We're in the process of swapping the stock struts for the Koni FSDs on an R53. Unfortunately the install process is not going as smoothly as everyone else. It seems like the strut is binding in the knuckle when we try to reinstall everything. I've tried greasing the bottom of the strut and hammering on just about anything(while using a jack to apply enough pressure to the control arm to _almost_ lift the car off the jack stand). I've double checked part numbers and everything(I've made that mistake on other cars ). Anyone have any advice or tricks on how to get the strut back on the car?
there is a split in the back of the knuckle that is where the pinch bolt tightens. use a blunt end chisel that is wider than the opening on the knuckle and carefully tap it into that split to widen it. then you should be able to fit the lower end othe strut in. some of the FSDs have extra thick paint on the bottom.
Try measuring the new FSD against the old strut. Wonder what the difference is. Maybe the paint on the FSD is very thick & causing the problem. Let us know how this turns out. FSD Konis are in my future.
I just calipered the struts, and they are the same(the FSD read ~0.15 mm thiner, but at this point I don't trust my hands). I'll try the chisel and see if that gets us some wiggle room. Thanks for the late saturday reply!
So yes, patience is very key. I ended up pulling off the strut that was stuck(thankfully it came free), and cleaned it and the inside surface it will slide against THOROUGHLY with a wire brush. Then a very thin coat of grease and I lined everything up. Here you really have to grunt and shove on the knuckle to get the everything together. This is also the part where you really want a helper. It's really hard to get the bolts on the top hat through the mounts and secured while also holding the coilover. The trick here seemed to be get everything lined up, and the strut seated up to at least the point where the tab on the tube is in the notch on the knuckle. If you try to apply the floor-jack-and-hammer method from the start the strut tube can bend far enough to bind everything. At that point I think you're better off just starting over. Thanks again for the advice and encouragement! And the FSDs are great.
Glad to hear you worked it out. Sometimes patience seems to be the hardest tool to find. :wink: Also glad to hear you are liking the FSD KONIs.
I've not had favorable experience with FSD struts for whatever that's worth. For strut bodies causing a tight fit, there is an OEM tool for spreading the pinch gap. Depending on how much gap is required a 1/4 inch drive extension can substitute. Insert the extension into the gap with square flats parallel, then turn ninety degrees to spread.
Yes the trick is to get it all lined up. If the angle of the 2 is off slightly it will just bind up and not go togther.