Monday, February 04, 2008 - 06:41 pm, by: Adam Lawes(Shifty_kustoms)
hey everyone just wanting to know how i can get out my shock and springs from a 1991 toyota soarer 1JZ-TT i have undone all the bolts holding it but still i can't get it out... if anyone could send me a step buy step guide on how to get it out front and rear with pictures that would be great... or atleast be able to sell me a workshop manual on the soarer...
Monday, February 04, 2008 - 06:59 pm, by: Ben Lipman(Ben12a)
Mate, I think I did a tutorial on this somewhere.
The rears were dead easy, all but fall out once the bolts (three at top and one at the bottom from memory) are undone. Fronts needed something extra(at the bottom) removed to get out. I'll see if I posted it her or somewhere else.
Monday, February 04, 2008 - 07:33 pm, by: Ben Lipman(Ben12a)
I can't find it so maybe I posted on another site. Here is the text anyway. I'll have to look for any pictures I took later...
Fitting Coilover suspension
1. Follow all preparation steps as per manufacturer’s guidelines (torque nuts etc).
Front Struts
2. Jack up the front of the car and support on stands. Ensure suspension is free to move. It is much easier if both sides are jacked up as there will be less tension on the sway bar etc. 3. Remove the wheels. 4. Remove the lower strut bolt (19mm). 5. Remove the sway bar link from the lower strut mount. You may not need to but I had to on one side. 6. Remove the lower strut mount by removing the two 14mm bolts and sliding out from under the strut. 7. Remove the three 12 mm nuts from the upper mount (strut tower). 8. Remove the strut assembly from the vehicle. Get a helper to either stand on the hub or use a lever on the upper wish bone to give you sufficient room to get the strut out. 9. Insert the new coilover and finger tighten the three upper mount nuts. 10. Replace the lower strut mount and bolts. 11. Align the lower strut mount with the coilover and replace the bolt, nut and washer. A screw driver will come in handy here to get it all to line up. You will need to lift the hub assembly due to the fact it is shorter than the stock strut. A jack or helper with a lever works well. 12. Tighten the upper strut nuts. 13. Check all nuts and bolts are tightened and replace the wheels- unless you want to have a play with the ride height.
Rear Struts
14. Chock the front wheels. Jack up the rear of the car and support on stands. 15. Remove the lower strut bolt (19mm). 16. Remove the three 12 mm nuts from the cover on the upper mount (strut tower in the boot) and remove the cover. 17. Remove the three 12 mm nuts from the upper mount (strut tower). 18. Remove the strut assembly from the vehicle. Get a helper to either stand on the hub or use a lever on the upper wish bone to give you sufficient room to get the strut out. These are much easier than the rears. 19. Insert the new coilover and finger tighten the three upper mount nuts. Do not replace the cover at this stage. 20. Align the coilover with the lower strut mount and replace the bolt, nut and washer. Use the same procedure as the fronts. 21. Tighten the three upper mounting nuts and replace the cover. I left my cover off so I could recheck all nuts after a test drive. You may want to drill a hole in the cover so you can adjust the damping rate easier later on. 22. Check all nuts and bolts are tightened and replace the wheels. 23. Take the car for a test drive. I would suggest a few slow slaloms and figure eights if you have a safe place to do so and then recheck all nuts and bolts including the wheel nuts. 24. Experiment with ride height and once you are happy go and get an alignment done by an expert.
Other points
25. The whole process is much easier if you can jack all four corners up and support on stands. 26. Just to be sure I used Loctite thread locker on all bolts as I do not have access to the Toyota torque settings for the suspension components. This may be overkill, and I may regret it later on!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008 - 05:10 pm, by: Adam Lawes(Shifty_kustoms)
hey thanks heaps ben i must need to remove the sway bar cause there is way to much upwards pressure on it to remove it... even with a 80kg guy on it couldn't get it far enough... so i will give it a go and get back to u on how it went
Wednesday, February 06, 2008 - 06:48 pm, by: Ben Lipman(Ben12a)
I think(?) I removed the sway bar link because it was physically in the way. My memory is a bit hazy now though - you are the one looking at the suspension and can see the problem.
I do remember the fronts being difficult to get out, and the judicious use of a piece of wood to lever the suspension solved my issue.
Friday, February 08, 2008 - 08:26 pm, by: Ben Lipman(Ben12a)
Man, I must be lucky. I had none of these problems. No dropping A arms, no removing linings, no washer bottle interference. Just a bit of leverage from a piece of timber and they wiggled out.