tokico install...DONE. clunk

[Stealth5]

weird noises from tokico illuminas

i did my front tokicos today. no spring compressor needed, just a rubber mallet, a few sockets, and a breaker bar. it took almost no time at all and it was extremely simple, but now when i turn (even when the cars not moving) i hear funny clunks from them. i might not have torqued down that big nut on the top of the strut enough, could that be the problem?

 

[MikeBlueP5]

try that and make sure you tightened the sway bar endlinks. I just installed my illuminas yesterday. I have some pics im about to post, they will be in my other thread.

 

[Moeed]

Make sure the black top hat bushing is set in the part where it sits. Mine are shattered and it clunks like crazy. I need new ones but mazda charges 20 per bushing!

Oh yea, make sure everything is torqued. I thought Ahmad torqued the other wheel when we did mine, and a week later, teh wheel almost fell off.

 

[Stealth5]

aight, pm me with the link to that thread when you make it. install was a piece of cake huh? i was under the impression that it was hard. thank god the p5 springs are under almost NO pressure when the car's jacked up. made it hella easy

 

[Moeed]

Install on the fronts aint too hard, but those backs are a real biatch!

 

[Stealth5]

Make sure the black top hat bushing is set in the part where it sits.

can you show me a pic of the part youre talking about? is it the piece with the little pink mark on it?

also, where the hell is your sway bar?!

Install on the fronts aint too hard, but those backs are a real biatch!

why, just because you have to take apart the interior?

 

[SkinnyJoint]

well when u get it fixed gives us the run down of what u think of them

 

[RyanJayG]

you dont have to take apart the interior in the rear... talk to Ahmad, he has done it several times without removing all the panels... just the top one.

 

[meinp5]

I installed the tokico blues on my car myself too. This was my first time ever doing suspension work so it took me a little while and i broke my endlinks, but i learned a lot. I took out all the rear pieces in the hatch because it made it a lot easier to see everything and access all the bolts. After about a month I had the same clunking that you have. It is only coming from the front pass. side though. Let me know if you find a solution to it because it really gets annoying.

 

[Stealth5]

mine is front passenger side too, im gonna get an alignment in the next few days and let all the stuff dry out (it was raining like hell here when i did it so all the parts from the car were a little soggy) im thinking its the top of the springs rubbing against the wet rubber piece at the top of the strut

 

[Stealth5]

well when u get it fixed gives us the run down of what u think of them

i can already tell theyre awesome except for the weird noises theyre making. my tires dont spin accelleratiing out of a corner like it did with teins on stock struts

 

[SkinnyJoint]

awww nice how much were they

 

[MP503]

I have the same struts in my car for about 3 months now with tein springs. The Rears sent to 5 and the front set to 4. I got em for 490 from a local shop.

 

[Stealth5]

i got mine for $500 shipped, new from user BlackMSP

 

[Denhamcla]

Has anyone else been able to do this without a spring compressor? When i replaced my stocks with the eiback pros, i used a compressor, only for fear of my life. But you were albe to do this without one eh... maybe ill put in some struts now. No pop when that last bolt came off? No flying caps? Let me know thanks.

 

[garretts77]

Has anyone else been able to do this without a spring compressor? When i replaced my stocks with the eiback pros, i used a compressor, only for fear of my life. But you were albe to do this without one eh... maybe ill put in some struts now. No pop when that last bolt came off? No flying caps? Let me know thanks.

^^ What he said. I used a compressor too, but mostly so I wouldn't have a strut sticking out of my chest.... mostly...

 

[RyanJayG]

well I have done it many times, and have never used a spring compressor... I used the car's weight and a floor jack under the rotor to bring it down slowly... I remove the nut on the strut leaving the pillowball mount in place till the tension is off the spring.

then for re-installing, most aftermarket springs are short enough to get the nut on with little effort when re-assembling.. just remember which way everything goes.

 

[Gbourdon]

Yeah spring compressors are for sissies. I got them to use but never used them. I have also done springs without removing the endlinks (obviously need to remove them to do struts though)

I did almost fire a strut through the wall once though. Need to be careful with that shiat.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

compressors arent needed just do what ryan said, use the weight of the car and remove the center nut off the strut rod itself and slowly lower the jack, if youre that afraid then use a rope and tie the spring to something so it wont go anywhere. I too bought a set of compressors and i used them once on a mustang! I got my illuminas for 460 shipped off ebay.

 

[Stealth5]

i got the problem fixed with the clunking and what not, the top nut wasnt tight enough...i had a friend sit on the fender with me and i tightened it down a bit. i HAD to use an impact gun on one side tho because the whole piston rod thingy rotated when i tried to tighten the nut.

how are you supposed to tighten those things down without an impact wrench and without touching the piston rod with tools?