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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
My last couple of experiences with shock rebuilds at Doetsch have been less than stellar. Little stuff like having to bug them to turn my orders around, or remind them of things they said they'd do but didn't have started to get to me. The rear remote reservoir Doetsch shocks are still holding up great, but the fronts have started to become unreliable after a couple hundred thousand miles and are requiring parts and rebuilds too often for my tastes.
Now that Eurotruck makes it so easy to get the Konis, I decided to give them a try on the fronts at least. I have a set on the way and will try to have them on for a jaunt out to Ouray to visit with Dutch and some others the end of next month and then take them to Death Valley in October.
Thanks to everyone on this list who's contributed to much information sharing about these shocks so the rest of us now have an easy, known path to follow.
-Dave G. |
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dai
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oregon USA
Vehicle(s): 300GD 300TD BMW R100RS Landini 80F
Posts: 2110
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
You are going to like them Mr. G.
-Dai
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Like I said, it's been all your help in reviewing them and sharing your experiences over the years that enabled me to purchase them knowing exactly that, without a doubt. I'm looking forward to my own great experience with them. Do you have a recommended damping setting for a mostly loaded LWB with roof tent? Or should I ask Mr. Michel? I should contact him soon anyway as our friend Barry B. is about to return to our place for a few days this weekend before lighting out for home in ZA.
All the best,
-Dave G. |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
AMZ confirms "soft" is the setting for the front of the G. I'll start there!
-Dave G. |
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AlanMcR
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, CA, Los Altos
Vehicle(s): G300DT E300DT 230SL
Posts: 3500
| RE: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
For what it is worth: Red springs up front, heavy engine, no winch/brushguard - Koni dial set to center position - seems fine to me.
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| RE: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Thanks Alan! I guess they're not too difficult to adjust anyway if I find the initial setting not to my liking, or just want to see what's on the other side of the hill so to speak. I'll keep that in mind.
-Dave G. |
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dai
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oregon USA
Vehicle(s): 300GD 300TD BMW R100RS Landini 80F
Posts: 2110
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Mine are set soft and I just hauled 40 cases of wine in my SWB twice in the last two days. The are so nice.
-Dai |
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Tjærand
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Oct 2006
Location: Nøtterøy, Norway
Vehicle(s): 1996 G320
Posts: 403
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
I have had mine set to center dial for 2 years now. Drove the G 6000km with 5 people and their luggage at autobahn speeds and over mountain passes last years summer vacation and it was always like riding a train. Konis really fit the G well.
I had it set to soft first but tried the other settings and decided medium setting felt like best handling to me. The differences are quite subtle for normal use though. |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Tjærand - 8/29/2012 2:55 PM
I have had mine set to center dial for 2 years now.....
Thanks for sharing T. I'll have the added input of needing to balance their performance with the Doetsch rears for now too so I may very well end up on the medium setting. We'll see. That'll be part of the fun!
-Dave G. |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| RE: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
New front shocks, new front rotors, and new font pads in this morning. Shocks set to middle of their adjustment range and they're certainly not too hard. So I think I'll leave them like that a while. The shocks sure are nice and beefy. I really like the way the rubber bushings are a perfect fit to the holes in the chassis and the nuts cinch down to a hard stop. I feel very confident in them, and that's half the battle.
Thanks again for all the help!
-Dave G. |
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dai
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oregon USA
Vehicle(s): 300GD 300TD BMW R100RS Landini 80F
Posts: 2110
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Excellent!
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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
I look forward to your observations Dave. I have been stuck on Sachs for a long time! |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Boy G - 9/2/2012 10:05 AM
I look forward to your observations Dave. I have been stuck on Sachs for a long time!
I'm sure those are very good too. I've never run them (my G had Bilsteins on it when I got it that didn't suit me at all, so I put about 300,000 on a set of Doetchs with 3 rebuilds in between). The Sachs are more expensive than the Koni's here though and with the reviews the Konis have had, I figured they'd be worth a fair shake. AMZ probably has good Sachs v Koni comparison information for you in uses similar to yours now that he'd had the new truck out in anger.
Today it's time for a new speedometer cable. I don't know what it is, but I can only get the crazy things to last 150,000 miles at a time.... 
All the best,
-Dave G.
