| Author | Message | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2282 Registered: 2-2001 |
I agree with that Mitch. According to their age and you did not experience a problem previously I would clean them up and re-install. | ||
| Mitchell Minh Le (Yelcab1)
Junior Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 110 Registered: 11-2001 |
Magoo No I have not had them officially checked out. I live near a bunch of ripoff artists for tire places and do not feel like paying them 1 hour of $92 labor to check them. That is one whole new shock. Since they were plenty stiff and I never had any problem with pitching side to side, I think I will just reuse them again. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2275 Registered: 2-2001 |
Mitchell, Did you check the shocks? Are you using them again? What did you find out? | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 739 Registered: 9-2001 |
Here is the way I was always taught to check shocks: Push down as far as you can on the car over the shock being tested. Then let go quickly. Watch the car as it rebounds upward. It should only rebound one time and stop. If the car rebounds more than once or bounces, then the shock needs rebuilding or replaced. You will need to test all four corners of the car. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2178 Registered: 2-2001 |
Mitchell, If you did not experience a problem with the car pitching from side to side or bad cornering, my guess is that the shocks aren't bad. According to your profile you have a 75 GT4. The shocks are replacements from 85-86. My advise would be to re-install them after your cleanup. | ||
| Mitchell Minh Le (Yelcab1)
Junior Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 85 Registered: 11-2001 |
I had Koni adjustables on my Porsche 911 for many years and they are stiff, they don't leak, and they work well. The ones off the Ferrari are just 7 years old, pretty young for a life-time shock, they are quiet, do not make noise, and do not leak. I will check around to see if they can be tested for cheap. The cleaning and painting will just cost me my own labor. I don't have a problem spending money on things that need to be replaced, but to throw away old shocks while they are still good seems wasteful to me. Thanks all. Mitchell | ||
| David Jones (Dave)
Junior Member Username: Dave Post Number: 85 Registered: 4-2001 |
Ric is right on the money... You need to take them in to be tested, there is no way to tell by hand compression. I think tirerack.com has a good price on a new set of Koni shocks as well. By the time you have your shocks cleaned, tested, rebuilt, painted, you could have a new set on the car for about the same money... Just a thought. | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 269 Registered: 10-2001 |
David, I'm still laughing at that one  | ||
| Mitchell Minh Le (Yelcab1)
Junior Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 84 Registered: 11-2001 |
Thanks Dave for that insightful input. While my ass is fine and I still have all 28 adult teeth even with 2 root canals, that was not exactly the input I was looking for. | ||
| David Jones (Dave)
Junior Member Username: Dave Post Number: 84 Registered: 4-2001 |
How can you can tell when your shocks are bad? If you chip a tooth on your ass, chances are your shocks are bad... | ||
| Ric Rainbolt (Ricrain)
New member Username: Ricrain Post Number: 30 Registered: 2-2002 |
There's not an easy way to tell if the shocks are in spec without testing them on a machine. Just because they compress and rebound by hand in no way means they're doing so with the prescribed amount of resistance. Normally a fair amount of force is required to compress and expand the Koni hydraulic shocks. Their internal valves wear with use and lose their mechanical tolerances. Several companies offer shock testing, and maybe local service shops like Midas or something might be able to test them also. FWIW, I've had at least two Koni shocks that "felt" fine, made no noise and looked OK (once cleaned), but were *way* outside of specification when tested. | ||
| Mitchell Minh Le (Yelcab1)
Junior Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 83 Registered: 11-2001 |
Cleaned the shocks and checked the date codes, they were manufactured in '85 and '86 so they are relatively new for Koni life-time shocks. No noise and no grinding and no leaks. Tney are in good shape. I will repaint them and reuse. Mitchell | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2161 Registered: 2-2001 |
Mitchell, I agree with Brian. If they don't show signs of leaking or didn't have any tell tale noises they are probably OK. | ||
| Mitchell Minh Le (Yelcab1)
Junior Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 82 Registered: 11-2001 |
Brian The shocks do not make any noise, and do not leak. So, I guess I will just clean them, paint them and put them back. Any other opinions from anyone else? I rather not spend another $600 for new shocks if there is nothing wrong with the old ones. | ||
| Brian stewart (Eurocardoc)
Junior Member Username: Eurocardoc Post Number: 230 Registered: 11-2001 |
Shocks are designed to work under a rapid movement, pushing in and out will not show anything. They will stay compressed as you observed. If you adjust them you can detect the difference between full soft and hard by the resistance. Really need to be dynoed. If they were not making a "clicking" sound nor leaking, probably nothing wrong with them from my experiences. | ||
| Mitchell Minh Le (Yelcab1)
Junior Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 81 Registered: 11-2001 |
I removed my rear suspension and got the shocks and springs apart. 1. The springs are both stiff and of equal length and in specs so I am assuming they are good. I will sand blast and repaint them. 2. The shocks are old and dirty, they can be compressed and extended by arms' strength but they do feel stiff. Once compressed, they do not extend by themselves. Are they supposed to do that? How can I check them? I am used to gas shocks with do extend by themselves. But hydraulic shocks "may" not. |