Tokico Struts

[scirocco16vr32 at gmail.com (Chris Bennett)]

Ok... I am a believer then. 
 Do you know why? Or what effect it would have being upside down?
 TIA

 On 5/8/05, Dan Bubb <jdbubb@ix.netcom.com> wrote: 
> 
> Bowl faces up on the top rear suspension washer.
> Dan
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Bennett" <scirocco16vr32@gmail.com>
> To: "Scirocco List" <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
> Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 11:05 PM
> Subject: Re: Tokico Struts
> 
> 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
> 
> 


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