new suspension time

Discussion in 'Modifications & DIY how-to' started by nicad, Jul 14, 2008.

  1. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    [​IMG]

    :naughty:

    tokico's with swift STi springs, grp N hats (soon to be whiteline plates)
    yummy
     
    #1 nicad, Jul 14, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2008
  2. pEd

    pEd This ain't no Piccadilly!

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    Nice....
     
  3. Matt

    Matt Think before you post
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    :banana:

    nice dude! those struts are hawt
     
  4. 1984

    1984 Member

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    Hey, I'm running the same springs, grp-n rear mounts and whiteline max-c plates too, but I have them paired with Koni inserts. I don't have any experience with the Tokico's, but I love the way my car handles and rides with the swift r-spec springs and Koni's. I'm thinking you're going to love them with the Tokico's.

    FYI about the whiteline plates though, several people over on nasioc are reporting bad bearings (either too loose or too tight) in the plates which is causing clunking, popping noises and/or memory steer. Here's the thread: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1481890
    I'm having problems with my left plate sticking and causing popping and clunking noises. Hopefully you luck out and get a set of plates without any of these problems.
     
  5. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    hrm I'll look into it. TiC makes a nut specifically for these to run whiteline plates (which I have the nut but not the plates yet)


    and of course my strut top nuts are being a bitch. :mad: guess I'll need to go get a 17mm offset
     
  6. 1984

    1984 Member

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    If you were closer, I'd let you borrow my pass through wrench and socket set. Made getting those top nuts off so much easier.
     
  7. blindfold

    blindfold Active Member

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    excellent choice on the springs, but be ready that it might not give a big drop
     
  8. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    couldnt find a pass thru wrench easily, so I welded a 17mm socket onto a box end wrench. works like a CHARM
     
  9. blindfold

    blindfold Active Member

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    that is pretty badass, do you weld regularly?

    Let me know how much the drop is, I am almost on stock weight running the 04 STi spec Swifts R-specs
     
  10. GTscoob

    GTscoob Black is Beautiful

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    My old trick is to break those nuts loose while the car is still on the ground, then they come off with ease when you've got the strut assembly off the car.

    You'll enjoy the D-Specs, and good choice running a stiffer STI upgrade spring on these struts. You'll handle on par with Koni and coilover equipped cars while only lacking the ability to cornerweight the car.
     
    #10 GTscoob, Jul 15, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2008
  11. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    trust me. tried it. sprungs just spun on the perch
     
  12. oneiguy

    oneiguy Active Member

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    When are you putting them on?
     
  13. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    I put the fronts on last night. had to disassemble the old struts to reuse the upper perches, bump stops and the shaft boots.

    contemplating doing the rears, but I may not be able to get the strut top studs lined up by myself, so I may hold off since I have to go to work in the morning. that and my jesus phone is here so I need to go pick it up
     
  14. oneiguy

    oneiguy Active Member

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    I am buy in the d-spec tomorrow. What do you think so far?
     
  15. GTscoob

    GTscoob Black is Beautiful

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    Wont fit the wagon, for the price just get Konis. And if you want to minimize your downtime I've got my old stock struts you can borrow to install the inserts in and trade me back yours after you're done.
     
  16. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    they will fit the wagon IIRC. the problem is spring selection.

    sean I would call TiC, they seem to know the most about them and could advise you on your wagon options. they make a few custom things that make wagon life easier (shims for the rear)
     
  17. GTscoob

    GTscoob Black is Beautiful

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    They're sedan struts, if you put them on your wagon you're going to end up in my boat and have maxed out camber bolts with camber plates and only be able to get -1 camber up front and -.5 degrees camber in the back. If Tokico has since come out with a wagon version of the D-Spec, thats great and I'm utterly misinformed.

    Springs dont matter that much from sedan to wagon, softer springs sag more than stiffer springs. People are making saggy-butt spacers now that sit between the tophat and the strut tower to provide a lift in the back (think 4x4 body lift blocks). There's also the Racecomp lowering camber plates which achieve the same result except they drop the front instead of raising the rear.
     
  18. oneiguy

    oneiguy Active Member

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    Well I have talked to Tokico, RCE, and TiC today. The d-specs do work for the wagon. All you need is the rear 04 top hats to use the RCE wagon springs. And TiC makes a deep nut for the camber plate also. So I am going to go for it. I probably will only track my car a couple of times, so not really worried about max performance. Just a good DD, and some fun in the mountains. Anything will be better than driving on blown shocks.
     
  19. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    be sure to get the spacer's for the rear since you are using 04 tophats
     
  20. oneiguy

    oneiguy Active Member

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    yup on the list.
     
  21. GTscoob

    GTscoob Black is Beautiful

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    Give me a call later on tonight and lets talk.
     
  22. oneiguy

    oneiguy Active Member

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  23. 2thAche

    2thAche Member

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    So you didn't like the racecomps?
     
  24. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    rears are in. car is sexy now. doesn't bounce around like many under dampened cars I've ridden in. ride is suprisingly nice for how stiff and stable it is
     
  25. wrxin8or

    wrxin8or Mullitt
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    glad we could get that done Sunday duder...was nice and easy too
     
  26. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    yeah I know just more time saved for me so I can play ogame and make eleventy billion threads about it or take my car to king at classic
     
  27. Cool_____

    Cool_____ Banned

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    My trick....impact wrench. It always gets that top nut off.
     
  28. Scotty B

    Scotty B Member

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    have you had a chance to try the full range of adjustments yet? i'm really considering pairing these struts with my USDM STi springs and cranking the damping back to make it really plush on road trips.
     
  29. GTscoob

    GTscoob Black is Beautiful

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    I'll vouch for how well these ride when you turn them down. They actually ride better than stock IMO when turned down to the weaker side of damping for those springs. All the stiffness of the stock springs/struts with none of the bounce.
     
  30. seanwrxwagon

    seanwrxwagon Member

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    I had read the same thing about sedan struts affecting camber in the wagon. I was planning on going with inserts. Do they make d-spec in a wagon version.
     
  31. nicad

    nicad Yes I am a troll

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    not that I am aware of
     
  32. SubiNoobi

    Supporting Member

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    No, D-Specs definitely do not come in a wagon version. That's why the koni inserts are so popular.

    However, some wagon guys have used sedan struts along with sedan control arms to fix the camber problem. Some of those same guys say they have done it without the need to swap front fenders or axles.
     

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