Edited by hipine 9/2/2012 1:10 PM
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ONE
Veteran
Date registered: Sep 2007
Location: SW
Vehicle(s): G-less at the moment...ford
Posts: 105
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
My first set of SPX lasted one day in Death Valley - both fronts gone. Granted it was a very hot day with spirited driving ( racetrack to Saline Valley ) and large tires - but I fear my replacements are not going to fare much better. They get extremely hot after a very short time. |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
ONE - 9/6/2012 1:54 PM
My first set of SPX lasted one day in Death Valley - both fronts gone. ....
Interesting. How did you have them set?
-Dave G. |
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ONE
Veteran
Date registered: Sep 2007
Location: SW
Vehicle(s): G-less at the moment...ford
Posts: 105
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
I had them 2 half turns from soft. First my right front went - I assume eventually the second went because of added stress. My the new replacement set I went 3 half turns ( total of 5 half from soft to max hard according to manual) took it out to test the new ones on a 2 hour trail - checked the right after the trail for oil leaks - and when touching the dust cover of the shocks for a split second -I almost burned my fingers!
My original AMG-Bilsteins lasted for tens of thousands under same driving conditions.
Edited by ONE 9/6/2012 5:02 PM
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
Thanks for sharing. That's good info. I set mine to the mid-point of the adjustment travel starting from full soft. Maybe I should have gone with AMZ's original advice to set them full soft. I might have to drive it around a little as it is then pull them and set them full soft and see how that is. We'll see....
Do you think I can justify a run out to Esclante for a drive down the "Hole in the Rock Road" as a test run? 50 miles each way of rough washboard. "Yes honey, I NEED to do this, for the good of all G owners!" I don't think she'd buy it. Maybe 5 G owners with similar trucks to meet there, set shocks each to a different setting, make the down and back run, and compare notes..... All in the name of science you know!
All the best,
-Dave G. |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Clarification from all previous respondents please
I notice in some replies above people talking about setting a "dial" or setting to "soft" or "medium." Looking at Koni's on-line information it seems like the 82xx series SPX shocks like I have use an adjustment sequence that I wouldn't refer to as a "dial", but more the way ONE described doing his.
It got me wondering if we all have the same shocks, or if the valving that's in AMZ, Dia, and Alan's shocks might be different from what's in mine and ONE's.
Please look at this page:
http://www.koni-na.com/adjustment.cfm
Is everyone using the adjustment procedure in the center of the page?
-Dave G. |
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ONE
Veteran
Date registered: Sep 2007
Location: SW
Vehicle(s): G-less at the moment...ford
Posts: 105
| Re: Changing to Koni SPX front shocks
hipine - 9/6/2012 5:58 PM
Thanks for sharing. That's good info. I set mine to the mid-point of the adjustment travel starting from full soft. Maybe I should have gone with AMZ's original advice to set them full soft. I might have to drive it around a little as it is then pull them and set them full soft and see how that is. We'll see....
-Dave G.
I had them at full soft at first and felt it was too bouncy. However I have much bigger tires so that might have a big impact.
I could only find a full soft spot where the travel starts - but never an end point or click for full hard - were you able to detect any clicks - stop?
I am about to pull them out again as I suspect that my right front is much softer then my left front.
Having had to drive with the shot shocks for quiet a few more days - it seems that I had killed my steering shock as well - naturally getting horrific wobble.
When I installed the new replacement SPX the wobble was gone. However after the 2 hour shake down run - wobble is coming back 
Edited by ONE 9/6/2012 6:26 PM
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ONE
Veteran
Date registered: Sep 2007
Location: SW
Vehicle(s): G-less at the moment...ford
Posts: 105
| RE: Clarification from all previous respondents please
hipine - 9/6/2012 6:09 PM
I notice in some replies above people talking about setting a "dial" or setting to "soft" or "medium." Looking at Koni's on-line information it seems like the 82xx series SPX shocks like I have use an adjustment sequence that I wouldn't refer to as a "dial", but more the way ONE described doing his.
It got me wondering if we all have the same shocks, or if the valving that's in AMZ, Dia, and Alan's shocks might be different from what's in mine and ONE's.
-Dave G.
I had been wondering precisely them same when I heard people referring to dial and clicks...I quiet frankly was very disappointed that the adjustability can only be done with shocks uninstalled.
PS - Escalante sounds interesting!
Edited by ONE 9/6/2012 6:39 PM
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