Koni Red 82 Series Adjust Rear on 4wd without Removing How to Adjust Koni Red Shocks

[@ΚΩΣΤΑΣΣΑΜΠΑΝΗΣ-ψ6φ]

Thanks from,,,🇬🇷

[@renezambrano5787]

Thanks for the video. I had hoped that KONI had a more customer friendly way of adjusting the shocks than how I used to do it decades ago but maybe not possible without external and more expensive adjustments. I'm planning on going with these or the 90s on my 2015 Xterra Pro4x (U.S. spec,) but I'm thinking that adjusting the front shock/spring assembly will be much more of a hassle. I'm trying to curb side to side movement while on uneven dirt roads and trails as well as taming washboards. I'm not doing any rock crawling or high speed desert runs. Slow and steady Baja California and California mountain trails and dirt roads/trails. Also, I'm not looking for a stiff ride. I do load up my Xterra from time to time taking lumber and tools down to Baja but I also happily use my Firestone air-ride system out back for when needed. Then I can still air it down when not needed to keep things from being always harsh when unloaded. Your thoughts? Thanks much.

[@ScottElliott152]

These adjustable Koni's are great for the rear on a leaf sprung solid axle. As you can see it's not too difficult to set the rebound damping. It takes a few trials to arrive at a setting. However the front is a different story. If I wanted adjustable front shocks I'd buy something with external adjusters as unbolting, compressing and twisting is not practical or easy on the front struts ... it's certainly not a trail side adjustment. Experimenting with more rebound damping will probably help with the side to side movement but appropriate springs for the weight over the front are also important. I have the King springs KDFR-70EHD on the front. I have a bullbar (weighs about 50Kg) and 3mm steel bash plates and found the EHD spring better than the HD version. My ride quality is good on the highway and is definitely not too harsh or stiff I've just returned from a remote expedition on the south coast on the west end of the Great Australian Bight and experienced sections of severe washboards (aka corrugations in Australia). From experience I've found low pressures and high aspect ratio tyres are the most effective mitigation strategy. I dropped my pressures to 18 psi hot and the washboards weren't really an issue providing I didn't try to go too fast. I run all terrain Kuhmo AT52 235/85 x 16 on 7" wide rims. These give me a long footprint like a dozer when the pressures are reduced. At 12 psi to 14 psi my Nissan pads across soft beach sand like a camel.

[@renezambrano5787]

@@ScottElliott152 that’s the exact same tire size that I used to run on my 96 trooper. Tall and somewhat narrow, but still never failed me in the traction department in all sorts of terrain. They were Yokohama Geolanders which have a very tame tread pattern, but still were excellent tires on and off road. Thank you for all of that information. It’s going to be a great help. I didn’t want to spend crazy money on the suspension since I honestly don’t drive that much at all anymore, but I’d rather have what is right with my grievances when I do go off-road. Have a great day.

[@schortii]

I like these shocks best. For street use with stock ride hight, i used 0,75 - 1 rounds. This is harder than stock but gives more comfort, no matter going slow or fast. 1,75 r is kinda badass... ;)

[@tomb375]

Hey Scott, Long time thanks for the videos as always! Keep them coming.

[@ScottElliott152]

Hi there Tom ... thanks for the support. Regards, Scott

[@tomb375]

Hope to get down there to Australia someday. Thank you.

[@ScottElliott152]

@@tomb375 Lol ... if they let you in! We're one of a handful of countries with closed borders. No one allowed in and we citizens can't leave ... it's a bit like North Korea without the starvation!

[@geraldbree3746]

@@ScottElliott152 WOW! In the mean time, I've had both my shot's "Pfizer". So I should be good to go If and when they let me in.

[@philliptroutman3058]

Super helpful! But I think I'm seeing "clockwise" where you say "anti-clockwise" (and vice versa. For softening, you're turning it to the left (I'd call that anti-clockwise, looking at it from the end of the one you're turning), and firmer you're turning to the right (clockwise if looking at it from it's end). The way I think of it is that if you're "screwing" the two ends "towards" each other, then you're "tightening," making firmer, and vice versa. Does that square with your thinking? Also: it's the same logic for the front struts as well: Standing it right side up, looking down on the piston, right (clockwise) is firmer, left (anti/counter-clockwise) is softer.

[@ScottElliott152]

Thanks Phillip. There's a caption at 1:49 where I say "clockwise as viewed from the top". It's like screwing a conventional threaded bolt into a a nut where the bottom of the shock is the nut. Regardless anyone doing this will quickly work out which way to turn. At fully hard it's almost impossible to extend the shock.

