Help - Koni 2812 - stuck

[JBenko]

This weekend I am trying to adjust the shocks for the first time on a '99 ACR with 7k miles that I picked up late last fall. I was able to find adjustment info on the Koni website, but am unable to make adjustments because all 4 shocks, both bump and rebound, seem "gritty" and are somewhat stuck. I can wiggle them a little but cannot get them to move to the next click position (either + or -). Koni web site says to not force them. I am guessing that they are probably set soft and if anything I am applying a little more pressure when trying to move towards the +. I haven't pushed real hard yet. I sprayed the "dials" with a little WD40. Any other ideas ??? I would prefer right now to not get into taking them off / trying to take them apart. I am assuming that the position of the shock (under weight of car vs. on jack stands) shouldn't affect it ???

 

[GTS Dean]

Jim,

I would suppose that they have gotten fouled with grit from disuse. I just had the top eyes off my Penskes this week installing some new bump rubbers and found a good bit of sand and some rust on the rebound adjusters. You should hit them with some compressed air, then some solvent, then air again. I would stay away from brake cleaner here, Penske strongly advises against it for their shocks. I've found that plain old diesel fuel is a very good penetrant for stuck and rusted parts - much better than WD-40 and some other similar products.