Play in the spring/strut? Question

[COmputoman]

I just installed the rear tokico spring/struts on my 280zx 2+2 and the new spring did not even have to be compress onto the strut assembly... IN FACT when the top mount was screwed down the spring could move a good 3 or 4 inches up and down when the car was not sitting on the ground. Whenever we dropped the car we just made sure that the bottom of the coil was seated in its groove. Is this a normal thing for lowering springs? Any advice is much appreciated.

 

thanks

 

ben

[JMortensen]

For lowering springs to be loose is normal. To have 3 or 4 inches of play sounds suspicious to me. Did you get these second hand? Might be that somebody cut them to lower the car further. What I would try to do is make sure that you have some suspension travel left. Jack the car up, put a zip tie around the shaft of the shock, set the car down and roll it around, but do not push down on it or bounce the suspension. Then jack it back up and see where the zip tie is. If it is way up at the top of the shaft then you don't have much travel left at all. If you really did have 3-4 inches of play between the spring and the perches, then I expect that you will find that your travel is lacking. If that happens the solution is to get another pair of springs that hasn't been cut, or section the struts (in front) to increase the available travel with the car lowered, or both.

[COmputoman]

I drove the car around with the front shocks on and it drives great. Takes turns quicker then i could ever before. The ride hight is a lot lower. Not sure if its actually an inch drop or more. I forgot to measure before i made the swap. Does this look normal?

Also here are the parts I installed http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=123144

Basicly this kit. Only purchased somewhere else http://www.racinglab.com/tok-hpp-hpk255.html

[COmputoman]

SO does this look like 1 inch worth of drop?

 

Thanks

[J__]

i have the same problem with the tokico setup. although mine is no where near 3-4' of play. its about 1/4 inch free play when the car is jacked up. something is wrong with yours if ur havein 3-4 inch play.

[COmputoman]

UPDATE:

I called tokico and they have advised me that the rear springs are not rated for the 2+2 Model. Does anyone know of a distributor who sells the rears? By the way the car handels really nicely with the current setup... but as you can see the rear sits pretty low

 

Thanks

[COmputoman]

I am still trying to locate a spring to fit on the rear. I called MSA and asked them if they knew of a spring for a 2+2 and they said that they assumed the non 2+2 springs should be fine. Does anyone have any thoughts an wether this will make much of a difference on the track?