Rear Koni yellows do not fit into top housing :(

[gettheledout]

I bought a used set of koni yellows from a member here, and the fronts went on great. However, the threaded part of the shock was too big for the top housing behind the rear seats. My car is a 2005, by the way. What can I do to get them on the rear? Any housing of the larger size for sale? Thanks!

[gettheledout]

I realize this is a 55mm shock and I have a 50mm housing. Are the housing readily available, or should I sell the rears and buy the smaller size?

[RedSiBaron]

Uuuuhhh what? Im lost...the rear shocks are not inserts...so 50mm vs 55mm have nothing to do with it

[gettheledout]

The rear shocks have the center bolt on top, where the piece goes up into the interior of the car behind the seats, under the plastic in the trunk. I could NOT get the rod up into those housings, even after I took the housings off. It looked like the silver rod was a little larger than my stock shock.

[27rocks]

It seems like you are doing something wrong. Did you try to unbolt the top part off of the struts? Can you take a closer pic as well so we can better understand what you are talking about. Also take a pic of what you are trying to push those through (im assuming its the top hats).

[PatrickJamesYu]

Yeah I'm confused too.
I'm even running Koni's

For us to help solve this quicker, take as many pics as you can
closer, and a lot.
Since this is via internet, we need as many pics to give us a mental 3-D picture of it.

edit: So you say you can't fit the shock through?
I think I know what you're talking about.
I think you might have to grind it.
Using a dremel, grind the 'housing' until the shock can go through.

[gettheledout]

Sorry guys, I just did the install over the weekend and left the stock shocks in the rear. It might be a while before I can get time off work and take them out. If you can imagine it, or see in the pic I posted above, there are metal "washers" above the bump stops. I took that off of my stock shock, and even they were too small to fit on the new koni. Also, the "housing" I speak of is called "damper mounting base" in this pic http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/q...at125129AM.png

This damper mounting base had a metal ring inside that came in contact with the shock once it's up in there. They were just too small to fit the slightly larger shock. If PatrickJamesYu had to grind that piece with a dremel, that is what I'd have to do, because it exactly describes the problem.

Sorry I can't take more pics now!

[27rocks]

Ok perfect. Yeah those are usually called top hats (car guy talk). But i think you are on the right track about having to grind it down to have them fit through. If you have a grinder it shouldn't take no more then 5 min to do it. Best of luck to you.

[gettheledout]

Thanks a lot, just need to find some time now!

[PatrickJamesYu]

Yeah the Top Hats that 27rocks is talking about, or the damper mounting plates, I don't remember having to grind those.. BUT I did have to grind the bump stop plate, if I remember correctly.
It was quite annoying finding out I had to do that..
But yeah, I remember having to do some mod work for the rears..

But don't trip
grinding away at the should be safe, as long as you don't drill a knick into them.
I don't think a whole lot of stress is put on those.

[Cheep3]

Did you replace the tophat bushings with the Koni ones? The stock ones pry out of the housing - one out the top - the other out the bottom. It took me awhile to figure out since my used Konis had no instructions. I didn't know the metal rubber bushings were removable until i started getting desparate with them and then realized I had the larger hole Koni ones in the bottom of the shipping box. Koni sells installation kits if you don't have them. Good luck - Konis rock!

[27rocks]

^^^ Even better!!

[bchaney]

Are you talking about the parts that are labeled "bushing" on pg5? http://www.progressauto.com/ecom/download/75.0102-B.pdf

Before you grind anything let me see if I still have these...

[gettheledout]

I even took the tophats out and tried to fit the shock up into them. It seems the shock is slighter larger than my OEM shock. It is possible there may be some kind of insert in the top hats.

Does this thread explain my problem? It seems exactly like what it is...

http://www.tsxclub.com/forums/1st-ge...gtsx-05-a.html

Also Bryan, it looks like you have those "sleeves" in the pic you sent me

[PatrickJamesYu]

The link you posted, I think I remember having to do that
It's been a while, and I've worked on a few cars since, but it's kind of familiar.