Koni FSD shocks

Has anybody installed the Koni FSD shocks on the large Phoenix units such as a 2900 or 3100? If so what were their  results, was there a noticeable difference. I am satisfied with the ride and handling with my 3100 which is 6 years old and has 25000 miles.  I am thinking of replacing the shocks but may wait,  I would do it if I knew the ride and handling would be improved. The suspension is all original. The Konis get a lot of good reviews on the class A units but not much has been posted on the E450 chassis.
Thanks,

All ears here too.

Old thread I know however I'm getting ready to order shocks for my unit and wondering if anyone here has first hand knowledge on Koni FSD  shocks.  I have no issue with the price over Brillstein's if the difference is beneficial. However I don't want to throw away money either if there is no discernible difference.

Very old thread update.  Koni front shock with less than 40,000 miles failed.  In a matter of a few hundred miles it ruined a tire with less than 10,000 miles on it. Their Warranty means nothing when you’re thousands of miles from home. Over priced crap that makes your rig ride lighter… only because your wallet is lighter. Never been happy with them and lesson learned. I got stuck buying what’s available at summit racing which is a Gabriel max. When I get home I’m guessing I’ll swamp them all out for Bilsteins.   I have no experience with Summit but at the $53 price point I’m not expecting a lot—- who knows

Very old thread update.  Koni front shock with less than 40,000 miles failed.  In a matter of a few hundred miles it ruined a tire with less than 10,000 miles on it. Their Warranty means nothing when you’re thousands of miles from home. Over priced crap that makes your rig ride lighter… only because your wallet is lighter. Never been happy with them and lesson learned. I got stuck buying what’s available at summit racing which is a Gabriel max. When I get home I’m guessing I’ll swamp them all out for Bilsteins.   I have no experience with Summit but at the $53 price point I’m not expecting a lot—- who knows

Curious... What makes you think a Gabriel Max is a much worse shock than a Koni? Marketing?   Would you think it a better shock if they went for $145 apiece? 

Very old thread update.  Koni front shock with less than 40,000 miles failed.  In a matter of a few hundred miles it ruined a tire with less than 10,000 miles on it. Their Warranty means nothing when you’re thousands of miles from home. Over priced crap that makes your rig ride lighter… only because your wallet is lighter. Never been happy with them and lesson learned.

Hi Joseph,

I am very curious.  How did your front Koni-FSD shocks fail?  Did they start leaking oil?  Did the top bushings wear away?  Was it something else?

My red Koni-RV adjustable shocks (not the FSD type) were shot after roughly 35,000 miles, and yes, they messed up my front tires like yours did.  CLICK HERE to see how my red adjustable Koni shocks failed.  I included many detailed pictures.

Volk, the Gabriel shocks are generic for lack of a better term. It’s a one size fits all. So it’s designed for a Ford E450 van. Same one is sold for a ambulance, plumbers van or motorhome. Is it good enough? Possibly. Do I enjoy changing one out in the dirt in a campground with limited tools..no. So I will probably go with the bilsteins at 114 each. The Koni was much more and I was never satisfied with them. The Bil shocks are different models are vehicle specific. Different shocks for a van vs a motorhome. Lastly read the reviews on the Monroe and Gabriel when used on heavy vehicles. Now on lighter pickups, suv etc I read a lot of favorable reviews.

Ron, it collapsed, no rebound left at all. Tire started bouncing and being on a really rough road it took my hard head a couple hundred miles to accept it wasn’t all road causing the thump thump thump as I drove along. It was the tire bouncing and tearing the tire up.

Ron, it collapsed, no rebound left at all. Tire started bouncing and being on a really rough road it took my hard head a couple hundred miles to accept it wasn’t all road causing the thump thump thump as I drove along. It was the tire bouncing and tearing the tire up.

So it was an internal failure that caused the shock to loose all resistance......like having no shock at all.

I realize the timing/location was terrible, but once back home, why did you decide "not" to pursue Koni's lifetime warranty?  Even if only to sell them?

