MacPherson struts

[ljowdy]

Attached is a photo of the front Koni MacPherson strut that came from the factory in 1973. After almost 35 years, it's time to change them and upgrade to a gas charged strut.

My question is this, Do I have to replace the entire upper and lower assembly or is there an insert under the upper strut cover??? It appears that the lower end of the strut attaches directly to the spindle backing plate.

The rears are not a problem as they just unbolt, top and bottom just like any other "P" car of that era but, I haven't torn into the fronts as I don't want to be without the car if I have to replace the entire strut arm.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Hi:

IMHO, upgrading to Bilstein struts & shocks is a great upgrade,....

As you noted, the rears are a simple replacement, but the front struts must be replaced as complete units. The upper end is secured by a nut & lock washer and the bottom is held in place by the pinch bolts at the top of the ball joints. You'll also need to separate the tie-rods from the steering arms and this is a good time to replace them with the far-superior Turbo tie rod assemblies.

Lastly, you will need new wheel bearing adjusters and thrust washers at the spindles since these are different from the Koni ones.

[ljowdy]

thanks for the upgrade tip but I'd like to keep the "koni orange" look and that's why I was wondering if the Macpherson Koni's have cartridges inside that can be replaced rather than changing everything to a Bilstein strut/shock

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by ljowdy

thanks for the upgrade tip but I'd like to keep the "koni orange" look and that's why I was wondering if the Macpherson Koni's have cartridges inside that can be replaced rather than changing everything to a Bilstein strut/shock

Yes, Koni does make replacement inserts. I have Koni struts on my '74 911 and just did a suspension refresh/upgrade which included new front inserts. The inserts I used were #8641-1039 - which are actually inserts for Boge struts. W/these inserts, you also need a new gland nut (the nut that holds the insert in the housing) it's number is 73.25.01.011.1 - I chose these inserts because they are externally adjustable once installed via a knob at the top.

I think Koni's are considered inferior by most compared to Bilstein's - I'm not sure why. I don't race, so I'm not looking for every last 10th. I have Koni struts, so I got new inserts, which was way cheaper than new Bilstein struts and inserts. I wasn't able to get much help from the Pelican sales people (one of the few things they haven't been able to help with) so I called Koni directly. They were fairly helpful and at least guided me through my available options etc...

Hope that helps,
Tom

Look here:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911M/POR_911M_SUSshk_pg2.htm#item5

[ljowdy]

Tom, thanks, that's exactly the information I was seeking

[Tooth911]

Years ago I replaced my Koni inserts with Mcphersons at Les Schwab modern Gas shocks.