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Forum nameHandling/Suspension
Topic subjectFYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Topic URLhttps://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=i6&topic_id=19663
19663, FYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Posted by Nackers, Aug-31-03 05:27 PM
Maybe this can make it as a sticky or something. I noticed the guy was wondering about this and I have had a few e-mails about this so I will just post it. If it gets deleted, whatever, but hopefully this will help aid some of you attempting to do this.

Originally a E-mail:

I expect some points on 2gnt :P. It really isn't that hard as long as you know to take the bolt in the bracket holding the front strut all the way out :). I wasted 5 hours trying to figure that out then I realized, while looking at the Illumnia, that there is a slot for that bolt to slide through to help hold the strut in :).

Front instillation:

1. Turn on some good tunes :).
2. Pop and open the hood. Jack up the front of the car and put jack stands under the respected lift points.
3. Take the wheel off and expose the strut.
4. Take the bolt holding the strut on... the one I mentioned up there in the biggining that took me 5 hours to take off :).
5. Don't take the strut out of the bracket.
6. Unbolt the 3 (10mm?) strut tower bolts under the hood still holding the strut on (the bolts where a strut tower bar would go).
7. Take the strut out of the bracket and manouver it out of the wheel well.

Make sure you have a spring compressor because you will have to use the bump stops from your stockers. I have been told that your supposed to cut the bump stop, but I didn't. They say that it makes a noise if you don't, but I havent noticed anything... yet :) and its been lowered for about 2-3 months. You may want to post/search on 2gnt about that cause I am not sure about the cutting length (where to cut).

Now do the other side following the same instructions. Then put the new ones on (using reverse instructions) and put the wheel on. This whole thing should only take about a hour or less, depending on how rusty the bolts are and things of that nature.

The back is much easier to do because there is 3 bolts holding the shock on.

Back instructions:

1. Keep your tunes on :).
2. Pop and open your hatch/trunk. Jack up the rear and place jackstands in their respective lifting locations.
3. Take off the wheel and expose the rear strut. I don't know what model you have or if there is any diffrence from the diffrent models, but on the 95 RS we don't have a rear sway bar so things may be diffrent, but I don't believe that they are.
4. Take the 1 bolt off holding the strut on at the bottom.
5. In the hatch/trunk, there is a little piece of trim that can be removed by 2 (phillips?) screws. Take that off to expose the strut tower and take the 2 bolts off.
6. Take the strut out.
7. Same as the front, use your spring compressor and get the bump stops. Assemble the Illumnia's and GC's and put them in.

This should take like 20 min tops, cause the rear is so much easier to do. Make sure you are ready to catch the bolts that are holding the strut on in back (the strut tower ones) because if you drop them you may have problems. Luckly the Illumnias I got came with extra bolts and they just happened to fit :).

I hope everything goes well. It really isn't that hard as long as you have the right tools (wrenches, sockets, screwdriver, ect.) If you need anymore help, just let me know and I will be happy to help... now GIVE ME POINTS BEIOTCH!!! LMAO!!!


Good luck,
Nackers

I hope this helps anyone needing any info on this type thing. I am kinda hoping that this will make a sticky here so everyone in the pits can see that I do contribute valuable info to the site :).
19664, RE: FYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Posted by EvuLFleA, Aug-31-03 06:11 PM
And you didn't do anything with the strut perches? Just sit the sleeve on top of it?

You also could get the struts out of the damper fork by not removing the lower bolt? What about the sway bar linkage?

Have you checked out the main site of 2gnt? We have a LOT of installions:

http://www.2gnt.com/www/corbin/struts.html
19665, RE: FYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Posted by Nackers, Aug-31-03 06:14 PM
Yeah I did check there when I was going to do this and found nothing on the tokico illumnias and ground controls. I am just trying to help thoes who need it like I needed it. The only diffrence is I had to find out how to do it by myself and wasted 5 hours for no reason.
19666, RE: FYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Posted by EvuLFleA, Aug-31-03 06:21 PM
Well what did you do with the strut perches? Did you knock them off? Did you modify the struts at all for the coilovers?

And how could you manage to get the struts out without undoing the sway bar linkage or even the damper fork.
19667, RE: FYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Posted by Nackers, Aug-31-03 06:42 PM
I'm not quite sure what your talking about with modifying the strut perches. Do you mean the bumps stops? I left thoes alone, but now I know I needed to cut them which I will do eventually.

As for undoing the sway bar. Nope, didn't need to. The strut just slid out of place with a little force. Not a lot though.
19673, RE: FYI: Tokico Illumnia w/ ground control~ install(writeup)
Posted by Clay, Sep-01-03 09:41 AM


The strut perch is the portion of the shock/strut which holds the coilover sleeve/springs. Btw, I couldnt' lower my car with skunk 2s because the perch sat to high for the sleeve.