harder to install?

scorchie

Konis are definitely harder to install. There are two extra steps with the Konis:

1) disassemble caps to locate adjusting button, use adjusting tool to turn shaft and adjust shock to desired setting

2) you must remove the bump stop and shaft housing from your old shocks and install on the new ones; this is not as easy as it sounds

-s-

KWiK

Changing all 4 shocks is a fairly easy job on your car. It should take less than an hour.

Bilstein are $79.8 HERE , but I don't know how shipping works to CAN

tpliquid

less thenn 1 hour? seiorus??

must be a super good mechanic

takes me abuot 2 huors + to do it.

all the jackign up car taking wheel off ripping up trunk linging. soo much work.

dats why i charge 100 to install shox

DougandhisC280

Yeah, that is pretty fast. I guess that's why his name is KWiK.:p

KWiK

Why is that so surprising, for example the fronts are this easy.

- pop the hood
- zip off the 2 top nuts with air tool
- jack up front of car, place jack stands
- zip off lower bolt (each shock) with air tool
- remove shock
- reverse for install of new one

that's about 20 minutes. The worst part of change shocks is getting behind the trunk liners. No need to remove a wheel. You don't even need to remove a wheel to change springs.

J__

tp: wanna come to van and i'll give u $100 to install my shox

Scorchie: ive been in ur warehouse! that place is sweet!!
sorry i didnt intro myself, i havent slept for 2 days
that time and i was supertired so i was in like a world
of my own, couldnt think

hmmm. for the bump stop and shaft housing, is that for both the front and the back? cuz in pictures, all 4 bilsteins look the same, but for konis, the pictures show the front is like the bilsteins while the back has extra sections where it seems like a bolt is attached to the car body...

thnx guys for ur help! saves me lotta time and $$$

PS: which shox do u guys recommend? ive had my mind on Konis for a while cuz i can adjust them to stiffer settings... there is 5 settings i believe? would the middle be decent firmness? i dont want it too stiff that i throwup after 30 mins of driving

J__

kwik: u dont need to remove wheel? i can see that for the front but how for the back? u gotta jack up the car very high?
thnx

tpliquid

front kinis are longer then the rears. so that show u tell

i recommend bilstin sport shox

KWiK

You can also change the rear without removing the wheel, but even by taking both off that only adds another 3 minutes. Yes, I jack the car up as high as I can, it just gives you more room to work with.

DougandhisC280

I like original equipment manufactures. That's why I lean toward the Bilstein Sports. If they're good enough for the McClaron, they'll do for my car.

J__

hmmm seems like everyone here leans towards bilstein.... its changin my mind again.. ahhhhh ><!

but how r the bilstein's stiffness relative to koni's?

DougandhisC280

I haven't been able to ride on Konis yet. The Bilsteins had the perfect balance between stiffness and ride comfort. I wouldn't have it any other way than the way it is now.

KurumaGOD

The car needs to be jacked at a fairly high length so that u can put ur body weight onto the oem shocks while pulling them off... Wheels are recommended to be taken off which make the work easier... After all...its not an easy job...good luck...

regardz,

k-god

KWiK

I have a little extra weight to put behind it so it isn't too tough plus the stock shocks are quite soft.

J__

mine will prollyl just collapse, they feel 100% gone... the left side dropped lower then the right now =T


also another question, i bought rims, but the guy messed up and THOUGHT the rubber was the same width as the rims, but it ended up the rims r 225's while the rubber is 215...

so the rims r wider.. but all my mechanic friends/shop owners said it will fit.... is that true? or will they slide around on the rim wen i drive? is it safe? i dont want it to fall off....

tpliquid

i put 225/40/18 on a 8.5inch wide rim, so itz okay

J__

i have 215/45/17 on 8.5" wide rims

tpliquid

whoa too small dood

DougandhisC280

If it's a 215 you need it to be 215/45 or you need 225\40. These are the same width

scorchie

Dunlop SP9000 specs:

215/45ZR17 SL 280 A A
tread: 10/32nds
OK rim widths: 7-8.5"
sectional width: 8.7"
tread width: 7.7"
diameter: 24.5"

225/45ZR17 SL 280 A A
tread: 10/32nds
OK rim widths: 7.5-9"
sectional width: 8.9"
tread width: 8.1"
diameter: 25"

Apparently not the same width

But in the case of SP9000, the specs indicate an 8.5" rim is OK for these widths. It's just that I think that mounting a tire on the maximum allowed width rim is just not a good idea.

Plus it's ugly! LOL

-s-

J__

ok thnx guys for ur help!!!

i mounted the tires... the sides slanted out hehe, VERY possible for curbage... they fit ok... (looks like the benz's in the movie "Taxi") but i imagine they wont last long.. so i'll swap to 225 after these wear out... plus they leave fender clearance for the 8.5" rims very nice, no need for rolling ^^

ahh i finally decided on Bilstein shocks, they will be easier to install... now i gotta find out how to rip out the lining lol

thnx again!!!

DougandhisC280

I was talking about diameter so your spedometer wouldn't be off. The diameter seems to be a half inch off anyways. That's odd because Tire Rack told me they were the same. All well, at least I know now. Good luck with the Bilstein's. You'll like them. What kind of springs are you mounting them with? Was it H&R?