Installing Shocks and Springs

ilusnforc

Registered User
I just got my Tokico Illumina 2 electronic adjustable shocks in yesterday, and i have Vogtland springs from a group buy on TCCoA. I've searched a little and can't find any info... but can anyone give me a quick walk-through in changing the shocks and springs?? I rented a torque wrench, so if there is anything that needs to be torqued to specs i can do that, and also rented spring compressors and a pulley puller so i can put my new 10% overdrive pulley on (hopefully i can figure that one out on my own, with the help of the "how-to" on mn12performance). Thanks
 
i just saw that on mn12... i just realized i need a joint seperator too. I'll have to go rent that. Im having problems on the front where it says to put a jack under the lower control arm and slightly raise it, it lifts the whole car off the jack stand. and it says to take off the nut and bolt that attaches the bottom of the shock to the lower control arm. i took the nut off but cant get the bolt out. also, the 3 nuts on the top of the shock, it says should not be re-used, new ones should be put in their place...?
 
There is a steel sleeve around the lower shock bolt, and is split all the way down it's length. I think you have to take a flat blade screwdriver, and try to wedge it into the split area to pry the sleeve open just enough to let the bolt loosen up. If you spray some penetrating fluid in at the same time, maybe you will get it to come loose.

I have never tried this myself, but it seems to work for those who have.

This has been talked about recently over at tccoa.com
 
i got the front shocks and springs installed today... they look great. It rides very nice... i also installed the 10% overdrive pulley... wow... thats great. hopefully i'll install the rear stuff soon.
 
ilusnforc said:
i got the front shocks and springs installed today... they look great. It rides very nice... i also installed the 10% overdrive pulley... wow... thats great. hopefully i'll install the rear stuff soon.

ilusnforc, did you ever measure before and after the vogtland spring swap. What did you final drop end up being. I just installed mine this weekend and with only 100 miles on the springs the rears have settled almost an inch and the fronts haven't settled more than a 1/4 inch. I'm worried the rears will sag much more and the fronts won't.....
 
now that you mention that... I should have posted back on the Vogtland group buy thread to post my results. I got an exact 3/4" all around, now thats impressive. I am extremely satisfied with the ride, along with my Tokico Illumina 2 shocks.
 
ilusnforc said:
now that you mention that... I should have posted back on the Vogtland group buy thread to post my results. I got an exact 3/4" all around, now thats impressive. I am extremely satisfied with the ride, along with my Tokico Illumina 2 shocks.

Thanks ilusnforc. I agree with you that the ride is very nice. not too harsh. I think the Illumina II's just needed a slighly higher spring race to balance out the rebound dampening they have.
I think I may have some binding spring issues in the front since the struts where not exactly square when they went in. I also think I might have a sway bar binding issue in the rear since I'm using the stock height addco end links. Both of those should be taken care of this weekend.
 
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