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KYB AGX Adjustable Strut problem

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SleepingEclipse

15+ Year Contributor
460
0
Jun 9, 2004
Millbrook, Illinois
I have KYB AGX adjustable struts all around, and I wanted to adjust them. My ride is so rough(stiff) I feel like I'm going to throw up on the highway. I easily adjusted the rears by turning the dial. On the fronts is where I'm confused. I use a screw driver and turn the dial on the top of the strut, but it just spins and spins. There is like no "setting" it per say. Like it will stop at a number, but I could spin the thing forever, and still never figure out how I adjusted it(or if I did). Any help would be appreciated...when I hit big enough bumps the subs go airborne in the trunk!:cry:
 
You may be missing some parts or something. Do they have the 4-color/numbered dial surrounding the little screw? The way they should work is to push the tiny screw in a bit, past a notch of sorts, to line up with the next setting. There are only 4 settings.
 
On the fronts is where I'm confused. I use a screw driver and turn the dial on the top of the strut, but it just spins and spins. There is like no "setting" it per say. Like it will stop at a number, but I could spin the thing forever, and still never figure out how I adjusted it(or if I did).

Um, you my friend have probably just effed your struts. In the instructions that came with them it states that you need to push down first, like underradar92 said, or you'll cause 'permanent damage.' Dunno what type, but it's not good.
 
Um, you my friend have probably just effed your struts. In the instructions that came with them it states that you need to push down first, like underradar92 said, or you'll cause 'permanent damage.' Dunno what type, but it's not good.

No no no no. I push down, and turn them to the next setting and it pops back up when it's lined up. The problem is when I push down, I can turn that thing clockwise or counterclockwise forever(or so it seems). And I can't tell which way the --- slot is pointing...it'd be nice if they had an arrow on them like --> or something. The rears are sooo easy to adjust, they should have just done the same thing with the fronts!:mad:
 
There is a tiny white painted dot on the screw, next to the slot. Think .\ or something like that. Yours may have some dirt in the dot (it is a tiny dimple with white paint in it) or the paint is worn/washed out. Look closely for a little depression. There are no limits on how many times you can rotate the screw, it just will change the settings from 1>2>3>4>1>2 etc, or the other way, 2>1>4... Well, you get the picture.
 
There is a tiny white painted dot on the screw, next to the slot. Think .\ or something like that. Yours may have some dirt in the dot (it is a tiny dimple with white paint in it) or the paint is worn/washed out. Look closely for a little depression. There are no limits on how many times you can rotate the screw, it just will change the settings from 1>2>3>4>1>2 etc, or the other way, 2>1>4... Well, you get the picture.

THANKS! I found the little dot on both of the fronts. I made them both 1 and the rear 1 as well, and I notice a little difference. I kind of wish I had the stock ride feeling back. I haven't tried it out on the highway yet, that's where I could feel the stiffness the worst.
 
Everything I've read about AGX's leads me to the conclusion that I'm probably getting Koni's this year. Not too pleased with my AGX's either.
 
I agree i hate my agx's, they handle like shit, gonna get tein coilovers.
 
I bought a set of KYB AGX and have had nothing but issues with the front pair either one is harder that the other (yes they were set the same) on the first pair and the second pair same thing would bottoming out on intersections at speeds under 50 mph and it wants to track the road. I have looked for new OEM springs but they are discontinued. I thought I would replace the spring just to see if was part of my problem. Does anyone have any suggestion shy of buying a different brand cause these are still under warranty. Please help:cry:
 
Get your replacements under warranty then sell them. Use that money to buy some Konis.
 
Get your replacements under warranty then sell them. Use that money to buy some Konis.

I would do that but if I'm not mistaken KONI's are drop in's,,,,,, not a full strut. If there are any FULL KONI struts please send me a link to them I'd buy them 2M. If I sell the KYB's I dont have a set of stock units to drop them in.

Thanks for the quick reply.........
 
2G AGX rears are notorious for going out prematurely (think oil all over the car). KYB won't honor any warranty it they're coil-overed.

Solution? Use something else, anything.
 
I have to tell you guys a little bit about KYB. KYB is short for Kayaba. Their main factory is in the town my brother used to live in Gifu Japan. The whole town is full of these brazillian import laborers and they even got in trouble with the government for not hiring enough Japanese people. Like most of the Japan shock manufacturers they pretty much suck. Their valving is trash the adjusters don't adjust the parts of the curve you want and are just a bad to worse ride quality knob that isnt even consistant from shock to shock. They are widely regarded in japan to be the most crap of the crap but they are cheap. Sometimes OEM use them when they can specify the valving but Toyota even stopped using them on any cars above lower end models like kei cars etc.

My guess is that you are a victim of cheap shocks. I believe the best off the shelf option for DSM is Koni for 2g if your thinking of tracking the car anyway and if I had a 1g I would get some bilsteins with a custom valving and make my own coilover setup for them.
 
