gretchen/jason Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Ive got a 78 280z . i installed tokico shocks/struts about 16 months ago well the ones in the rear are blown , ya push the rod down it dont come up anymore pisses me off . So are there any other brands out there that work in a z car as i dont feal like buying tokicos again if they are just going to go bad . Nothing is leaking from the shock if ya push the rod down then pull up on it you can hear the oil or something inside the shock swishing around not sure what happend , unless they bottomed out some how and broke internally . Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun40146 Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Did you install bumpstops and dust boots when you replaced the struts? If you did then the tokicos have a warentee, just pull the shocks and call tockico. They will help you out as long as you installed them correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Dust boots aren't necessary on Tokicos, the shafts have their own dust seal. Bumpstops are. They are pretty durable unless you run them with ridiculously stiff spring rates or no bumpstops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gretchen/jason Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 No dust boot but did install the bump stops according to the directions . They said to cut the stock bump stop in half " make it thinner" so i did . Oh and i used tokico lowering springs sme as on the front only the rears are blown fronts ar fine and they have no bump stops in the fronts . Ive read another thread on struts but bilstein and some other company said they make nothing for datsuns . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stony Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 I have a set on ebay for sale if you need a replacement set http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280088504245&rd=1,1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhsbZ Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Call Tokico...they should warrantee them. If the don't, call me 310-947-7014. I have a buddy over at tokico that takes care of me on stuff like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gretchen/jason Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 Ill call monday and see what they say but the main problem is i cant do without the blown struts as i only have 1 car and i cant drive without struts " guess i could go really really slow haa haaa . i hate to buy another set when there is a waranty but what can i do i need my ride . i do want some better struts then the tokico HP's though for the rear due to squating on a good launch , i know some squatting is good but man i bottom out every time even when the struts were new . The front handles like a dream even with my V8 swap but even when the rears were good they squated very very low . id launch and every time the rear would go so low the bump stops hit . got worse withn the past few months thats why i checked my struts . Does it matter that i have lowering springs ? ive noticed that when i rais ethe front off the ground the strut is about 3 inches longer then the spring . therefore the spring falls out of its perchevry time and i have to reset the spring when lowering the car back down . the rears werent as bad but when raised the springs wer not under any type of load . . The struts came with what i call a piece of metal fence post pipe , that went under each strut to make up for the height of the strut tube so as the insert would sitin the correct height position . Kinda like high heals for a lady to make the strut taller !!! is that normal for a 78 280z ? . i dont remember but i think the " pipe " spacer went in the rear , i cant take it apart as i drive it to work and dont have another ride . My z had been modified somewhat by the owner beore me . 82 zx engine etc etc . Is there a way to tell if i have strut tubes fro a 78 280z or maybe from a earlier z that may have been shorter . I ordered all struts and springs for a 78 280z but who knows what i had on my ride when i bought it as the guy who owned it died and was up for sale and i bought it . Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 If your springs are that short they're really too short. You need either coilovers and sectioned struts to run that kind of ride height, or some taller springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vashonz Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Does it matter that i have lowering springs ? ive noticed that when i rais ethe front off the ground the strut is about 3 inches longer then the spring . therefore the spring falls out of its perchevry time and i have to reset the spring when lowering the car back down . With the tokico springs and shocks I installed on my 240z the lowering springs were not under any pressure when the strut assembly was removed from the car, but there was not 3" of play. I don't know if a 280z is that much different. the rears werent as bad but when raised the springs wer not under any type of load . . The struts came with what i call a piece of metal fence post pipe , that went under each strut to make up for the height of the strut tube so as the insert would sitin the correct height position . Kinda like high heals for a lady to make the strut taller !!! is that normal for a 78 280z ? . i dont remember but i think the " pipe " spacer went in the rear , i cant take it apart as i drive it to work and dont have another ride . Jason The tokico illumina rear struts I have had a spacer like you described. I don't know if this will help you at all, but I have the suspension I pulled off my 240z, from the control arm to the top of the strut. Also have both stock and Tokico (lowering) springs. I'll probably just be throwing this stuff away. I will let most of it go for a whistle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 I have the Nissan European spec springs on my car with KYB struts. The KYB's blew about 5,000 miles ago and the car currently slams & bangs when I hit certain bumps. I'm still trying to decide if I want another set of KYB's or the Tokicko's. I got about 60,000 miles out of the KYB's. They are the non-adjustable variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gretchen/jason Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 Kinda sounds like i need stock springs for the length , i do like the way my z looks lowered but if lowered means blown shocks its not worth it . Ill call tokico monday and get some measurements on the struts and such and compare them to the strut tube length incase the previous owner swaped something out that i dont know about . On my fronts i wouldnt exactly call it a 3 inch gap when i raise the z i can pu 2 fingers one on top of the other in between the spring and the plate the spring rests on . Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 I had a set in my car before buying the Koni 8610s. One of the rears leaked down and this is on a car that was rolled around the shop and not driven at all... Hell, most of the weight was not in the car, since it had been stripped down to a shell for all the life of the struts... Needless to say, I'm not a fan of these struts... Mine were not the Illuminas, so maybe that has something to do with it, don't know... But one of them is NOT holding any pressure at all. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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