Big Red...

[dmdigital]

No not Dave's old Landy:p

But there's four of them and they are big and they are definitely red.

No these are big red 90 series Koni Raid Dampers for the Puma. Stolen from Santa's sleigh. They weigh about 6kg's each. That's a 50c piece on the top of one of them to give you an idea of the diameter. When I go to swap them over on the weekend I'll take a piccy with them next to the OEM one's.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/06/1807.jpg


I suspect getting to the front shock towers on the Puma may be a little frustrating:mad:

[The ho har's]

congratulations on the arrival of your new babies...:D

should work a treat up you way;)



Mrs ho har:angel:

[D-Fender]

Shiny..... for now. They are very nice. Man santa's gonna be very unhappy.

[LR D4]

6kgs each man that is heavy:eek::eek::eek:
I look forward to the road test DM.

[dmdigital]

If the weather holds I'll put them in on Saturday. Though if it's as hot as last Saturday I'll probably just stay inside with the A/C.

Will followup with more when I get them in.

[justinc]

Noice Derek!

Don't forget to test them thoroughly:twisted:

JC

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Watch the bolts that hold the towers on.. they are soft and strip easily :o

[Narangga]

What else would Santa bring when additional camera equipment has been outlawed? :angel:

[dmdigital]

Watch the bolts that hold the towers on.. they are soft and strip easily :o
Yep, know about that form the Tdi. Puma looks to be exactly the same. Bigger problem is going to be extracting the shock tower out through the engine bay. Some idiot designed it with hoses in the road. It looks like I'll have to remove the air filter and plug up the air intake hose with it tied back to something.

[dmdigital]

What else would Santa bring when additional camera equipment has benn outlawed? :angel:

Ummm... need new camera bag. New camera is to big for old camera bag... old bag is also wearing out.

By the way, was that you driving Crossy's Pajero tonight:confused:

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Yep, know about that form the Tdi. Puma looks to be exactly the same. Bigger problem is going to be extracting the shock tower out through the engine bay. Some idiot designed it with hoses in the road. It looks like I'll have to remove the air filter and plug up the air intake hose with it tied back to something.

Don't you just have to lift it enough through the hole in the guard so you can rotate it and take it out through the wheel arch?

[dmdigital]

Yes, but the air intake line is in the road of getting the access cap off. The passenger's side has hoses running over it but these will move aside easily enough. The driver's side has the MAF on air intake sitting right above it. I don't think I'll have enough room to lift the shock tower anywhere but straight up :mad:

Oh and just taking the air filter lid off on the Puma is a PITA!

[TimNZ]

Getting those plastic caps over the shock towers is a right PITA Derek, I resorted to undoing the screws with pliers by grabbing the ends of the screws poking through into the wheel wells.

Cheers,

Tim

[PAT303]

Yes, but the air intake line is in the road of getting the access cap off. The passenger's side has hoses running over it but these will move aside easily enough. The driver's side has the MAF on air intake sitting right above it. I don't think I'll have enough room to lift the shock tower anywhere but straight up :mad:

Oh and just taking the air filter lid off on the Puma is a PITA!

I got 4'' shocks in my Tdi by jacking the vehicle up onto an axle stand then lowering the diff to the ground,I've never removed the towers to get shocks in.I also cable tie the coils together so they are a straight remove-refit. Pat

[dmdigital]

I'll be trying this but I know from when I replaced the front springs with HD's that I had limited range of travel of the diff with the OEM shocks and struggled with sliding the springs over the shocks. Ended up undoing the shock tower and lifting it off it's mounting ring. It may be that I can slide the shock out of the spring though. Will see how it goes.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Are they not gas? I just noticed in the pic that they haven't extended themselves? The Bilsteins I fitted were gas - and they were a pain always trying to go to full length :)

[dmdigital]

Link: Koni: RAID (http://www.koni.com/55+M5589030a730.html)

[andrew e]

Forget the camera bag Derek, you need a wheelbarrow:wasntme:

Heres a tip, when you finally get the towers out, cut the edge off that sits under the lip of the inner guard, it will make it easier to get off next time.


