[daywalker_402]

@ssundet - Thank you for advising. Yes, I did get them with the added spacer in with the Bilstein boot, but then quickly tore them apart to remove the boot to better accommodate as-design stack height. The haste in removing was due to CBC at full droop. Now, I'd probably never stress full droop during normal driving conditions, but it wasn't right regardless.

Two thoughts after calling Koni NA and speaking with a technical rep :
-1st being lifespan is surely compromised without a protective boot, so I ordered an OEM equivalent from an SV trim Frontier, which if I deciphered drawings correctly, attaches to a single spacer/washer below the rubber seat for the spring. So, I'm hoping this set-up can accommodate protection without adversely affecting stack height.

-2nd being the ride wasn't what I was hoping for, leading me to believe either a) I incorrectly set the rebound speed to be too fast/harsh or b) this just isn't the set-up for me...

So, either way I'm disassembling the strut assemblies again to hopefully install protective boot/bellows & going over rebound settings again in hopes of slowing/softening ride quality.

When I re-do the assembly I'll try and remember to take measurements of the Koni strut.

did you adjust the rebound setting from where it was at out of the box? we have found the koni's ride best straight out of the box.

 

[Cleanwatt]

@daywalker_402 - I did make a 1/2 turn/180 degree adjustment clockwise from full close (counter-clockwise).

As I understand it:
counter-clockwise ---> slower/softer rebound
clockwise ---> faster/harder rebound

After this next dis & re-assembly I'm going to send them back to full close (counter-clockwise) in hopes this increases suppleness. The dampening on the old bilsteins felt uncontrolled and harsh, like I only used the top 10% of travel over every bump and road change, a jarring compression and harsh rebound to top out.

Really hoping the Koni can deliver a smooth ride.

 

[Nissan4Life]

@ssundet - Thank you for advising. Yes, I did get them with the added spacer in with the Bilstein boot, but then quickly tore them apart to remove the boot to better accommodate as-design stack height. The haste in removing was due to CBC at full droop. Now, I'd probably never stress full droop during normal driving conditions, but it wasn't right regardless.

Two thoughts after calling Koni NA and speaking with a technical rep :
-1st being lifespan is surely compromised without a protective boot, so I ordered an OEM equivalent from an SV trim Frontier, which if I deciphered drawings correctly, attaches to a single spacer/washer below the rubber seat for the spring. So, I'm hoping this set-up can accommodate protection without adversely affecting stack height.

If the spacer is metal and sits above the step in the shaft it will affect stack height. Can't you just pull the spacer and let the boot ride on the shaft. Here is my 5100 boot.

@daywalker_402 - I did make a 1/2 turn/180 degree adjustment clockwise from full close (counter-clockwise).

As I understand it:
counter-clockwise ---> slower/softer rebound
clockwise ---> faster/harder rebound

After this next dis & re-assembly I'm going to send them back to full close (counter-clockwise) in hopes this increases suppleness. The dampening on the old bilsteins felt uncontrolled and harsh, like I only used the top 10% of travel over every bump and road change, a jarring compression and harsh rebound to top out.

Seems like the Koni's only have rebound dampening, not compression damping. They are also longer and will result in CBC per this description.
Alldogs Offroad Coop. Alldogs Offroad Complete Lift Kit w/ Koni 82 Series Shocks for 3rd Gen Nissan Frontier

I am not sure full slow is going to give you the desired effect of softening the ride. Compression damping is how much resistance the shock gives against taking a bump while compressing the shock shaft. This affects how firm or soft a ride feels; generally. Rebound dampening is how fast the shock extends after taking a hit and extending out again. This affects how bouncy the ride feels. Too fast and you'll pogo down the road. Too slow and the shock won't extend fast enough to take the next bump or to drop out to ride height before the rest of the truck (including the driver) dips. This results in either bump stack where you run out of compression, and you bottom out from multi bumps or wallowing as the suspension won't extending into the dips before the entire truck dips. Rebound is harder to set than compression.

 

[ssundet]

Shock Testing: Rebound and Compression in the Real World

Have you ever noticed when searching the online blogs that there are those subjects in our hobby where everyone has an opinion, and yet they don’t know why thei

www.motortrend.com

may help you in your rebound adjustment quest

It would be more beneficial to have spring preload adjustment as well. You're kinda limited on comfort adjustment with just rebound damping, but the feature is nice and not found on many shocks

 

[tgiannak]

@daywalker_402 - I did make a 1/2 turn/180 degree adjustment clockwise from full close (counter-clockwise).

As I understand it:
counter-clockwise ---> slower/softer rebound
clockwise ---> faster/harder rebound

After this next dis & re-assembly I'm going to send them back to full close (counter-clockwise) in hopes this increases suppleness. The dampening on the old bilsteins felt uncontrolled and harsh, like I only used the top 10% of travel over every bump and road change, a jarring compression and harsh rebound to top out.

Really hoping the Koni can deliver a smooth ride.

sorry for the old thread but currently im ready to install my 82 koni's..so im curious about the settings..can you answer me whats the setting you choose after all? full counter clockwise gave you a smooth ride?
also if anyone can help me understand the setting compared to my 4600 that i have on my truck now..

thanks

 

[daywalker_402]

sorry for the old thread but currently im ready to install my 82 koni's..so im curious about the settings..can you answer me whats the setting you choose after all? full counter clockwise gave you a smooth ride?
also if anyone can help me understand the setting compared to my 4600 that i have on my truck now..

thanks

we've found them to ride best straight out of the box with no adjustment. they will ride softer than your 4600s

 

[Cleanwatt]

@tgiannak I ended up dialing them counter clockwise to near maximum.

For what it's worth in the end, I don't think they made an improvement on ride quality unfortunately. Maybe depends on what you're looking for. But, for a typically unladen frontier Pro4x, the Koni's feel just as harsh and jarring as the stock Bilstiens.

Maybe I have a sensitive backside, but I think these were a misplaced hope for ride quality upgrade for me. Wish I'd gone another route. Roads in Vermont are rough.

 

[tgiannak]

thanks all for your inputs! i will install them at full counter-clockwise !!