Ye Olde Koni Yellow Install Question... with a twist!

[Aubergine]

I will preface this by saying anyone who installed Koni struts on an E39 in the early days will probably be the most knowledgable on this time travel journey I am on.

My car is an 11/96 528i with the original springs and shocks all around, at 206K miles. This is important as cars pre-3/97 seem to have all had the TSB lower spring perch supports installed.

A few weeks ago I bought a set of NOS Koni Yellow Sports (they appear to be 10/98 production) from a reputable seller on eBay. The box arrived and I opened it to find that the struts included hardware... but no new lower spring perches. The eBay seller said to reuse my existing ones, but being as they are TSB ones with the supports, I don't think that is a wise idea... nor do I know if they are removable from the struts.

The spring I will be using are the M Sport I springs, which after researching, are the same as E46 325/330xi front springs. A member here has used these and confirmed fitment, ride height, and quality is identical to the OEM BMW from M Sport I springs.

This is where it gets interesting... the E46 xi models had removable lower spring perches and both Koni Yellows and Bilstein B8s for an an E46 xi are sold without them, though apparently both Koni and Bilstein would sell owner these separately. Comparing photos and the fact that I am using the exact same springs as these cars, I am lead to believe a few things:

1. Early E39s (at least 6 cyl models) have removable lower spring perches.
2. Koni expected owners/installers to reuse these. The original box for these that they arrived in was not like a Bilstein B8 strut box at all, the girth of an assembled strut would not fit at all.
3. According to Koni the FSD and Str.t models for the 6 cyl E39 have the lower spring perches pinched in place at the factory. I believe this was updated at some juncture during production.
4. I need the E46 xi lower spring perches to be able to install these Koni Yellows.

[Aubergine]

Almost a hundred views and no one installed Koni shocks back in the day?

[dannyzabolotny]

In 1997 I was 5 years old, so unfortunately I can't help.

[Aubergine]

In 1997 I was 5 years old, so unfortunately I can't help.

Thanks man, I was 7 so I wasn't exactly wrenching. A member in their 40s - 60s might have an answer. Sadly a lot of this tacit knowledge is getting lost, especially for early cars.

[JimLev]

I put Koni FSD's on my 540 in 2008, probably later than you kids are looking for.
My rear lower perches are adjustable. They come with the shocks.

[Twistytee]

FWIW - I installed Koni yellow rears in my ‘O3 530i. They came with a removable perch that can be set at 3 different height levels. I have the OE sport springs and set the perch plate at the middle level. Unfortunately when I did the fronts 6 months later, Koni had discontinued the yellows so at the advice of one of the race shop where I purchased them I installed the new Koni Active Reds which are no longer adjustable. They came with the perches pinched in place.

I have Koni yellows on two of my other cars (94 325i and an 08 Audi A4). The e36 version came with an integrated perch and the Audi version came with removable perches. I’ve typically found the diameter of the Koni yellow struts to be different than the OE struts so I’d be surprised if Koni expected buyers to reuse their factory perch plates. As always YMMV.

[Jason5driver]

FWIW - I installed Koni yellow rears in my ‘O3 530i. They came with a removable perch that can be set at 3 different height levels. I have the OE sport springs and set the perch plate at the middle level. Unfortunately when I did the fronts 6 months later, Koni had discontinued the yellows so at the advice of one of the race shop where I purchased them I installed the new Koni Active Reds which are no longer adjustable. They came with the perches pinched in place.

I have Koni yellows on two of my other cars (94 325i and an 08 Audi A4). The e36 version came with an integrated perch and the Audi version came with removable perches. I’ve typically found the diameter of the Koni yellow struts to be different than the OE struts so I’d be surprised if Koni expected buyers to reuse their factory perch plates. As always YMMV.

Can you feel a difference with the Koni Reds ?

[Aubergine]

I put Koni FSD's on my 540 in 2008, probably later than you kids are looking for.
My rear lower perches are adjustable. They come with the shocks.

No, that is helpful! What did the fronts come with? I am curious if they were pinched in place?

FWIW - I installed Koni yellow rears in my ‘O3 530i. They came with a removable perch that can be set at 3 different height levels. I have the OE sport springs and set the perch plate at the middle level. Unfortunately when I did the fronts 6 months later, Koni had discontinued the yellows so at the advice of one of the race shop where I purchased them I installed the new Koni Active Reds which are no longer adjustable. They came with the perches pinched in place.

I have Koni yellows on two of my other cars (94 325i and an 08 Audi A4). The e36 version came with an integrated perch and the Audi version came with removable perches. I’ve typically found the diameter of the Koni yellow struts to be different than the OE struts so I’d be surprised if Koni expected buyers to reuse their factory perch plates. As always YMMV.

