Lewis Maudlin Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 OK, took my car to the local guy with a garage. Here is the problem he is having. I know nothing about springs. Anyway, I got the Tokico Illumina package with springs. The springs are considerably shorter. He says that since the springs are shorter, they will twist or pop loose whenever the car is jacked up or on a lift. I can picture what he means. The shocks stretch a lot farter than the springs are long. Does anyone understand what I am talking about? I am sure that this is something simple, but my mechanic doesn't know and I know nothing. Please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 I zip tie the spring ends 8 times to the spring perches. Call me overkill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaime240z Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 This is common with lowering springs. I usually just make certain thet are sitting in the perch correctly while the car is being brought off the lift/jack. Coil-overs will pretty much guide themselves back to their seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Ah yes my friend look closely and you shall see the red zip ties around my Tokico springs I have had no problems whatsoever with my springs and I have jacked up the front end of my Z many times since I put on the new springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evildky Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Ah yes my friend look closely and you shall see the red zip ties around my Tokico springs I have had no problems whatsoever with my springs and I have jacked up the front end of my Z many times since I put on the new springs. it's called spring seat hop, the ST springs fit snugly enough to avoid this, goersia flash, did you paint your strut housings tokiko blue? I can't imagine tokiko would manufacture complete struts with spindles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Haha, nope, that is Ford engine blue the late model blue I might add. The older Ford engine blue is a bit darker. I had planned on doing my suspension parts in this color a while back but I think that when I get it all done I will go back to painting the housings gloss black. The best thing about a work in progress is that you can make changes as you go and if you do something that you do not like, well just change it. By the way the camera flash makes the blue pop a little brighter than it probably is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jayru Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Guys, do your Tokico springs compress and stack the first few coils when the car is on the ground? Someone on another z site is having this problem. I'm wondering if that's the design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Guys, do your Tokico springs compress and stack the first few coils when the car is on the ground? Someone on another z site is having this problem. I'm wondering if that's the design. Sounds like that other guy doesn't understand how a progressive spring works. The linear rate springs won't compress at one end or the other. The whole spring compresses. The progressive rate springs have very tightly wound coils at the top end to lower the spring rate for the first inch or two of travel. Once the lower spring rate part of the spring compresses, then it gets into the higher rate. It's a spring that gives a soft cushy ride on a rough road, then has a more aggressive rate past that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 Thanks for the quick answer. I had Arizona Z springs last time and they worked well in my V-8 Z. This time, I am going the Datsun route. I put in a bigger clutch, etc. I am sure by this time next spring, I will have replaced the motor with a turbo motor. That is if gas prices don't get too out of control. I found the whole Illumina package new on ebay for less than $500 which is what the Arizona Z springs and regular Tokico's would have cost me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jayru Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Sounds like that other guy doesn't understand how a progressive spring works. The linear rate springs won't compress at one end or the other. The whole spring compresses. The progressive rate springs have very tightly wound coils at the top end to lower the spring rate for the first inch or two of travel. Once the lower spring rate part of the spring compresses, then it gets into the higher rate. It's a spring that gives a soft cushy ride on a rough road, then has a more aggressive rate past that. Yes, but his tightly wound upper coils are completely compressed at rest. So it's only using the lower coils. That's his problem. Should the upper coils be uncompressed or compressed at rest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 In a progressive rate spring, the entire section of progression coils should not be fully compressed at rest. What would be the point? Maybe they are not the correct springs for your car. not a hijack but a quick question: I have Tokico springs (linear) from about 12 years ago. They are black. Are they rated for # by color? I know the best thing to do to find their rates is to measure the force of compression on a scale but I was wondering if Tokico had a color/# reference. Mine were rated as 1" lowering springs when I bought them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jayru Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 They definately are the correct springs. Believe it or not, he called tokico and they said it's supposed to be that way. I would think the top coils are ussless then. That's why i wanted to see if anyone else running the Tokico springs had the same problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 What car do you have? Did they give you pre '74 springs for a post '74 car? I believe Tokico specs different springs for cars after '74-1/2. I would imagine they stiffened the rates on the later springs as the cars got heavier. Lewis, I used zip ties on top but on the bottom since I had better access, I used twisted wire to tie the spring ends to the perches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 They definately are the correct springs. Believe it or not, he called tokico and they said it's supposed to be that way. I would think the top coils are ussless then. That's why i wanted to see if anyone else running the Tokico springs had the same problem. Sounds like all the progressive springs I've seen on Z's. Usually the first 3 or 4 are totally bound IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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