Why not just get the full set?
I would think that using mismatched front and rears would cause issues with handling since damping/rebound characteristics are designed with the full set being utilized.
Just my opinion.

 

yeah that sounds right. i saw someone say that just doing the backs is a possibility for softening the ride... and I thought maybe that is an option. but im guessing it would cause real handing trouble pushing some rear left forces to the front right (and rear right to the front left). could be trouble..

if i spend too much more money my wife is gonna pull the plug. lol thats why i was considering only the rears... also i was sort of matching the dampening to the springs. rear springs are stiffer than the fronts

 

I just installed my rear Koni Str.t shocks and have some clunking at lower speeds over uneven pavement or when backing out of my driveway onto the road. I've disassembled and resassembled them thinking maybe the rubber parts are in wrong. (flat side towards the car for top and bottom pieces).

Only thing that I wonder about is the lower washers. Koni ships a thicker formed washer that has a tapered hole that matches the taper on the top of the shaft.

Here is my order:

1. shock
2. bumpstop
3. Washer with tapered hole
4. Dust Cover (resused)(seems to have an integrated metal washer in the top of the plastic boot).
5. Flat washer (Big one koni supplied)NOT SURE IF I NEED THIS, MAYBE IT WAS INTENDED FOR THE TOP OF THE SHOCK TO REPLACE THE OLD ONE?
6. Lower rubber mount (flat side up towards bottom of shock mounting point on car)
7. Car Body
8. Upper Rubber Isolator (flat side down towards car)
9. Upper Washer (Reused Honda, this one is slightly bell shaped, honda had the bell going upwards).
10. Nut.

I'm going to try some new rubber pieces next. I did try added some large washers to preload the rubber more but if anything the noise was worse.

 

Did you tighten the top bolt when the car weight in on the shock? Or only when the car is on the jack?

 

I started the bottom (14mm) bolt, and the top nut on the jack but lowered the car off the jack to tighten both the bottom bolt and top nut.

A question is... Do I need a big flat washer between the top of the dust boot and the bottom of the lower rubber mount?

There is a black plastic cap on the top of the shock body where the shaft comes out on the Koni's. I noticed when I pulled it apart that this was wedged in the dust boot up with the bump stop instead of being on the top of the shock body.

Also, a tip... I just put a set of vice grips on the collar on the old shocks and spun if off using a ratch and allen key socket to rotate the shaft while holding the vice grips. Then I slid of the dust boot. No need to cut anything.

BTW, the Koni ride quality is so much better. It makes the Fit feel like a much more expensive car. The shocks are very controlled without being harsh at all, and they have substantially more rebound damping than even the new stock shocks had. You can hit a bump like train tracks and not get tossed at all. Feels more German in a good way.

 

I just did my rear the other day and i remember the big metal washer between the rubber mount and the bolt securing it.

 

You know what mine is a 2015 so ours might have different parts

 

Yeah, yours had the bump stop on top of the dust cover for some reason.

 

Remove the rear dust cover and your problem will go away. The metal collar on the top of the dust cover is smaller than the Koni shock.

 

Did Koni intend for them to be installed without dust covers? Or you could it be a good idea to look for some sort of aftermarket dust cover bellows?

 

That I do not know. All I know from experience and from cutting the bumpstops down it was too small. I've personally never had issues with Koni not having dust covers on my integra.

 

There is one thing you might try though. Tighten the top nut only until the rubber isolators start compressing. I had mine tightened as far as it would go. I wonder now if that was the problem.

 

I removed the dustcovers, and all is quiet!

 

Glad you worked it out