Hey peeps, interesting thread. I was wondering this also because i currently have K-sports installed and while good for adjustability they are a bit on the stiff side. I was looking at the bilstein's because of their reputation with high-end vehicles and sport cars. Also they make a 1G FWD application. So if gixxerdrew can shine a little more light on the bilstein subject that would be awesome or if anyone with bilsteins installed on their own vehicles(preferably 1G) can shine some light, it would also be great.:thumb:
 
Hey peeps, interesting thread. I was wondering this also because i currently have K-sports installed and while good for adjustability they are a bit on the stiff side. I was looking at the bilstein's because of their reputation with high-end vehicles and sport cars. Also they make a 1G FWD application. So if gixxerdrew can shine a little more light on the bilstein subject that would be awesome or if anyone with bilsteins installed on their own vehicles(preferably 1G) can shine some light, it would also be great.:thumb:


I dont own a 1g DSM so I can't shed light on them specifically but I own customized bilsteins for my supra. What questions did you have?
 
Thaks for replying gixxerdrew, my questions were mostly about their ride quality. Example: How do they ride?, How do they handle high speed?, any info you could share on them really. I've heard nopthing but good things but would like to know from somebody who has them. Thanks again!:rocks:
 
I would do that but if I'm not mistaken KONI's are drop in's,,,,,, not a full strut. If there are any FULL KONI struts please send me a link to them I'd buy them 2M. If I sell the KYB's I dont have a set of stock units to drop them in.

Thanks for the quick reply.........

Koni rears are a full strut, and the fronts are a drop in. It's not that hard. Cut off the top of your stock strut, drop in, bolt bottom, good to go!
 
I think I am having a problem with mine as well. The ride doesn't seem as smooth as it's supposed to be. I have H&R springs on mine as well. The rears feel fine, like they're doing what they're supposed to, but the front's feel blown. I was told they had 17k miles on them when I bought them, and whether or not that was hard driving, I'm not sure.... but it's possible the front shocks are blown already?
 
Thaks for replying gixxerdrew, my questions were mostly about their ride quality. Example: How do they ride?, How do they handle high speed?, any info you could share on them really. I've heard nopthing but good things but would like to know from somebody who has them. Thanks again!:rocks:


My personal opinion is that they do everything exceptionally well. I have found a properly valved bilstein to function as well as my $1k each corner ohlins triple adjustable.

They still ride VERY nice even with bazarly high spring rates. Totally serious. On the supra suspension I developed, I do 1.2Gs sustained in the corners and even my female boss commented about how nice the ride comfort was.

For comparison I have a buddy with a supra and my car is like its evil twin since his is red and mine is black on black. We have similar body parts. Hes running 315/285 BFG KD. I am running 275/255 G force sports. So he has a fairly large tire size and grip advantage. His spring rates on tein suspension are like 800/600 mine are 500/250. Two very different approaches and we are dead heat on the corners. His car has advantages like nice feedback and linear control my car is rolling all over the place but just won't let go but we make it through the corners at about the same speed. I chose this path because I wanted a very very comfortable ride for my street car that will still kill people on corners when I feel so inclined. A properly valved suspension should give you those kind of options. When I bought my supra it had KYB AGX on it and hated driving the car in the corners. It was crap, rode like crap, handled like crap. Same with the rear shock on my bike, good ole kayaba dishing out shitty dampers for the masses I really hate those shocks if you couldnt tell ;)

The thing is that restricting movement on your suspension (running stiff) is good and bad. For rougher roads its worse, for street its worse. Because you knock yourself out of the camber curve keeping the tire in its happy place. On the track you make up for this by running more static camber but you can't do that on the street. So my idea of optimal for a STREET car was to increase the spring rates to compensate for the grippier tires that exist now and oversized tires I run from how it was computed from the factory. If your purpose was full on racing, its a whole different story. My eclipse is something completely different.
 
Thanx for that bit of info gixxerdrew, i only use it on the street as it is my daily driver. If i race it most likely will be a straight line or a road with mild curves. Don't have much curvy roads in PR after all. I am really looking to purchase some bilsteins with eibach prokits to replace my ksports, so what i really want is a suspension system that will give me a boost in performance, good ride quality as i know there is a compromise and the stock ride quality will most likely always be lost, and lastly a nice look for the vehicle. I most likely will give the bilstein touring shocks for the DSM a shot.

Thanks again:thumb:
 
Thanx for that bit of info gixxerdrew, i only use it on the street as it is my daily driver. If i race it most likely will be a straight line or a road with mild curves. Don't have much curvy roads in PR after all. I am really looking to purchase some bilsteins with eibach prokits to replace my ksports, so what i really want is a suspension system that will give me a boost in performance, good ride quality as i know there is a compromise and the stock ride quality will most likely always be lost, and lastly a nice look for the vehicle. I most likely will give the bilstein touring shocks for the DSM a shot.

Thanks again:thumb:

I advise against the eibachs. I have had problems with QC on several eibach springs. I heard their ERS series are much better but I found their rates to be inconsistant and deteriorate. One car was sagging after only 2 years of street use to the point where the coils were binding on eachother. On my eclipse I had to add more and more preload every year I'm looking to switch them out asap.
 
Maybe it's because I have a 1g, or maybe it's because there are not that many miles on my setup. Or maybe it's because GA has great roads. But I love my AGX, though if I do hit a bump, which is rare I do notice it is very stiff.
 
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