Tokico Struts

[scirocco16vr32 at gmail.com (Chris Bennett)]

Update on my suspension...
 I don't think I did bad for a first time suspension job for me. :) I 
reinstalled the strut assemblies in the front end and the upper stress bar 
while I was at it. They seem to be functioning as advertised. I guess the 
real test will be when I drive it over a set of railroad tracks or 
something. She sit ALOT lower than stock, and that makes me glad that I have 
an 85. The 16v body kit wouldn't have lasted with the nasty dips in the road 
around here. 
 I got froggy and did the rear end as well. No more sagging ass. I got all 
this stuff from ABD a while back and I got the poly bushings for the rear 
shocks--anyone else messed with these? Like em? Hate em? I can't really 
drive it much as now it needs an alignment, so the jury is still out. Also I 
noticed that on the interior of the car when you pull the plastic caps and 
there is that nut there and the interior bushing, there is a bowl shaped 
washer of some sort. Is that supposed to be "bowl" up or down. Mine were up 
but I am sure that this isn't the first time someone has done this to the 
car-- there were two different styles of rear shocks. However when I was 
reinstalling, the poly bushing seemed to fit ALOT better with the bowl 
shaped washer DOWN instead of UP. 
 The diagram in the Bentleys appear to have them facing up. I will drive it 
and see what happens.
 It is supposed to be a 1.5 inch drop all around but the nose seems low and 
the ass is about the same. (Maybe I was looking at a jacked up suspension 
for so long...) but the car has a much better look all around. Maybe it's my 
imagination. Looks appear good, we'll see about the ride and performance. I 
have a few more things to do before I hammer it. Stub shafts being one since 
I had a set of bearings die and chewed it a little. I am hoping to eliminate 
all the slop. The 87 doesn't have these issues thank God.
 

 On 5/5/05, Chris Bennett <scirocco16vr32@gmail.com> wrote: 
> 
> Ok... I know I was asking how to disassemble the struts a week or so ago. 
> I finally got off my butt and went to the Auto-hobby shop in Norfolk. Grrr. 
> THAT was an adventure. I had to take a quiz as there seems to have been a 
> rash of people getting friggin squished by hydraulic lifts. How the hell do 
> you get SQUISHED by a hydraulic lift?!? I mean really if you are that 
> dumb... you shouldn't be poluting the gene pool ANYWAY. One of the questions 
> was... It is NORMAL for a hydraulic lift to leak a little oil... True or 
> False. Maybe that's what happened... dude was UNDER the car looking at the 
> hydraulic leak and WHAM!!! 
>  So by the time I took the 30 question or so quiz (and why do I care if 
> they don't allow tandum welding and painting?!?) I was pretty steamed. I 
> brought the suspension parts in the place with a large plastic bin and they 
> still wanted to charge me for a bay... I don't really get that either. But I 
> was tired of f***ing with it so I was like whatever. I get in there compress 
> the spring, zip it off with the impact wrench (You guys were right that was 
> MUCH easier... I am not worthy), and while I was at it I degreased 20 years 
> of slime and crud off the strut housing. So I put the new strut in and hand 
> tightened the cap that holds it in place... That was mistake #1. 
>  I was kinda in a hurry, kinda pissed off, kinda not really knowing what 
> the heck I was doing. 
>  I looked at the bentley's, I had the tokico directions which tell you to 
> fill the strut housing with oil for heat transfer and then follow the 
> manufacturer's instructions for strut replacement. No pics, no parts 
> lists... CRAP. So I reassemble according to the bentley's (missing the 
> tighten the "strut housing" cap, jackass part) 
>  Now I have heard that there is a washer that you have to put in somewhere 
> that is CRITICAL to keeping your strut from piercing your hood like a 
> javelin, and you aren't supposed to reuse it. They didn't include that peice 
> but they did include a bunch of other crap that isn't in the bentley's 
> diagram at all. 
>  Any clues? There was a nylon spacer/washer that goes on top of the strut 
> to keep the oil bath in place. (but there was a fat one and skinny one and 
> they both would not fit.) Also there were several washers that were close to 
> the diameter of the strut housing but don't seem to fit anywhere. 
>  I installed new bump stops, new strut bearings and I did get the little 
> sleave out of the old one for the top of the strut shaft. I do have the 
> splash guards in place and I have released the springs... No launches yet. 
> After the fact I remembered I only hand tightened that cap and went back and 
> monkey wrenched it on. 
>  I guess now that I have wasted all of your time I am asking if I did it 
> right or am I going to have dimples in my hood?
>  Anyone installed tokico struts on their car? I also put H+R sport springs 
> on it.
>  They are still out of the car I can go back and check it out again I 
> suppose.
>  TIA
> 
> -- 
> Build a man a fire and keep him warm for an evening...
> Set him on fire, and keep him warm for the rest of his life. 
> 



-- 
Build a man a fire and keep him warm for an evening...
Set him on fire, and keep him warm for the rest of his life.