Need advice about what to remove loosen, etc to get front shock/spring off of car for replacement with Koni Sport. Havent had much luck getting unit out, due to lower A-arm restriction.

 

Front....remove headlight leveler, sway end links and upper a-arm bolts

Rear.....remove sway bar end links and rear upper control arm bolt.

 

I just yanked my springs off to reseat them and all I had to do was remove the upper control arms for the front and a couple rear links for the rear.

 

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ighlight=shock

 

Nice pictures.....but a lot too complicated for the front especially...don't need to pull the ball joint apart....

 

Thanks guys. I MIGHT have found this eventially. This is great time saving help.

 

if you have leveling headlights you need to take the arm loose on both ends

it would also be more prudent to take the ABS signal wire holddown points loose to give the suspension full freedom of travel, put too much strain on one and it will pop ...

 

I wonder why I didn't have to do either of these.......

 

I'm in the same boat with Charles, it wasn't that complicated for me either. As long as you got an extra set of hands helping you there is no need for half of that thread.

 

For a first timer I found this difficult as well - all I can say is "read and follow the instructions" . There is still some figuring out to do even then , as those biatches only come out one way ....

 

If you want to save the 15 sec it takes to remove the ABS sensor bolt...go ahead.

If you stretch it or drop the shock and rip the wire it's an expensive fix for not removing one bolt

 

I got the Koni Sport shocks installed on my RX-8 over the week-end (no second set of hands available). Went great with the help of the pictorial guide (and a big crowbar). I did not remove the ball joint on the front. I found that it helped keep things located. I did remove the headlight aiming link and the ABS wire bracket on both ends. Thought beter safe than $orry. Since I did not have any parts left over (other than the old shocks), I assume it is a done deal.

One warning, the Koni front shocks had a hardware package that included larger diameter nuts and lockwashers to fit the larger shock stem. The rear shocks did not and, although both the old and new shock stems were 10mm, the threads on the new Koni were 1mm per thread. The old shocks were 1.25mm per thread. A trip to the parts store for nuts and lock washers cured the issue. Do not try to force the old locknut onto the new Koni.

 

probably for the same reason I can do it half the time that you take

on the coilover setup nothing in the rear suspension had to be disassembled; the rear coilovers slid right in and out. So it may depend on what you have, the OE setup is the longest of them all though so taking these out requires a bit more effort than once you get the standard Koni shocks etc in

 

I hear that! Since I'm staying in SCCA SOLO II, BS, I'm stuck with OEM springs. The OEM coilovers do not come out easily.
Besides, longer is better with a lot of things.

 

thanks for the edumuckation

 

Thanks