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Adjustable dampers/shocks for autox

MK7brian

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Munster Indiana
Does anyone know of adjustable shocks especially for the rear that don’t need to. E removed to adjust? I see fronts everywhere but no rears. Also how difficult are the adjustments without the knob?
 

nasae30

New member
Location
Richmond va
Tc Kline had a listing externally adjustable KONI.
You cant find it on their site, but only through a link that was posted.( No idea where I saw that. Sorry)
Unfortunately they no longer make them. It could be worth a call anyway. You never know.
 

bfury5

Autocross Champion
Location
CT
BC coils have adjustments on the strut rod itself. I'm not sure how well they would work with stock springs, but you can get just the struts by themselves from BC. If they revalve them to match stock springs, it could be an option.
 

MK7brian

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Munster Indiana
BC coils have adjustments on the strut rod itself. I'm not sure how well they would work with stock springs, but you can get just the struts by themselves from BC. If they revalve them to match stock springs, it could be an option.
I’ll have to look into bc. Thanks
 

theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
Racing Maniac had a way of adjusting his modified rear Koni Sports from the topside.. His method is buried in one of his posts, but I haven't been able to find it. Please let me know where and if you find this information - my search ability is pretty limited!
The shocks Racing Maniac had were modified by Pro Parts in Southern California. Contact there is Jeff Wong per Lee Grimes from Koni America.

I contacted TC Kline about the noted adjustable shocks. They are no longer available for our cars.
 

MK7brian

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Munster Indiana
Racing Maniac had a way of adjusting his modified rear Koni Sports from the topside.. His method is buried in one of his posts, but I haven't been able to find it. Please let me know where and if you find this information - my search ability is pretty limited!
The shocks Racing Maniac had were modified by Pro Parts in Southern California. Contact there is Jeff Wong per Lee Grimes from Koni America.

I contacted TC Kline about the noted adjustable shocks. They are no longer available for our cars.
I contacted pro shock inc, but the cost as 1300 for a set with the conversion to the rears. a little pricey but maybe the only option.
 

RacingManiac

Drag Race Newbie
Location
MI
I think I paid something like that. I supplied my own set of Koni Yellows(bought off someone new for $600), had the front converted to DA and the rears to SA but externally adjustable.

I PM'd you the adjustment method. You basically had to cut the wheel liner to get yourself a hole to access the top of the shock, and you have to make a tool for it from a Koni knob too and a ratchet wrench.
 

xXDavidCXx

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
Sacs has an inverted mono tube, front and rear with the adjuster on the bottom.

It adjust both bump and rebound at the same time, which is not optimal, but the adjustment is easy.

www.ecstuning.com%2FNews%2FVolkswagen_Sachs_Performance_25201%2F&psig=AOvVaw1dNExTPNLXMDRYEgNDOEkm&ust=1576306098512222
 

Crild

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Florida
Sacs has an inverted mono tube, front and rear with the adjuster on the bottom.

It adjust both bump and rebound at the same time, which is not optimal, but the adjustment is easy.

www.ecstuning.com%2FNews%2FVolkswagen_Sachs_Performance_25201%2F&psig=AOvVaw1dNExTPNLXMDRYEgNDOEkm&ust=1576306098512222

they've had issues with springs on that kit. virtually no one has used that setup so you wont be able to find feedback on it
 

FooDogg

Go Kart Champion
Location
Right on the Left Coast
Car(s)
2017 Alltrack S 6MT
Noob ?
Has anyone found original ride height aftermarket shocks for the Alltrack, that ideally could be dialed up a little to accomodate a 1" lift?

The OEM sachs dont hold up well on original springs with lots of weight in back- the old saggy butt common to VW wagons.

The saggy butt solution is the red AirLift manual fill bags inside rear spring, as used by Jeeps, SUVs, trucks towing for many years, that you can air up if heavy loaded with kids, camping gear, bikes on tow hitch, etc and then air down, but this doesnt change the "too stiff over little bumps at speed", "too easy to bottom out big bumps slow" nature of the OEM Sachs, and it would be nice to have aftermarket options as the Sachs lose their mojo...

whats long miles users experience? So far so good at 55,000 but thats 90% highway, only a bit of ruffroad, but anticipate more of latter in near future...

The "temporary" solution to make up for the limited extension and "topping out" of rear OEM Sachs shocks is use the Atlas rear shock. This is what Smith BW sells in their "Leveling (lift) Kit fir ATs."

But Atlas in rear ORM Sachs in front is a bit of a compromise as the fronts and rears then have mismatched dampening.

How big a deal is that for "non-racers" for just using in snow or on rutted dirt roads for a bit more clearance with a 1" lift?

Doing patient research on this every 4-6 months:

Talked to Bilstein- nothing, closest to OEM is B6 which is 0.5 drop

H&R, nothing except maybe "adventure kit" (springs only) for AT "in dev, no release" date (no going on 6 mos)
they already sell a kit for Tigs and Atlas.

Paul at ShopDAP suggests custom shocks, which is same advice as the very helpful Bilstein West Coast rep,
"like baja and dirt rally racers do..."
but thats a bit outside the budget...

nothing else found at
vortex or
FB VW Alltrack Owners or
Lifted MQB groups either...

other suggestions here?

- thanks!
 
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theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
I think I paid something like that. I supplied my own set of Koni Yellows(bought off someone new for $600), had the front converted to DA and the rears to SA but externally adjustable.

I PM'd you the adjustment method. You basically had to cut the wheel liner to get yourself a hole to access the top of the shock, and you have to make a tool for it from a Koni knob too and a ratchet wrench.

Thanks for the PM, but I never received it.
 

RacingManiac

Drag Race Newbie
Location
MI
Oh I sent it to the OP, anyway this was what I wrote though:

I did not adjust from the interior, too many layers of sheet metal we need to get through to get there. You can adjust from the wheel wells, if you have the upper knob from the modified rear shocks.

Once you have the knob, to access it normally you need to have a section of the rear wheel liners cut out so you can get to the adjuster(legal per rule). I had to make a tool from a ratchet wrench(gear wrench, whatever you call those, one with a switch to change direction as opposed to flipping it over) and the core of a Koni adjuster. JB weld the 2 parts together and you can adjust the shock with the corner in droop(easier, gives you more work space). My normal work flow for a weekend is I adjust the shock for an event when I swap wheels(I drive DD normally at full soft, for dry, warm events I will run them at full stiff, if I need to do any adjustments mid run I might just lift the car up enough to access the adjuster).

Jen Wong
 
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