Andy

[rar110]

Getting those plastic caps over the shock towers is a right PITA Derek, I resorted to undoing the screws with pliers by grabbing the ends of the screws poking through into the wheel wells.

Cheers,

Tim

I did the same. I used an 8mm spanner from memory to hold the bolt attached to the top of the shock. Another time I was able to tighten it by just holding the shock with my hand before putting the spring in.

[dullbird]

how much derek if you dont mind me asking we are in the same process of buying shocks I'm awaiting a quote for some other shocks but it would be good to compare.

[justinc]

Are the front shocks in yet??? Did the rattle gun trick work? Gone for a test thrash yet DM???:twisted:

Or are you rehydrating in Aiconditioned comfort with a Moo Brew????

JC:)

[The ho har's]

Are the front shocks in yet??? Did the rattle gun trick work? Gone for a test thrash yet DM???:twisted:

Or are you rehydrating in Aiconditioned comfort with a Moo Brew????

JC:)

Just spoken to him via Skype...seems he had some problems:angel:



Mrs ho har:angel:

[justinc]

Just spoken to him via Skype...seems he had some problems:angel:



Mrs ho har:angel:

Oh Dear, care to elaborate???:o

JC

[dmdigital]

Are the front shocks in yet??? Did the rattle gun trick work? Gone for a test thrash yet DM???:twisted:

Or are you rehydrating in Aiconditioned comfort with a Moo Brew????

JC:)

Rattle gun did the trick... once I charged the battery:(


Just spoken to him via Skype...seems he had some problems:angel:



Mrs ho har:angel:

Here is what I replied in Skype to poor Mrs H when she asked "How are you?"

Absolutely knackered!
Just finished putting the shocks on and cleaning up outside. Its been somewhere between 35 and 40 and around 90-95% humidity and mostly sunny today. I think I'm dehydrated and I've probably drunken about 15L of water so far today.
Don't ask me what the rides like, haven't driven anywhere yet.


A beer is the last thing I want now. I've just downed another couple of litres and I'm sitting in the cool air-conditioning.

More to follow when I regain consciousness :Thump: :zzz:

[dmdigital]

Well I just dragged my carcass down to Woolies for a few things.

Body Roll on corners - I'm sure it used to have body roll on corners, now it just sits flat. Does that make it a sports car:confused:

Speed bumps - just absorbed them on one bounce.

I'll try and get out bush tomorrow and see what it does with corrugations. On the sealed road the ride is extremely smooth.

GOt some pic's of the old alongside the new dampers but haven't downloaded them yet.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Give it a good long drive too... tell me whether they still work after half an hour of rough treatment. :o I am told that the rate of fade is a good indicator of the quality of the shocky.

[dmdigital]

Here's a couple of comparative shots of the new and old shocks.

Rear's:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/12/587.jpg

Front shocks (the old front shock is on the left, the one on the right is a rear shock):
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/12/588.jpg

[dmdigital]

Just got back from a trip to one of the creeks to exercise the dog and have a paddle. About 25km each way and the first 13km is sealed.

Defender hardles a lot better, no more bouncing as you go over anything rough. The shocks seem to absorb everything in the first rebound very well. There is definitely a lot less roll and so more control when crawling over things. The track out was in good nick so not much in the way of corrugations. Will be able to test how things go on corrugations soon or later though.

Couple of things I did find yesterday with the Puma though.
I drove 25000km in three months with not many issues, didn't damage a tyre or get a puncture. I noticed yesterday that one of the outer tread blocks has torn off the inside edge of a rear tyre. Oh well, that makes it a spare and its about 50% worn after 40,000km.
The other thing I found was that in the last 8 weeks (since I last checked the car over thoroughly) the LH rear brake shield has cracked its mounting points. Hadn't heard a rattle and I do routinely check these after any outing. I wasn't expecting either rear one to last the trip around the country.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Thanks for the update.. when you travel consider carrying the factory rear shock as a spare. I've broken two before, and I ran into a guy on the canning who had broken two and was awaiting more. :o

[dmdigital]

Thanks for the update.. when you travel consider carrying the factory rear shock as a spare. I've broken two before, and I ran into a guy on the canning who had broken two and was awaiting more. :o
That was always my intention. They'll get a good wash and get put aside.