[@shayneandrew4405]

Thanks a heap

[@shayneandrew7881]

Thanks

[@TWX1138]

Interesting, never seen this kind of setup, I've used air-adjuatables on an old early eighties Dodge full-size crew cab truck, didn't know that they even offered other kinds of adjustables for the back. When you first went to install them, how was dealing with that lower bolt? I just put add-a-leafs into my 2015 US-market D40 and those rear lower shock bolts were so tight that I couldn't even free them with an air impact. Ended up having to slip a jack handle over a breaker bar to go to four feet of length to put enough force on. Factory book claimed 148ftlb/201Nm. As much torque as that is, no way were the factory bolts that low. Are your Konis stock length/compression/extension? It looks like you're running a thicker leafpack than stock and without an overload leaf, I assume that's for a combination of better load carrying and more articulation.

[@ScottElliott152]

The bolts were very tight. I have a mains powered 900W electric impact wrench that puts out 300Nm. I had to loosen using the bolt head but that wrench did the trick. I did soak the nut a few times the day before with WD40. The Koni's have a longer stroke to cater for a bit over 50mm suspension lift. The other great feature is they're serviceable as all Koni's are. The collar on top of the lower body can be unscrewed to pull it apart and clean and replace the oil. They’re not a pressurised nitrogen shock. They're a bit like a motorcycle fork in that regard. I fitted a heavy duty suspension package which included a thicker leaf pack on the rear and stiffer springs on the front. That upgrade raised the D40 about 40mm to 45mm. The 215/85R16 AT/LT tyres lifted it another approx.13mm so my roof is a little over 50mm higher than standard. I use front springs made by King Springs part # KDFR-70EHD. kingsprings.com.au/catalogue/vehicle/736/nissan-navara-d40-4wd-4l-v6-pet-2-5-diesel-2005-2-2015 and leafs from Dobinsons Spring & Supsension. Dobinson also produce suitable HD coil springs and are as good as any quality spring. Dobinson are an Australian company but have branches in the USA. They export to over 50 countries now. This is their USA website: www.dobinsonsdirect.com/pages/product-result?rq=mk_nissan~md_navara-frontier-d40-usa-does-not-suit-550-model~yr_2006-2021

[@TWX1138]

@@ScottElliott152 Was stock size on your truck a 255/70/16? It appears that Australian market trucks were sold with smaller tires than the American market trucks, we start with 265/70/16 on nearly all 4x2 and 4x4 models (exception being the 2wd gasoline-powered four cylinder with manual transmission) and the 4x4 model with the upgraded rear axle with electronic locker gets a 265/75/16. Around a year ago I replaced my 16" alloys with 17" factory-spare steel wheels and 255/75/17 tires, which fit with stock suspension. the American trucks' speedometer appears to be calibrated for a 32" tall tire, with the 265/70/16 as a 30.6" tall tire I was reading faster than I was going by enough that I'd grown accustomed to driving what read to me as 80MPH. With the 32" tire a comparison to GPS is dead-on. When I did my add-a-leaf install I observed that my factory shocks would top-out at full extension well before my suspension had reached full droop. It looks like if I do increase travel with a shock with more extension I'll have to modify my ABS wire harnesses and brake lines a little to ensure I don't tear them. I'll have to look into those links. You seem to get all the best 4x4 accessories for trucks that aren't Ford, GM, or Chrysler in origin, we can't hardly even get things like long range fuel tanks and the one model that is regularly imported is hideously expensive. It's bad enough that I could probably have local fab shop make one for me for cheaper than the cost to import.

[@ScottElliott152]

@@TWX1138 The base model D40's had 6" x 16 steel rims with Bridgestone Dueller HT tyres 205R16. Mine is the base model with vinyl floors and those 6 x 16 steel rims. Those rims are better for off road and have a better tyre selection. The car still has cruise control so the only additional features on the higher spec models were carpet, alloy wheels and power external mirrors. I've retro fitted power mirrors but left the vinyl floor as I think it's better for a 4wd. The higher spec models have 7 x 16 steel or 7 x 16 alloy with 255/70 x 16 tyres. The D22, D40 and the latest D23/NP300 are popular here so the aftermarket suppliers provide the gear we need. Australia is still a young country with a lot of remote terrain so 4wd vehicles are prolific hence a big 4wd accessory and supply industry. ARB is one of the big Australian 4wd equipment suppliers and they have branched out into the USA. arbusa.com/ I have an ARB bullbar and they supply for both Spanish and Thailand built. They make a good poly long range tank (approx. 140 litres) for the D40 for about $AUD1300 when I last checked. It comes in a kit with all fasteners and detailed instructions and uses the OEM pump and sender unit. Check out the Dobinsons suspension kits for your Frontier. The Dobinson springs and leafs are very popular here. If you wanted to upgrade they sell a complete kit which will have the correct travel and not cause problems with brake and wheel speed sensor lines. If you do a lot of travel on unsealed road make some protective covers for the rear wheel speed sensors. They're very exposed. I lost one in a remote area and was lucky I was able to get out in 2wd. If you break a wheel speed sensor Nissan in their wisdom have the BCM programmed to disable 4wd. The sensor cables where they go into the rear hubs are subjected to a constant shotgun blast of gravel/stones to the point they'll start falling apart. I hit a kangaroo on the RH front corner and it went under the vehicle and broke the LH rear sensor cable as it was very weak from being pounded by gravel.

