with Maximum Sketchiness

Thanks to Koni NA, I just received the New Sport Shocks (Koni Yellow)
the new model features multiple perch positions (adjustable height), along with rebound adjustment.
Koni Sport for ND Miata

Since Tofu is being prepared for SCCA Solo C-Street class, I don’t benefit from the height adjustment (Class regulation does not allow height adjustment), but it’s good to have an option, just in case if I move to different class in the future 🙂

Installation was straightforward and simple.

1. Remove the front shock tower brace (14mm black nuts) and trunk liner in the rear(Plastic Push Clips). Easy access for short people like me, before jacking up the car 🙂
2. Jackup the car, remove wheels
3. Front:
   1. Loosen top shock nut (do not remove) 14mm
   2. Remove 3 silver 14mm top shock mount nuts
   3. Undo sway bar (14mm)
   4. Remove brake hose mount and abs sensor wire mount (12mm) from upper control arm)
   5. Remove upper control arm mounting bolts (17mm)
   6. Remove lower shock mount bolt/nut (17mm)
   7. Hold upper control arm with one hand (so it won’t pull brake hose/abs wire), remove the shock
   8. remove the spring and other hardwares from the OE shock, transfer to the new shock and assemble. White dot on top hat faces toward inside.
   9. Install everything back to gather. Leave bolts/nuts loose except for the upper shock mount nuts.
4. Rear:
   1. Loosen top shock nut 14mm (do not remove), and remove top shock mount nut 14mm
   2. Undo Sway bar (14mm)
   3. Remove the lower shock mount bolt (17mm)
   4. Use Ply Bar, push down the control arm to free the shock
   5. Transfer the spring and hardwares, assemble the new shock
   6. install everything back together, do not tighten all bolts, except for the upper shock mount nuts
5. Go drive around a block. Sway right and left, brake, accelerate, etc, to get the suspension working. It will settle the new shocks
6. Assemble a “sketchy car ramp”. Use of engineering and architecture degree, along with art skills for design point is highly recommended. Since I didn’t have any of those, I pulled the “hold my beer” move, and crossed my fingers.
   
7. Admire your carpentry skill, engineering marvel, drink some beer and try not to think about the worst case
8. Drive up on the ramp, so that you can go under the car to tighten all bolts and nuts while vehicle weight is on suspension

For the start, I set the rebound to 3/4 turn front, 1/2 turn rear, from the softest.
I have adjuster extension for the rear, from SoloPerformance.com, but unfortunately, I could not get it to work (the adjuster maybe too stiff for the extension to be able to turn.) I’m working on improvement plan, so we’ll see if I get it to work…
We’ll have Cincy Event this weekend, so hopefully we can tune in our shocks. 🙂

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