# Just switched from airlift slammed rear struts to konis. Not happy with how they are sitting. MK5 content.



## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

My airlift rear struts were completely blown out in less then a year of having them on my car. They are only warranteed for a year and I've owned them longer then a year because I pieced my kit together. I just got a set of koni struts from bagriders and the rear sits over an inch higher then before. I figured it would make some sort of of difference but nothing this drastic. Is anybody else upset with the way the koni's sit? and/or know any tips/tricks to make the rears lower? 

Before on airlifts

DSC_0068 copy by ZacharyStodart, on Flickr


And now on the konis

koni by ZacharyStodart, on Flickr


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## jedipartsguy (Aug 24, 2006)

Jesus, only a year? How many miles was that in ayear. I also went with the airlift shocks, very disappointing.


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## sippyyy (Oct 15, 2012)

you can try cutting the bump stops, my wifes car on airlifts has always sat lower than mine on konis


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

jedipartsguy said:


> Jesus, only a year? How many miles was that in ayear. I also went with the airlift shocks, very disappointing.



18-20k ish. I do drive a lot but I figured they would last longer then that. 



sippyyy said:


> you can try cutting the bump stops, my wifes car on airlifts has always sat lower than mine on konis


I was thinking about it, i'm just not sure how much to cut. I was gonna go back in there this week and see if there is anything I can tweak up.


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## sponcar (Feb 5, 2010)

cut them in half.


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

sponcar said:


> cut them in half.


Sounds like a good start to me :thumbup:


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## Buck Russell (Feb 24, 2003)

Trim the bump stops by at least 50% on the Koni shocks. 

The AirLift slam shocks ride horribly so the ride of the yellows alone should make you a happy camper.


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

Buck Russell said:


> Trim the bump stops by at least 50% on the Koni shocks.
> 
> The AirLift slam shocks ride horribly so the ride of the yellows alone should make you a happy camper.


Yes as the ride goes, it's night and day. Especially with the airlifts being blown for the last few weeks.... woof. I'm gonna go in there and start cutting tomorrow after work. Thanks Andrew!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

I am surprised at the number of complaints I've heard about the AirLift rear shocks. Makes me feel better about not purchasing them.

I have the Koni yellows with double bellow rear bags on my Beetle Turbo. I had taken the initiative to cut the bump stops when first installed. The stock one should look something like this one:









The dust shield sits at the first notch down from the top. Originally I had cut almost every from the dust shield notch down off. I had to cut almost everything from there up off in order for it to finally sit where I wanted. So really I only have enough bump stop to keep my dust shield on. Now Beetles do have larger arches than GTI's so it may not require as much cut.

This is where I was originally with only the bump stop cut from below the dust shield but keeping the entire top portion above the shield versus no bump stop at all: Top pic is passenger rear with my bump stop cut like i described originally and the bottom picture is the driver side rear with no bumpstop









This pic is with basically no bumpstop left except what I needed for the dust shield: really not much different than with no bumpstop.









Wheels are 20x9 with Hancook Ventus V12 Evo 235/30/20 tires


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

vdubjettaman said:


> I am surprised at the number of complaints I've heard about the AirLift rear shocks. Makes me feel better about not purchasing them.
> 
> I have the Koni yellows with double bellow rear bags on my Beetle Turbo. I had taken the initiative to cut the bump stops when first installed. The stock one should look something like this one:
> 
> ...



WOW thank you so much for the info! I'm gonna start by cutting the bump stop at the top shield notch and if i'm still not happy i'll try it without the bump stops. Thanks again. Very helpful! :thumbup::thumbup:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

zacharys666 said:


> WOW thank you so much for the info! I'm gonna start by cutting the bump stop at the top shield notch and if i'm still not happy i'll try it without the bump stops. Thanks again. Very helpful! :thumbup::thumbup:


No problem. :beer: 
I had quite an ordeal trying to figure out why it would not tuck a lot of the wheel when I spoke with many airlift owners saying that they still have their bumpstops, or trimmed them. But after just taking that last bit off the top it sits just where I want it! I guess my arches are just that much bigger than GTI's.


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## Wobblenuts (Feb 5, 2007)

I don't run bump stops at all.


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## Buck Russell (Feb 24, 2003)

zacharys666 said:


> Yes as the ride goes, it's night and day. Especially with the airlifts being blown for the last few weeks.... woof. I'm gonna go in there and start cutting tomorrow after work. Thanks Andrew!


No problem sir. :thumbup::beer:


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

WaWaMKVDub said:


> I don't run bump stops at all.


Well i'm sold. Makes my job easier. Thanks for the input :thumbup:


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## HonestChip (Apr 19, 2009)

My mkv with konis, airlift double bellows and no bump stops. tucking 18x9.5 Love the konis!


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

Ended up cutting about 75-80% of the bump stops out. Happy with the results. Thanks for the help everybody!


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## jedipartsguy (Aug 24, 2006)

zacharys666 said:


> Ended up cutting about 75-80% of the bump stops out. Happy with the results. Thanks for the help everybody!


If you dont mind what did you pay for the konis?


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## zacharys666 (Jan 28, 2008)

$260 shipped.


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## Waffle (Mar 5, 2008)

What dampening setting is everyone using for the Koni's? How is the ride?


Thanks.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Waffle said:


> What dampening setting is everyone using for the Koni's? How is the ride?
> 
> 
> Thanks.


Pretty sure I adjusted mine to full soft . The roads around me are terrible right now with all the road construction. I think it rides fine.


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## [email protected] (Feb 19, 2010)

You can run the Koni's without any bump-stop, I've been doing it for years.

PSSST. BagRiders has free shipping on Koni and Bilstein shocks for UPS ground shipments


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## NorCO_1806 (Feb 3, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> You can run the Koni's without any bump-stop, I've been doing it for years.
> 
> *PssHT*. BagRiders has free shipping on Koni and Bilstein shocks for UPS ground shipments


FIFY


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## Residentevol (Sep 19, 2000)

do the koni's come with new dust covers? hacked mine up beyond repair and not sure if there is a way to get new ones seperately.


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## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

I don't run bump stops on my bilsteins.


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