eyefi Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 im considering fitting some shocks & springs to the car myself (my new tool kit is getting me carried away). can anyone advise me on the difficulties of this job, has anyone else done it? do u need any specialist tools? is there any other maintenance that would be good to carry out at the same time? does anyone know if the tracking spec is the same for the supra with and without the sports pack (bilstein) suspension. also are the springs in the sports pack the same as the standard springs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Martin F Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 You will need a good set of spring compressors and really should have the alignment checked afterwards. It may well be OK, but i feel having it checked would be prudent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tDR Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 I did this job on the front end of my old Sierra and it was pretty straightforward, only took a bit more than an hour but I did have my dad (mechanic by trade) and his vast toolkit available to me! Like MartinF said you need some decent spring compressors. As for the alignment, all was well on the Sierra with a minor adjustment of the trackrod end nuts - it had been pulling to one side and the steering was very vague before we did the shocks and springs and afterwards the improvement was vast - the car actually went in a straight line with no hands on the wheel and the cornering and high speed stability were much improved. We didn't fit uprated parts either, just new original spec parts to replace the worn ones. Any problem nuts can usually be overcome with a soaking in WD40 and some elbowgrease. You could replace your front suspension bushes at the same time with some uprated items but I don't know if this is a common thing to do on a Supra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyefi Posted July 31, 2002 Author Share Posted July 31, 2002 yep, im still waiting for some whiteline lower bushes (its been forever so far). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Need4Speed Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 I would check toe-in (and really camber), after this job. The tyres are too expensive to waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetawayDriver Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 I did mine about a month ago. It's not a difficult job so long as you have the right tools and some patients. a couple of things to keep in mind. You really need a torque wrench to put it all back together. top mounts on front wishbones uncorrectly torqued will make a horrible creaking/bang noise if they are too tight. Be careful undoing the link arms on the front and rear anti roll bars. it's real easy to tear the rubber boot on them. and their location means the threads etc are full of shit and need a good clean before you try to get the nut off. I had to cut one off in the end. If you're building the strut off the car, make sure you have it aligned perfectly with the 3-pronged top mount. Measure it if you have to. If it's not perfect, it either wont even fit back on the car or when the car is back on the ground the whole thing will be under tension and it will drive like a piece of shit. Don't try cutting any corners but not fully removing a wishbone or and anti roll bar... you got to do it by the book to get the strut off and back on right. oh... and don't over torque the top mount on a rear strut and theat the nut off it and have to wait a week to get another one. like i did. doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl0s Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Don't try cutting any corners but not fully removing a wishbone or and anti roll bar... you got to do it by the book to get the strut off and back on right. Really? I am considering replacing my shocks and springs tomorrow, as the garage boss is away til Thurs and the car is dangerous. Is the above advice worth heeding, or can I make a shortcut? I'll be fitting Toyota Bilsteins and Tanabe GF210 springs. Yes I know this thread is 3 years old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I think you'll find you cant take any shortcuts. It's quite logical and you will find that you cant remove the shock unless you have removed the above parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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