[@TWX1138]

@@ScottElliott152 I knew that losing a sensor would cause 4wd to stop working, hadn't realized just how vulnerable those sensors are. will have to look into that. Sounds like a weakness that Nissan should not have let go out of initial testing, but I guess they can't catch all the flaws. I'm in Arizona, which presents the option of wonderfully paved highways and extremely rough off-asphalt conditions depending on one's choosing, with nearly all kinds of terrain other than beaches. Unfortunately that means building a vehicle that can handle alpine forests an snow along with desert conditions and volcanic regions can be a challenge. ARB and through them OME are well established here, but they aren't bringing in those long range tanks. Only one company had brought in Long Range Automotive tanks, but they no longer list them in their American catalog. I wouldn't be surprised if a combination of compliance headaches and the expense of shipping finished fuel tanks made the process nonviable given the fairly scant potential for sales. As for original trim package, unfortunately in order to get 4wd with the 139.9" wheelbase (double cab with the 6' bed) it wasn't possible to go with the lowest "S" trim package. In some ways I would have preferred that, my parents had owned a mid-eighties Isuzu Trooper (Holden Jackaroo I believe) that had vinyl flooring and metal bulkheads with small card-inserts over holes in the bulkheads. It could literally be hosed-out if it got really dirty inside. I just realized that your truck is a single-cab. Nissan dropped those from the United States and Canada twenty years ago. I think the last year for the single cab was 2001, dropped for 2002 when the D22 crew cab with the 6' bed was introduced. The strange thing is that the WD22 Xterra continued to have the same wheelbase as the single cab pickup had and might have had the same frame underneath. I suspect that the unique pickup bed was what doomed that model though, it looked like the king-cab and long wheelbase crew-cab used the same 6' bed.

[@ScottElliott152]

@@TWX1138 I've been to Arizona and it reminded me of our eastern goldfields around Kalgoorlie. I'm in Western Australia. I attended the 2008 World Mining Expo in Las Vegas and afterwards traveled to Flagstaff to do a trek on the Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon. So apart from no beach you'd have as much variance in conditions as me. I guess you'd substitute snow in the high country for my white sandy coastlines. I'm sure if you contacted ARB they would arrange some long range tanks. I feel they're the better design being not much heavier than standard. There are others available here but being steel adds more weight. You'd probably have to arrange a group buy to reduce shipping costs. My 2011 single cab tray back started life as a Plumbers vehicle. I'm the second owner buying it at 125,000km and 5 years old. Single cabs are common here and all the manufacturers offer them. I'd have preferred a king cab but the compromise is a shorter tray. I wanted the longer tray for hauling my KTM530 motorcycle on remote enduros. I'll join the forum and post some photos and a drawing of the rear sensor protector plates I built. Quite simple to make and I think better and stronger than overpriced items some off road suppliers have designed. I'm now very aware of my vehicles weight as all the accessories add up. I've got bullbar, snorkel, extra lights, UHF radio, bash plates, second battery, onboard compressor with 6 litre tank, 60 litre water tank, storage boxes, bigger tyres, old conveyor belt protection in the tray, two spare wheels, tow bar. I put it over a weighbridge with full fuel tank, water tank and loaded with the gear that's permanently stored like recovery equipment, spares, tools etc. It came in at 2,460 kg. Then I have to add driver and perhaps passenger. That doesn't give me much to play with considering my total GVM is 2806kg.

[@bengleckl1877]

Im thinking of these for front and rear on my 22 frontier but a little nervous as ive nevwr ran a non gas filled ahock...what setting did you find was the best for you?? For example 1 turn stiffer from softest setting or?

[@ScottElliott152]

Hi Ben. At the end of the video (3:00) I've explained the settings I use based on trial and error testing.

[@bengleckl1877]

Any issues with hitting bump stops at all?

[@ScottElliott152]

No but if they were it would be a result of too soft springs. The shock absorber controls the movement of the spring. It doesn't affect the maximum travel. I have HD leaf packs so bottoming out is not an issue.

[@bengleckl1877]

Are they gas charged at all?

[@ScottElliott152]

No they're not which is why they're rebuildable.

[@mrt4013]

If it wasn’t for your video, I would have thought my shocks the wrong ones. The instruction that come with the units are not very helpful.

[@ScottElliott152]

Thanks Chris. Yes the instructions with mine were almost non existent.