Koni set screws

[Boydster]

I was adjusting my ride height after getting on the road and getting some miles, and found one of my setscrews on my red Koni's was gone. Its a 1/4-20 thread.
I found exact replacements on McMaster Carr... 94115A535. 3/8 long, 1/4-20, alloy steel with the green plastic / nylon / whatever soft tip.

I tried a 1/4-20 bolt just snug enough (no, I wasnt going to damage the threaded sleeve) to allow me to keep working until the new setscrews came in, and discovered something interesting. Evidently, the threaded hole where the setscrew goes in doesnt go all the way through. The 1/4-20 bolt would not lock into the sleeve... it simply bottomed out. So it appears Koni wanted to keep you from damaging the threaded sleeve by over tightening the setscrew. They bottomed the hole with just enough for the soft plastic tip to come through and secure the collar.

I tried tightening a setscrew as far as I dared, and when I took it out, the tip barely had a mark on it. So it was tightening in the bottomed hole, and not really clamping down on the sleeve.

Anyways, just a little geek stuff about one of the very smallest parts on your car. I thought it was kinda cool.

[Jeff Kleiner]

There are 4 holes in the adjuster rings; one is drilled through (at least every one I've ever seen has been) and tapped to accomodate the setscrew and the other three are blind holes to accept a spanner wrench. Sure you were trying to put the screw in the right hole? Anyway, for what it's worth I don't tighten the setscrews for fear of boogering up the threads on the collar. Once the weight of the car is on the springs the collars don't tend to move. Multiple cars and tens of thousands of miles among them and I've never had one change position.

Jeff

[GTBradley]

If I remember correctly Jeff, there are threads in only one of those four holes, correct?

[GoDadGo]

If I remember correctly Jeff, there are threads in only one of those four holes, correct?

Correct!

Also, you can put some RTV on the top if you don't want to install the set screw.

[RBachman]

If I remember correctly Jeff, there are threads in only one of those four holes, correct?
Not any more...LOL, :D

[Boydster]

Yep, had the correct, threaded hole. No, I didnt try a threaded setscrew or bolt into a non-threaded hole.

But... now I'm questioning myself on the engineering of that one threaded hole... so I'd have to remove the ring to be sure now. But I know a 1/4-20 bolt threaded in and went tight and never touched the sleeve... I could still turn it. The 1/4-20 setscrew with the plastic tip does tighten up and locks onto the sleeve. When I looked down into the threaded hole, I swear I could see a small hole in the bottom. But between a developing cataract and using one eye with a weak flashlight... maybe I was wrong. Guess that part of the whole post doesnt really matter anyways, it was just a small detail I thought was cool on an engineering level.

Anyways, that PN from McMaster Carr is a good, exact replacement should you lose one. Like 6 and a half bucks for a bag of 10.

[CraigS]

I agree w/ Jeff and recommend you throw out all the setscrews. The collars just don't move on their own.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

I agree w/ Jeff and recommend you throw out all the setscrews. The collars just don't move on their own.

+2 canned them on day one & never looked back.