Help me identify this strut insert

I want to start by saying that I am not bitching about my purchase or anything. I bought these struts from a member on Celicatech and he had purchased them from a member here. Everyone has been under the impression that they are Koni struts/inserts, and the front set maybe. I've found posts here and at Celicatech related to this set with inquiries about the lowering springs. I'm pretty sure I'm the first to actually open them up. Everyone prior to me was only going on what they were told by who ever the original seller was. So that out of the way...

Please note, my main question is about the insert, not the housing. I know that the housing has been modified in the normal way they are modded to be able to use inserts in the rear.

After breaking my bench vise trying to get the damn gland nut off of the the strut housing, I finally got it off yesterday. I was expecting to find some sort of Koni insert inside the housing. The insert is adjustable and the Koni adjusting know fits the adjusting tit. The housing has been converted in the way that is necessary to use inserts on the rear of an All Trac. It even has bolt through the bottom of the housing that some of the Koni replacement inserts use. To my surprise, here is what came out of the housing.



As you can see, this doesn't appear to be a Koni insert. I've got new inserts for front and rear and neither look anything like this insert. Here is a comparison between this one and the Koni.



To further add to the mystery, the Koni insert will not fit down into the converted housing. I have a known good converted All Trac rear strut housing that I got from GTFour77 that he had converted and ran on the back of his car. The only thing with that set is the stock spring perches are cutoff to run coilovers. I'm wanting to stay with the stock spring perches. The All Trac housing has diameter opening of approximately 1 7/8". This housing has a smaller diameter opening of aroung 1 13/16", so the new inserts won't fit. KYB's won't go down in there either. Here are a couple of pictures of each housing. I apologize for the picture not being great. Here's the known good housing opening.



Here's the one the mystery insert came out of.



It maybe hard to see, but this housing almost looks like there is some kind of insert inside the main housing tube. It's double walled where the All Trac housing is single wall.

Also about the insert, the gland nut is made onto, or at least it appears to be, the strut insert. Here's a semi bad close up.



So, anybody got an idea what this insert actually is? I'm pretty sure that the housing, when assembled, will fit the back of an All Track. Everything lines up with the known good housing. I'm just at a loss as to what kind of insert this actually is.

One more question, anyone have an idea of how much taller the front strut housing should be compared to the rear housing on an All Trac. I was comparing what is supposed to be the front struts in this set with my good rear housing and it appears to be the same length and size. All of the mounting holes line up as well.

Let me know what you guys think.

It looks kind of like a stock insert, but your saying it is adjustable so it can't be, not sure sorry. Is it in usable condition? Interesting to see what it is like...

When I put my AGX inserts in, I had to put the insert in the lathe and take the smallest amount of the welds off near the top to clear. You could also put the housing on the lathe and clean up the inside maybe? If you want to use the housing, a tiny bit from there, a tiny bit from there and it should fit. Or else cut the housing in half and weld a better top onto it.

I saw your post last night and the insert does look like the stock one in your picture. But it does have the adjuster on the end and it does seem like it works. With the thing assembled, it looks like the Koni. This one is strange.

I've go to look at the housing some more this weekend. When I looked down in it the other night, it looked like the inner diameter is the same all the way down. The conversion is done right to match the method for the All Trac strut but inside is looking too small. I first tried putting the gland nut from the All Trac strut on it and this was the first indication that something was up. It just sits on top and is too wide to go into the threads.

I think the actual insert housing is still in the strut housing. You've pulled out the guts of an insert. It looks like maybe a previous owner welded the insert in which is why it didn't come out when you pulled the guts out. Clean up the rust and stuff around the top of the strut housing and see if you see a seam.

lumbercis":26u7b4vj said:

I think the actual insert housing is still in the strut housing. You've pulled out the guts of an insert. It looks like maybe a previous owner welded the insert in which is why it didn't come out when you pulled the guts out. Clean up the rust and stuff around the top of the strut housing and see if you see a seam.

Click to expand...

I agree ^^ you normally dont see that corkscrew part when it all the guts come out in one piece ... viewtopic.php?f=44&t=31483&start=180 page 13 and scroll down a little ...

I'll have to double check on the housing and see if that might be the issue. It's worth a shot.

Hey, did your B&G springs have a number stamped on them? The springs that came with this set are red but I've found several threads spread over several sites where people seem to think they are B&G springs. The front set have one numbers inked on them and the rear a different number. I'll have to check and see what the numbers are again.

I didnt notice a number , didnt even think to look for one. However I love the ride and handling I bought them used from a local member. I'm sure he has more info on them somewhere if you need it ... He still lurks but is a little tied up with a newborn right now ...