[dmdigital]

Well I've now had the shocks on for a week and had a chance to do some corrugations, sand, rocky tracks and general dirt roads. I've clocked up about 250km of dirt driving in the last two days and its also been very hot.

They are performing brilliantly. There is hardly any body roll and the old coil spring problem of the vehicle pitching from side to side as you slowly negotiate rough terrain or in soft sand (where you get an out of phase corrugation effect) is gone. On corrugations they just soak up the vibrations and the Defender is very manageable.

My wife - who never seems to notice any difference between changes to any vehicle we've ever owned - is now really, really impressed by the improved handling.

All I can add is if you are thinking about it and can afford the dollars I would definitely be recommending the Koni Raid 90 series.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Thanks for the update. I fitted new bilsteins only last year but when they are had it I'll give them a try. :)

[Mudnut]

No not Dave's old Landy:p

But there's four of them and they are big and they are definitely red.

No these are big red 90 series Koni Raid Dampers for the Puma. Stolen from Santa's sleigh. They weigh about 6kg's each. That's a 50c piece on the top of one of them to give you an idea of the diameter. When I go to swap them over on the weekend I'll take a piccy with them next to the OEM one's.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/06/1807.jpg


I suspect getting to the front shock towers on the Puma may be a little frustrating:mad:

I thought internet porn was banned from this site:D

Ken

[dmdigital]

Just an update after driving the track to Katherine and back in the last fortnight. These shocks handle corrugations and rough dirt roads really well. No fade at all over the 730km, 10 hour trip each way.

[rufustr]

The really good thing about Konis is that they can be rebuilt when they get a bit tired.

A Koni Dealer should be able to point you to someone who can service them.

[trailcutter]

Just an update after driving the track to Katherine and back in the last fortnight. These shocks handle corrugations and rough dirt roads really well. No fade at all over the 730km, 10 hour trip each way.


digit ......whats the $ damage apprx ,,,,,,,,,cheers

[dmdigital]

digit ......whats the $ damage apprx ,,,,,,,,,cheers

https://www.suspensionstuff.com.au/shop/product_info.php?cPath=27_58&products_id=2253&osCsid=ba65add0bb06e860e02b5400df1b35a2

Hope you are sitting down.

[mike_ie]

https://www.suspensionstuff.com.au/shop/product_info.php?cPath=27_58&products_id=2253&osCsid=ba65add0bb06e860e02b5400df1b35a2

Hope you are sitting down.

I literally did a double take when I saw the price.... I'm sure that they are no doubt good, but $2300 good????

[dmdigital]

They've gone up in price. Weren't cheap but they are very good.

[Narangga]

They've gone up in price. Weren't cheap but they are very good.

Good idea for a signature phrase :wasntme:

[The ho har's]

Well when you think about it "the track" would have to be one of the roughest roads in Aus...so the cost would surely out way any suspension and other damage you would incur without the Big Red's:)

Mrs hh:angel:

[trailcutter]

I literally did a double take when I saw the price.... I'm sure that they are no doubt good, but $2300 good????


its all relative ,,,,,, i put ohlins on a bmw adv 1150 m/sickle after a trip to the cape,, cost ---$2300 for the pair......worth every cent!!!