Do you have pictures of your Koni-FSD shocks?  I wonder how its mounting hardware compares to the red Koni-RV and my HD Bilsteins.

Volk, the Gabriel shocks are generic for lack of a better term. It’s a one size fits all. So it’s designed for a Ford E450 van. Same one is sold for a ambulance, plumbers van or motorhome. Is it good enough? Possibly. Do I enjoy changing one out in the dirt in a campground with limited tools..no. So I will probably go with the bilsteins at 114 each. The Koni was much more and I was never satisfied with them. The Bil shocks are different models are vehicle specific. Different shocks for a van vs a motorhome. Lastly read the reviews on the Monroe and Gabriel when used on heavy vehicles. Now on lighter pickups, suv etc I read a lot of favorable reviews.

AMEN on changing parts out in a parking lot... got that merit badge a few times. 

 I sometimes (well, often...) discount reviews. Especially when short on facts and heavy on 'feels'.

What I have experienced... so empirical 'fact' at best   .. When people buy things  for their vehicle, especially 'high end', they generally seem to praise the heck out of it , and I feel it is to self-justify the purchase. Understandable, who wants to spend more on a product , and then admit that it wasnt the best choice?

Its usually SOME time later you find they really didnt have a clue. If you ever find out, that is. But being in the Automotive repair/customizing world for years, I have seen several ' The Rest of the Story' moments happen.    (I miss Paul Harvey... )

And the Monroe RV shocks really are not that much less than Bilsteins... Both names I have learned to trust.     

Ron, I’m not home, I’m on the road so the warranty isn’t an option right now. I’ve stated before how I wasn’t impressed with Koni. I also contacted Koni before and without the receipt, which I lost, it’s a no go.

Yes an internal failure, no oil leaked. When I took it off and set it on the table it retracted under its own weight

Volk, I agree, people will say something is the greatest ever rather than admitting the purchase wasn’t all the at.  I’m the opposite, I call it out on my own bad choices. I’m not ashamed to admit to it and sometimes it makes me think a bit more down the road.  The Gabriel max I just installed I was able to compress for install without having to lay into it and strap it down for install. Hence I know it’s not as heavy duty as I’d like. Maybe I’m wrong and I’ll be impressed once we leave this campground but my hopes aren’t too high. The bilsteins I last helped someone install I had to strap down to install. A lot more rebound, the Gabriel I installed the top and was able to push the bottom up with one hand to install. When I was 40 I could do a lot like this not so much anymore.


And I miss Paul as well. I still go back and listen to some of speeches now and then. He saw so far into the future but if he was alive today he’d be the last to say I told you so.

I also contacted Koni before and without the receipt, which I lost, it’s a no go.

Yes an internal failure, no oil leaked. When I took it off and set it on the table it retracted under its own weight

Ah, no receipt = no warranty....typical.

Interesting failure, acting like no shock at all.

I purchased a high mileage Saturn Sky with a very rough ride.  I changed it's shocks in hopes to improve handling.  One original front shock was like a solid rod, impossible to compress.  One original rear shock compressed about 1/3 of the way and then stopped.  Each had a minor oil leak too.

The Gabriel max I just installed I was able to compress for install without having to lay into it and strap it down for install. Hence I know it’s not as heavy duty as I’d like. Maybe I’m wrong and I’ll be impressed once we leave this campground but my hopes aren’t too high. The bilsteins I last helped someone install I had to strap down to install. A lot more rebound, the Gabriel I installed the top and was able to push the bottom up with one hand to install. When I was 40 I could do a lot like this not so much anymore.

The heavy duty Bilstein-RV shocks I installed a few years ago, took "all I had" to compress them to align with the lower mount.  I remember thinking I will never be able to change these shocks again because I will be too old to do it.

Ron I really can’t criticize the Gabriel’s when I’ve yet to drive with it. I’m guessing the tears in Gabriel’s would be much stiffer.