Adjustable struts...?

[AliasCT]

Had a great junk yard run; found a 1990 GP that had lots of add-on goodies. It had a large rear sway bar (Maybe the 7/8th inch Addco?), an FSTB, an RSTB, cross drilled rotors (didn't pick these up... yet), brand new head lights, decent carpet, pioneer speakers, and non-stock struts. All 4 corners had a strut with a nipple on it that I would *think* is an adjusting nipple... The only adjustable struts to ever have been created for the 1g w-body (I thought) was Koni, and I didn't know that they made rear struts from the 1g. I happen to be a few hours from home, so I don't have the tool to separate either the ball joint from the knuckle or the front strut cartridge from the knuckle, so I can't verify any Koni yellow. So my question is, could these be Konis? What did the Koni's adjusting mechanism look like? The left side rear strut is busted to hell, but I'm thinking of picking up the springs and struts and throwing them on my GP now.

[RobertISaar]

the ones in the 91GPSE just use a knob that slips over the top of the shock from inside the trunk and can twist to whatever stiffness desired. those are the Koni units.

[AliasCT]

No kidding. Well.... I don't have pics now, but I will when I grab the struts next weekend! If I don't decide to put them in my 1g, I will hold a very charitable auction

[White93z34]

Well. Good news and bad news about the 1g Koni's

 

I have a set of rear ones in my z34. I HAD a set of front ones that needed rebuilt.... I spent a PILE of money to get them, sent them into Koni only to find out that once upon a time they made ones that were non-rebuildable. The rear ones I did have rebuilt and am presently running. But the fronts were a perfectly good waste of a lot of money.

 

They have their "race" inserts that could possibly fit but a few years later I'm still reeling from the money blown on the fronts that I haven't had it in me to spend $160 each for some front ones that might fit.

[GnatGoSplat]

Do you feel any difference with Konis just in the rear? I have a NOS Koni rears, haven't decided if I want to go to the trouble to swap out my KYBs for them.

[AliasCT]

As an update; whatever struts are there, after a lot of pain and suffering I decided not to pull them. They don't have a black knob on them (like I've seen in pictures of Koni's), just a small metal tab sticking out of the top of the strut. Since the car wasn't on the ground, the strut was out of alignment (sticking out and down from the top of the strut mount) which made it hard to get to the front lower strut cap. It also had a different hole pattern than I had a tool for; it had two holes, one right across from the other, and the tool I have has a 3 hole pattern and a 4 hole pattern. Didn't feel like hacking my tool just to get the strut, especially since I couldn't get to it right anyway. WHAT DID I GET THEN? THIS. Clear headlights, FSTB, RSTB, rear sway bar (I already have the 34mm front), front and rear lateral bars (I have both in that aftermarket red, but the rear set are bent from the tow truck. Just grabbed the 2nd gen rear lateral bars, since those can adjust down to 1g size). I also grabbed the cross drilled rotors from the car (not pictured). If anyone in the area really wants to go take a look at the struts, it's in the Rancho Cordova (CA) main yard. 1990 GP 4 door, grey.

Edited May 7, 2013 by AliasCT
Typos

[AliasCT]

@Gnatgosplat I think their main advantage is adjustability and quality; IMO KYB for the 1g isn't meant as a performance strut, and if I were doing any kind of racing I would definitely want adjustable damping. That said, I have more trouble because of the stiffness (or lack thereof) of the springs than the struts. I would have pulled the springs from this 1990 GP but the rear spring code was atrocious (as bad as mine).

[GnatGoSplat]

Actually, sounds like those very well could be Koni. There is just a metal tab on top that you put the knob on in order to adjust. You only get 1 knob per pair so most people probably just keep it in a safe place instead of leaving it on the strut.

[RobertISaar]

that's exactly my situation as well... i seem to remember the knob being whitish, but i could be wrong. i'll probably rig something up to have two knobs when this car is on the road again.

[GnatGoSplat]

Yep, I think the knob is white.

[white4d96]

I have Koni yellows on my DC, knob is white.

[White93z34]

That's a pretty interesting suspension setup.

 

And what you are describing, is yes those are Konis on it.