That matches what Koni has been telling me. Unfortunately Mason O’Hara is the only technical advisement at Koni NA and he swears they never offered the front lower spring perches separately. Given that he appears to be nearly my age (late 20s) as per the photo on Koni’s page, I suspect the information that I am looking for pre-dates his tenure. To add to it, he will not chase this up the line for me to understand production changes, which is what I really need.

[atobe]

The rears are just big C clips basically to keep the perches from going all the way through. I just had koni yellows installed. Only the rears had the perches separate the fronts it was one assembly. Can you exchange them ? Tell them you don't feel comfortable running 20 year old shocks that's been sitting in the warehouse.

[Aubergine]

The rears are just big C clips basically to keep the perches from going all the way through. I just had koni yellows installed. Only the rears had the perches separate the fronts it was one assembly. Can you exchange them ? Tell them you don't feel comfortable running 20 year old shocks that's been sitting in the warehouse.

Well, unfortunately the 6 cyl fronts have been NLA for years so I can have the ones I bough re-valved but I think they will be fine, at least when i bench tested them. My main concern is the perches as I cannot mount them without the perches.

[JimLev]

No, that is helpful! What did the fronts come with? I am curious if they were pinched in place?



That matches what Koni has been telling me. Unfortunately Mason O’Hara is the only technical advisement at Koni NA and he swears they never offered the front lower spring perches separately. Given that he appears to be nearly my age (late 20s) as per the photo on Koni’s page, I suspect the information that I am looking for pre-dates his tenure. To add to it, he will not chase this up the line for me to understand production changes, which is what I really need.

My front perches were pinched in place.

Mason.....I spoke with him a while ago about the Koni coilovers I have on my '33 hotrod. I told him what I had, he said the rebound was adjustable and would send me the info on them.
Well there isn't any adjustment for rebound and he sent me info on a different shock.

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[Aubergine]

My front perches were pinched in place.

Mason.....I spoke with him a while ago about the Koni coilovers I have on my '33 hotrod. I told him what I had, he said the rebound was adjustable and would send me the info on them.
Well there isn't any adjustment for rebound and he sent me info on a different shock.

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Instructions1.JPG

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Hi Jim,

That is helpful! I will grab some additional images of mine when I am at my garage again.

Thanks for commenting on Mason too... He made me feel like I was losing my mind and that whatever I read online was 'certainly not true'. At any rate, I emailed Koni in The Netherlands to see if they have any perch info to help me. I wish I had the presence of mind to try and stop by when I was there for work earlier this year.

This post seems to be most helpful so far and I have posted on E46 Fanatics https://e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1028003

[Twistytee]

I put Koni FSD's on my 540 in 2008, probably later than you kids are looking for.
My rear lower perches are adjustable. They come with the shocks.

Darn, I guess I no longer qualify as a kid Jim...

Can you feel a difference with the Koni Reds ?

I was really bummed when I found out the yellows were discontinued. They’ve been my favorite sport dampers for years. Although most people say they set them and forget them, I really liked being able to dial them in for different conditions and changes in wheels/tire combos. That being said, the rears could be a pain because you have to take them off the car to adjust (huge pain on the e39), and I think Koni found that most customers weren’t matching them right or calling with misinformed complaints about adjusting them. The new red Actives are supposed to be the best of both worlds (Yellows and FSDs) but at a more affordable price point. I bought mine from Racing Consulting Agency in IL and explained I had already installed Yellows in the rears. The rep said the valving in the Actives is a good match for Yellows at 25-50% firm. He also said they had heard nothing but great reviews so I decided to give them a go. I have the rears set at 25% and I have to say the rep was right about the Actives matching well. I’ve been very pleased with their performance and the car handles well with no bouncing or odd rebound behavior. If you’re not tracking your car or doing active Auto X (probably going with coilovers at that point) the red Actives seem to be an excellent choice for sport dampers on the street.

No, that is helpful! What did the fronts come with? I am curious if they were pinched in place?

That matches what Koni has been telling me. Unfortunately Mason O’Hara is the only technical advisement at Koni NA and he swears they never offered the front lower spring perches separately. Given that he appears to be nearly my age (late 20s) as per the photo on Koni’s page, I suspect the information that I am looking for pre-dates his tenure. To add to it, he will not chase this up the line for me to understand production changes, which is what I really need.

The front red Actives came the same way as the FSDs in Jim’s photo - spring perches pinched in-place and not adjustable. I think Mason is probably right in that they never sold the perches separately, but I know for a fact the Koni Yellows for some of the other car makes/models come with removable perches. Each time I have installed those versions, the perches were in the same box alongside the struts. This could very well have been the case with MY ‘97 e39s.

