Koni FSD Shocks For D3

[TerryO]

I'm just about to order a set of Koni FSD shocks for the D3 to be fitted next week. Has anyone else tried them in either a D3 or 4?

cheers,
Terry

[400HPONGAS]

Did you get a price ? Me mate needs a set or rears ,urgent
From here ? Toperformance Products Co.
Mr. Barry Brookes
8 Trade Place
Vic 3133 Vermont
Australia
for D3/D4 2100-4069 . Is this what your were chasing ?

[Graeme]

The last I heard they were only available as a full set.

[jonesy63]

They are often on eBay in the UK:
KONI FSD KIT SHOCK ABSORBERS LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 3 04- | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KONI-FSD-KIT-SHOCK-ABSORBERS-LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-3-04-/230380758900?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35a3c36774)

[TerryO]

Hi Rob,

I dropped the D3 off in Canberra today to get the Koni FSD's fitted so looking forward to getting it back Thursday morning.

While some retail outlets here are asking very different prices for the shocks and how much they want for fitting them, in the end it worked out a pretty good deal to buy them here in Australia rather then from OS.

cheers,
Terry

[jonesy63]

Hi Terry - good one! We'll see how it goes in a months time - for the 10th event! :cool:

[TerryO]

Hi Terry - good one! We'll see how it goes in a months time - for the 10th event! :cool:


Hi Rob,

yes we are looking forward to the little get together and a few days off away from work. Hope to have a few other improvements done to the D3 by then as well.

cheers,
Terry

[Mike_S]

Be interested to hear how long it takes to fit them, as well as what the ride's like. A set of FSD's are £600 here, so a little dearer than OEM but I've always had positive experiences from Koni's.

[TerryO]

Its taking several days longer then first expected to get the D3 back with the new shocks fitted as they have found a couple of seals that should have been ok were damaged and required replacing which they had to order in.

Hopefully today is the day.

cheers,
Terry

[djhampson]

What made you decide to change the shocks? How many kms did you get off the old set?

Interested to hear your experiences.

[TerryO]

Hi DJ,

my D3 has now done 102k. The shocks were stuffed when I got it at 92k though, as it could and would pogo on rough roads and had plenty of body roll, not all the time but enough to know the shocks were gone, for city driving not a problem at all. In my limited experience most shock absorbers, in just about any vehicle, are stuffed by 60-80k.

Suspension is one of those things that gets progressively worse slowly with time so its easy to not recognise that its no longer working correctly.

We will be using the D3 for towing our 2.5 ton dirt road van so I don't want vagueness happening in the handling.

I got the D3 back Friday arvo and I can say already that it handles and drives freaking fantastic. I bit firmer then before but bugger all body roll at any speed and seems to ride the bumps way better. ;)

I also took a gamble and had fitted yesterday a set of the new AT3 Coopers (265x60x18) and so far for a fairly agressve A/T they feel excellent and have actually improved the ride even more then with the Conti's.

So for just on 3k I got new Koni shocks fitted and 5 new A/T tyres ...a bloody bargain I reckon, these two changes have transformed the D3.

Still its very early days so will reserve my final opinion for another day.

cheers,
Terry

[chuck]

Terry

Could you let us know how the Cooper AT3's go.

That is the size tyre I would like to put on my 18"rims.
I would like the new GG AT in that size but do not know when they will arrive in Oz.

Regards

Chuck

[discotrekka]

Hi Terry,
Thanks for the interesting thread. My Disco 3 has travelled 95000 kms about half off road and is showing all the signs that the shock absorbers have gone - even the DSC light is coming on and the DSC braking is activated on some bitumen corners. So the question is where did you get the Koni FSD shock absorber kit from and how much did they cost. I have to get mine replaced so this is just a comparative question to make sure I don't get ripped off.
Cheers
Rob

[TerryO]

Hi Rob,

I got the Koni's from Capital Steering in the ACT.

Capital Steering & Suspension (http://www.capitalsteering.com.au/)

I rang around a number of places and the guys at Capital Steering were prepared to do the best deal that I could find. For those of you who have the time and the inclination to fit them yourselves they would be quite happy to courier them around the country.

Ask for Andrew or Peter both blokes were very helpful.

For the tyre deal I went to Tempe Tyres, as a number of others on here have mentioned before. The Cooper AT3's were roughly $100 a tyre cheaper then other outlets. But what a sausage factory the place is and be aware that any deal you might get quoted over the phone may not be available 24 hours later.

cheers,
Terry

[Uberdubster]

These shocks sound fantastic, but Koni doesn't list anything for the RRS. I wonder if D3/D4 shocks fit...

[TerryO]

Not sure if the difference would ba as noticeable for a RRS as they are for a D3, I was of the understanding that a RRS sport handles much sharper and tighter then a D3, mind you if your shocks are stuffed then yes they will make a big difference.

cheers,
Terry

[djhampson]

Whats the best way to check that my shocks are ok?

You can't see them can you because they're hidden by the airbags right?

[TerryO]

In all seriousness nearly every vehicle benefits from good (and I mean good) aftermarket shocks but that is not a reason on its own to fit new shocks. My D3 got a bit of pogo up occassionally and had what I believe was excessive body roll on some corners and I really didn't want to tow a 2.5 ton van with poorly handling shocks with little dampening in them.

But if you are happy with how your D3 handles then there is no need to change them I reckon. If they were really stuffed you would know something is wrong but shocks go off slowely so often its easy to not notice that your car doesn't feel like it did when it was new.

I have learn't the hard way that stuffed shocks make a mess of new tyres within a few thousand k's. Namely they lose that smooth ride feeling tyres have when they are brand new.

So I decided it I was going to buy new tyres for the D3 then I would also get shocks and I'm very happy I did.

cheers,
Terry

[Mike_S]

An easy way to test them is to ride a few speedbumps and see how the car behaves. Mine bounces twice or more at the back as I come off the speedbump and just feels a bit loose, it shouldn't bounce at all really.

The other telltale is riding over a bunch of cats eyes on the motorway / dual carriageway at anything over 50mph, the back end of the car skips sideways on them as the wheels bounce repeatedly and it's bloody disconcerting.

For reference it's done 71,000 miles and the shocks are original.

[justinc]

Right, feedback time.

For those that are maybe on the fence about shocks, if your D3 has 80K of touring or towing under its belt, then just do it. The FSD are an amazing bit of kit. You won't realise just how bad / lacking the OE Delphi ones are until the FSDs are fitted. The words 'different vehicle' will be used in abundance.

I'm very impressed. Similar in price to OE complete units, even when factoring in fitment/ dissassembly/ reassembly of the struts and new air seals etc etc.

JC

[TerryO]

Right, feedback time. (re Koni FSD's)

The words 'different vehicle' will be used in abundance.


JC


Yep! ... :D ...Totally different, meaning really excellent and well worth the dosh!

cheers,
Terry