[mike_ie]

Well when you think about it "the track" would have to be one of the roughest roads in Aus...so the cost would surely out way any suspension and other damage you would incur without the Big Red's:)

Mrs hh:angel:

Don't get me wrong - I'm not doubting their effectiveness at all, and I'm sure that if I were getting the **** rattled out of me on a daily basis then I'd consider buying a set too. It's more the "OOOOOOH, THEY LOOK NICE" followed immediately by the "holy crap" when I see the price :)

[SG1]

Hello,

I finally received my 4 KONI RAIDS today through Ultrarev (USA) after waiting for about two and a half months (after paying for them in mid November). It took a long time to have them built in Holand but it was worth waiting. The link to the post were I asked my questions before buying them is here: http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/114202-size-koni-bilstein-shocks-vs-genuine-lr-ones.html
I was basically convinced by the very positive comments about the RAIDS made by dmdigital and positive comments herd elsewhere about KONI quality in general.

I will not add pictures as they look exactly the same as the pics posted by dmdigital below.

I promise I will post some comments after I install them and give them a try on a VERY corrugated road I have close to my house in Mendoza, Argentina but first I need to get back to Argentina (I am in the US) and second I need to understand how to adjust my RAIDS to the medium setting:

I was very surprised to find that my RAIDS, although superbly built, only come with some VERY crappy instructions regarding how to adjust them. There is no manual included , just a small piece of paper with confusing figures, no words explaining anything AT ALL. It is very anoying. Having spent 1,000U$ on 4 shocks and receiving no decent instructions on how to adjust them....anyways.

I am planning on adjusting the RAIDS on "medium", not hard nor soft but I would appreciate any advice on what setting is best. I understand they have 3 positions to adjust them but even that is not clear from the box or the "paper with instructions".

Bottomline:
My questions are:
a) can anybody confirm if the RAIDS have 3 different settings to choose from?
b) does anybody know if they normally come from factory come in the middle position (this is my guess, it would make sense)?
c) can anyone who has gone through the process explain in a few words how to do the adjustment in case they do not come in the middle setting?


I will try to take a picture of the little "paper with instructions" to see if somebody lese understands it better than I do.

Thanks,
Cheers,
Santiago

PS: By the way, Ultrarev worked great, I recommend them. They are located in New Jersey, US.

[SG1]

Here is the "Instructions Manual" showing how to adjust the shocks:

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/6026/1000014p.jpg


http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9634/1000017f.jpg


http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1705/1000016y.jpg


http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7532/1000018l.jpg

Any help will be good since I have no clue how to start the adjustment.

[SG1]

Did a little more investigation and found this on KONI's web page: Koni: Adjustment (http://www.koni.com/193+M52220152291.html)

It is much more instructive than what I received in paper.
Myy question now is: anybody knows if the adjsytent for the RAIDS (wich are Series 90 shocks) is the same as for the 80 series?


Thanks
Stgo

[scott oz]

Sorry all

I recall reading somewhere (thought it was this thread) that if doing the front springs on a 110 (mine 2001 110 TD5) it was an idea to use the Disco rubberised “ ring”. This helped reduce the noise transfer.

Can anyone tell me if my memory is failing, if not the part number.

I’ve currently got the Koni, King Springs and new shock towers ready to go and this is the final item if memory serves me correctly.

Thanks and sorry if this is in the wrong post.

[MTB]

Scott

I have not installed them yet, but I did buy some rubberized spring isolators, part number ANR2938 at $18.95 each from Karcraft for this very purpose.

Before you install the Koni's any chance you could measure the open and closed length. I am curious if they give you the extra 40mm travel that is claimed.

[scott oz]

MTB

I'll try and measure when I get home. You need front and back?

[MTB]

I am considering getting Koni Raids - all round.
IF I can get them cheap from the US when I am over there.

[scott oz]

MTB

Front
total extended length from top to bottom of sharfts 698
Closed length 220
Sharft travel 478

Rear
total extended length bottom of eye to end of shaft 673
Closed length483
shaft travel 190

[scott oz]

MTB

Probably a silly question but am I correct you only have these rubberised rings on the fromt?

[MTB]

scott oz

I still have not installed them.
I was going to put in some 110/130 HD front coils, in the hope that it will bring the front up by about 35mm and would then level out the height of the guards front & back.
Depending on what happens after I put in the HD coils, I was going to use the isolator rings to fine tune the ride hight.