[Aubergine]

Darn, I guess I no longer qualify as a kid Jim...



I was really bummed when I found out the yellows were discontinued. They’ve been my favorite sport dampers for years. Although most people say they set them and forget them, I really liked being able to dial them in for different conditions and changes in wheels/tire combos. That being said, the rears could be a pain because you have to take them off the car to adjust (huge pain on the e39), and I think Koni found that most customers weren’t matching them right or calling with misinformed complaints about adjusting them. The new red Actives are supposed to be the best of both worlds (Yellows and FSDs) but at a more affordable price point. I bought mine from Racing Consulting Agency in IL and explained I had already installed Yellows in the rears. The rep said the valving in the Actives is a good match for Yellows at 25-50% firm. He also said they had heard nothing but great reviews so I decided to give them a go. I have the rears set at 25% and I have to say the rep was right about the Actives matching well. I’ve been very pleased with their performance and the car handles well with no bouncing or odd rebound behavior. If you’re not tracking your car or doing active Auto X (probably going with coilovers at that point) the red Actives seem to be an excellent choice for sport dampers on the street.



The front red Actives came the same way as the FSDs in Jim’s photo - spring perches pinched in-place and not adjustable. I think Mason is probably right in that they never sold the perches separately, but I know for a fact the Koni Yellows for some of the other car makes/models come with removable perches. Each time I have installed those versions, the perches were in the same box alongside the struts. This could very well have been the case with MY ‘97 e39s.

So, I have an update...

After much ado, I spoke with a BMW Master Tech of 25 years who confirmed that back in the day (late 90s/early 00s) the Koni yellows were sold with the spring perches separate, but in the same box, and had to be put on when the strut was assembled. With that knowledge, I could see I was on the right track. I wrote Mason an email asking that he either speak with the team in The Netherlands or pass me the email/phone number of them so I could pursue this directly with them.

In the meantime... I submitted an inquiry to Koni as a UK customer. I woke up this morning to find that Trevor Leigh of Koni's UK operation had replied. He could not confirm that the crimping had been a production change, but for 13 GBP + VAT and shipping he could have a set pulled from production in The Netherlands and sent to me. So, I am having them sent to a friend in the UK and re-shipped to me. It sounds like Koni does have a part # for these so i will post it once I have it.

Given that they are the crimping kind, I am thinking I may have to take them to a machine ship to be modified slightly to fit right. This seems to be the best of all possible solutions.

Cliff Notes: It is a thing, and they can be had... but you have to ask, and ask, and ask. Also, Koni NA isn't very good at dealing in spares.

[Aubergine]

For anyone else who ever needs the lower spring perch part number to fit the E39 Koni front struts, it is Koni part # 1047 30 04 01.

[Twistytee]

Glad you got it sorted. I wonder if a shop could devise a way to grove the body and keep them in place with a circlip similar to the rears?

[Aubergine]

Glad you got it sorted. I wonder if a shop could devise a way to grove the body and keep them in place with a circlip similar to the rears?

Thanks--I reaclly appreciate everyone's insight on this. It has been a time travelling adventure!

I am going to review with my BMW Master Tech when the car goes in for a clutch in the next few weeks and make sure I have everything before attempting to install. There was a paper with instructions for aligning the lower spring perch and shock before installing. Koni advised that it has a 4 degree tolerance within which it needs to be. No wonder they started crimping them on!

[Aubergine]

Hi All,

In case anyone else finds this and needs the reference, the part # I posted was correct AND is confirmed fitment for E39 and E46 front struts by Koni.

I ended up doing a general inquiry with the BMW CCA and they reached out to Koni NA on my behalf as the CCA team was rather disheartened to hear that Koni had not taken care of me. The next day I received a call from Lee Grimes at Koni and we had a good 40 minute chat about my issue and how/why it had been handled the way it was. Apparently Koni is terrible about keeping production notes (blame The Netherlands team here) and Mason was only able to see the last production version of the dampeners. While he should have talked to Lee, his boss, he didn't.

Lee was able to confirm with his engineering team, and through his own experiences back in the day, that there were 3-4 BMW strut models they sold that did not have the lower spring plate attached at the factory and had to be clocked correctly by the installer. After a litany of complaints, they began crimping them on at the factory. While they are now crimped on... the actual lower spring plate never changed. He was able to rush-order a set from The Netherlands and I have received them but this was quite the ordeal.

Lesson learned here, keep on making noise until someone hears you. If you complain enough, eventually they have to address it.

[Jason5driver]

Wow !
Awesome...
Way to keep at it !

[amancuso]

Squeaky wheel and all that.