So would me next step be to dissasemble the strut assembly and see if that insert is dead? Besides a spring compressor, are there any special tools I'll need?

My suggestion: start all over, at least on that corner. Get another strut and insert, and put it back together correctly. Frankly, the whole setup doesn't sit well with me, but I'm sure if it's re-done *correctly* it could be okay.

Contact Koni for the correct replacement bolt and cupped washer.

You actually may not need a spring compressor if you have a couple ratcheting nylon tie down straps, though you can rent/borrow them from one of the parts shops.

Take it apart and see how mangled the hole is and how wollowed out the top of the stock housing is.

Yah, I'd be all pissy if I'd been through that experience too.

I'll admit, I am kinda pissy about it. I make a point not to go around badmouthing A&S, even though I'd have a pretty good right to. But I'm certainly not gonna keep quiet when I see them doing the same shit to other folks.

Ok, I feel dumb and annoyed at the same time. The problem was that the 3/4" nut that comes through in the middle of the top hat was only finger tight. I hadn't thought to check it as everything I'd read pointed to the bottom bolt. Anyway, just for kicks I tried to wiggle it and low and behold, it was really loose. So, I feel like an idiot for not realizing that in the first place, but am rather angry at the fact that i paid a shop to fix this and they didn't tighten up one of probably 5 visible bolts. Granted, they did do the half-assed fix on the bottom, but still... Either way, i just tightened it down with a 3/4" socket and the thunk is gone and the car drives perfectly. The shop will get a piece of my mind for causing a week and a half of annoyace though. Kind of makes me wonder what bolts might not have been tightened down when they did my head gaskets, radiator and power steering pump too. :huh:

Glad to hear you figured it out.

That top bolt should be tightened to some usually somewhat high torque spec. This usually requires an air gun, or some means of holding the strut to keep it from spinning while torquing. Make sure it's tight enough, or it'll just come loose again.

Yah, be careful not to twist the entire spring on the perch. I did that once. :oops: It really shouldn't happen with the car's weight on it, but I had it jacked up at the time.

The OEM struts have an allen head so that if you have one of those cool hollow top socket wrenches, you can hold the strut shaft still while you tighten the nut. My KYB AGX's don't have this so I used vice grips and an inner tube to protect the strut shaft.

Thanks for the info guys. I'll email Koni and have a local shop tourque them to whatever it's supposed to be at.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a torque wrench and do it yourself than to pay a shop to do it. You can get a decent torque wrench for less than an hour of shop labor that you'd be charged... and it'd take you all of 10 minutes to torque all four corners yourself.

Or hell, come to the meet on Thursday and I'll bring a torque wrench and do it for nuthin!

Just a follow up: So i sent an email to Koni yesterday saying that the bolt on the bottom had fallen out and requested they send me a new bolt, cup washer, and star washer. The Dhl guy just came and dropped them off. They overnighted me 2 new bolts, cup washers and star washers, free of charge.

Now, do i have to dissasemble the strut assembly to put this back on or should I just jack up the other side of the car so the pressure is on my passenger side wheel, unscrew that bolt with all the washers and try to put this one in? Or i could just drive it as is, but i'd like to put the proper bolt in with loctite. Thoughts?

I think if you do it with the car on the ground, or on ramps you should have no problem replacing the bolt with the strut on the car. If you have the tire off the ground, I'm afraid it might come loose. But I've never seen one of these setups in person, so I'm not 100% sure.

What Scott said i think as well.

But I still think you should dismantle that spring/strut package and see how wallowed out the top of the OE strut is.

And if you must use Locktite, use Blue.

I sort of agree, but I also think there's a chance that once you remove the existing bolt, the insert could shift in the housing and make it impossible to thread the new bolt in. I'd check with Koni, but I think you may end up having to take all of the weight off of that corner with a jack before you can thread the new bolt. Tough to say not having any first hand experience though.

Glad to hear Koni's reputation is deserved regarding customer service. I hear they'll next day you a whole insert if one dies on you.

Mark, dude, I'm back in Truckee as of today. Call me out and I'll help you look at your strut. We should just split a torque wrench from harbor freight or something for cheap. How do those Koni's treat you on Truckee's shitty roads?