help with tokico illumina & rb spring install

BiGx5MurF

Member
:
2004 Mazdaspeed MX5
I've just recieved my tokico illuminas, and I've been saving my racing beat springs. I'm ready to install, except, I can't seem to find a full how to write up on these forums. There are two spring install how to's that I've found, but no damper install how to's.

So I'm asking for a rough idea of what to do, also what measures do I need to take to avoid bounce or noise? Do I need new front endlinks? If so, where can I buy them? Where can I get washers for the struts? Do I need new camber plates? If so where can I purchase those? Is there anything else I would need?

I'm hoping for this to be a do it right the first time, and don't do it again install. Any help would be appreciated.
 
It's the same install as springs. You have to remove the shocks from the springs during spring install. Simply replace the old shocks with new Illuminas.
 
strut install is the same as a spring install except you dont reuse the stock ones.

dont need a thing besides what you have (assuming you have spring compressors). install it right and there shouldn't be any noises.

pick up some penetrating fluid for those endlinks. if anything will give you grief its those bolts.
 
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pick up some penetrating fluid for those endlinks. if anything will give you grief its those bolts.[/QUOTE]
sorry, but what's penetrating fluid? Can I get that at pep boys? If so, any brand recommendations?
 
yeah they should have it.

its just to loosen up those bolts since they are stuck on there good.

any brand will do.
 
BiGx5MurF said:
[...

pick up some penetrating fluid for those endlinks. if anything will give you grief its those bolts.
sorry, but what's penetrating fluid? Can I get that at pep boys? If so, any brand recommendations?[/QUOTE]

get some PB blaster. good stuff. i would reccommend putting it on and letting it sit for a while...like a few hours then maybe reapply it and let it sit so it can penetrate the bolts. I haven't done the end link repair/install but ive heard really bad things about these bolts(getting them off that is). after the install MAKE SURE YOU GET A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. otherwise your tires are gunna be turned to $%&# and you'll be SOL. let us know how it goes. i want to do my struts later this year and it will be my first time doing a job like this. post info. good luck.
 
nothing personal, but it sounds to me like you should find a professional to do this for you...
 
I redid my springs and struts a few months ago, had to get rid of those god awful ground controls... burned through two sets of front strut bearing plates ( those little teflon deals) .....

Springs and struts are pretty easy...... I didn't even use spring compressors when I installed the Eibach Pro's just had to lean on em whilst someone else secured the strut piston bolt ( stupid risk I know)

But, if you don't know what penetrating oil is, maybe you should spend the few hundred bucks and have someone do it for you, or find a friend.
 
Just broke night last night to do this install. Had a few hitches due to lack of tools, as I needed more than what the how to's recommend for the rear. But luckily I have night dwelling friends like myself. Actually it was the endlinks, paticularily the rear ones that gave me a hard time. I was impatient I guess. I sprayed some wd40 on them, smoked a cig, and decided to goto work on them. Well the threads kept turning with the nut. So I had to find a regular 14mm wrench instead of using my ratchet, then had to have my friends try to find me an alan key set so that I could use it to stabilize the thread while I wrenched the nut. At frist I tried with bare hands, thinking "I'm so manly", and the alan key and wrench bruised and drew blood from my palms after many pathetic attempts. Eventually I sucked it up, put on some work gloves, wrapped each tool in a work glove, and got that 1st rear endlink off within a minute. Another thing that gave me trouble was my right rear. The bolts holding the shock to the rotor were put in from the rear to the front, meaning I couldn't pull those out due to the caliper being in the way, so for the right rear only I had to remove 2 bolts from the caliper and let it hand down. When putting everything back together, I put those bolts back in front to rear, just like how the left rear has it, just in case I ever have to do this again. I'm pretty sure that should be fine even though its not how mazda did it, but if it isn't, someone please correct me. I didn't need spring compressors as someone had suggested, just good ol' human labor was enough, though that may've been the cause of unneccesary blood and sweat. For those suggesting a professional, the only reason I could see someone finding one is 1: lack of tools and time... 2: laziness... 3: abundance of money. This was a straighfoward project, even for a beginner like myself.

But other than that, everything was rather straight foward. When the sun came up, I was just finishing up, after maybe 6-7 hours or so, and took it out for a spin. Yes, I started doing this project at 12am in the morning, under a street light, a ghetto spotlight, and two mag lights. At around 3am actually someone from my highschool wrestling days just happened to pass by, and stopped in his civic and loaned me the wrench I needed from those damn rear endlinks.

Ride harshness is definitely noticeable, but so is much more easily attained oversteer. I didn't have any noise issues with clunking as such, even without using extra washers like the thread garrets77 mentioned. I'm going to let the springs settle for at least a week, probably two before going in for an alignment. I guess that wraps up my biggest project to date. My hid install couldn't even compare, that didn't even take an hour.

edit: forgot to mention, there is one thing thats got me completely stumped, my rear left selt belt, its locked in place and I can't pull it long enough to put it back where it belongs, so right now its just bouncing around in my trunk. I had the same problem with the right rear, but after messing with it continuously for a few minutes I got it to unlock, but I can't seem to do it with the left one. If someone could give me a fix for this, that'd be great. If not, of well, my rear passengers never wear belts anyway.
 
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glad it all came out well.

you ran into the same roadbumps that most people run into.

the bolts are fine how you repositioned them, i and just about everyone else i know did the same thing.
 
btw: Forgot to mention what settings I'm using for the illuminas. I'm using 3F and 4R. Anyone else with illuminas please comment on the settings you use and why.
 
As for the seatbelt tensioner, it must be held level (like it sits on the rear deck) or it will stay locked. Hold it level AND get the tension off of it, then it will unreel. The washers, if you need them are #12 metric, two or three per side will do. Most rear lowering springs won't require a spring compressor due to the long rear struts on the Protege. It's really too bad Tokico put the rear adjuster where it CANT BE REACHED with disassembling the car. For auto-x use, we've been using 1-2 front/5 rear for concrete, and 2-3 front/5 rear for asphalt. Concrete seems to induce more "push" than asphalt.
 
I've had the illuminas with spool springs installed since june and they are pretty nice. I have been using 3F/3R I beleive. Now all I need is the AWR 21mm rear swaybar and a MSP front swaybar and I'll be set.
 
rustychops41 said:
As for the seatbelt tensioner, it must be held level (like it sits on the rear deck) or it will stay locked. Hold it level AND get the tension off of it, then it will unreel. The washers, if you need them are #12 metric, two or three per side will do. Most rear lowering springs won't require a spring compressor due to the long rear struts on the Protege. It's really too bad Tokico put the rear adjuster where it CANT BE REACHED with disassembling the car. For auto-x use, we've been using 1-2 front/5 rear for concrete, and 2-3 front/5 rear for asphalt. Concrete seems to induce more "push" than asphalt.
Thanks for the tip, but I eventually got the tensioner out in a rather barbaric way. I swung it like a mace banging my bed and floor, then threw it. When I went to pick it up and proceed to swing it some more, it just came out, and I pulled as much slack as I could and rushed outside to get it back on.

btw: what settings do you use on the street for day to day?
 
vindication said:
I've had the illuminas with spool springs installed since june and they are pretty nice. I have been using 3F/3R I beleive. Now all I need is the AWR 21mm rear swaybar and a MSP front swaybar and I'll be set.
Wouldn't a front sway bar induce more understeer? Why would we want that?
 
You've got the same setup as me. I run 3f/4r on mine daily. With the AWR rear bar the car is incredible.


And yes the MSP front bar isn't worth the hassle. It will negate some of the effect of the big rear bar.
 
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